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Amendments to the Citizenship Act entered into force on 17 December 2025. For more information, see our customer bulletin.

Integrity

In order to get Finnish citizenship, you must meet the integrity requirement. You meet the integrity requirement if: 

  • you have not committed any crimes and
  • no restraining order has been issued against you. 

Offences for which you have been punished by a fixed fine or a traffic penalty fee do not affect the citizenship decision.

If you have committed a crime

The Finnish Immigration Service will assess whether you can be granted Finnish citizenship. We will consider, for example:

  • the time that has passed since you committed the offence
  • the punishment sentenced
  • the severity of the offence
  • the number of offences you have committed.

Being sentenced to a small number of punishments consisting of less than 30 day fines, for example, will usually not prevent you from becoming a citizen. A higher number of day fines or a more severe punishment will increase the likelihood of a negative decision. The assessment may also be affected by whether you have paid the unit fines imposed on you.

Waiting period

If you have committed an offence, you may have to wait for a certain period of time before you can get citizenship. This means that you will receive a negative decision on your application and
a waiting period will be imposed on you. During this waiting period, you cannot be granted Finnish citizenship.

Examples of the length of waiting periods:

  • The waiting period following a unit fine as punishment is usually 1–4 years from the date when you committed the offence.
  • The waiting period following a sentence of conditional imprisonment is usually 3–5 years from the date when you committed the offence.
  • The waiting period following a sentence of unconditional imprisonment is usually 3–7 years from the date on which the sentence was completed.

When your waiting period is over and you wish to apply for Finnish citizenship, you must submit a new application. 

If you have committed a serious offence or many offences 

You may receive a negative decision that does not contain a separate waiting period. This means that you cannot be granted Finnish citizenship until further notice. 

In these situations, it is advisable to wait for several years before you apply for Finnish citizenship again. A new assessment of your situation will be made when you submit a new application.