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Finnish citizenship

Retaining Finnish citizenship at the age of 22

You will automatically lose your Finnish citizenship when you reach the age of 22 if:

  • you hold Finnish citizenship and the citizenship of another country; and
  • you have not had a sufficient connection to Finland.

You may keep your Finnish citizenship if you have a sufficient connection to Finland

Your connection is sufficient if you meet at least one of the following conditions:

  • You were born in Finland and your municipality of residence is in Finland at the time you reach the age of 22.
  • You have lived in Finland or another Nordic country (Denmark, Iceland, Norway or Sweden) for a total of 7 years before reaching the age of 22 years.
  • You have taken at least one of the following actions when you were between 18 and 21 years of age:
    • You have applied for a Finnish passport or identity card or you have been granted a Finnish passport or identity card.
    • You have completed or you are currently completing military or non-military service in Finland or voluntary military service for women in Finland.
    • You have been granted Finnish citizenship on application or by declaration.
    • You have given notice to a Finnish mission abroad or to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency in Finland of your wish to keep your Finnish citizenship.

Have you received a letter notifying you of the risk of losing your citizenship?

The Finnish Immigration Service will notify you of the risk of losing your Finnish citizenship and of the possibility to retain your Finnish citizenship. Every year, we send a notification letter to citizens who turn 18 and who have had a municipality of residence in Finland for less than 7 years and whose address is available in the Population Information System of Finland.

If you receive a letter from the Finnish Immigration Service stating that you may lose your Finnish citizenship, notify a Finnish mission or the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of your wish to keep your Finnish citizenship. You cannot give this notice to an honorary consulate or the Finnish Immigration Service. You must submit a written notice containing your name and other personal details and stating that you wish to keep your Finnish citizenship.

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency enters information on the automatic retaining and losing of Finnish citizenship in the Population Information System and notifies you of it.

If you lose your citizenship

If you lose your Finnish citizenship at the age of 22 because you did not have a sufficient connection to Finland, you may get your citizenship back by declaration. Read more on the page Citizenship declaration for a former Finnish citizen.

Even if you lose your Finnish citizenship automatically, your children will not lose their Finnish citizenship.