Finnish citizenship requirements
For Finnish citizenship by application you must be 18 or older, have lived in Finland legally for the past 8 years (5 years if you meet the language requirement, have a Finnish citizen spouse or are stateless; 2 years for Nordic citizens), have satisfactory Finnish or Swedish, a clean record, paid your obligations and enough income. The fee is 550 euros online. A citizenship test applies to applications submitted from 1 March 2027.
Citizenship rules are changing. Check migri.fi before you apply.
The six requirements today
Migri, the Finnish Immigration Service, lists these requirements for an adult applying under the current rules:
- Age and identity. You are at least 18 and your identity has been reliably established, usually with a passport or other identity document.
- Language. At least satisfactory oral and written skills in Finnish, Swedish, Finnish Sign Language or Finland-Swedish Sign Language, shown by a certificate before you apply. This applies to every applicant; exceptions exist for applicants over 65, health reasons, illiteracy and other very serious reasons.
- Residence. You live in Finland and have lived here long enough (see below).
- Integrity. You are not guilty of a crime and no restraining order has been issued against you. Fixed fines and traffic penalty fees do not prevent citizenship.
- Payment obligations. You have paid your taxes, fines and child maintenance, for example.
- Financial resources. You have not received unemployment benefit or social assistance for longer than 3 months in total during the past 2 years. You state your income sources for those two years in the application.
How long you must have lived in Finland
The Citizenship Act was amended on 1 October 2024. If you apply on or after that date, the 8-year period is the default, meaning 8 years of legal residence in Finland supported by a permit throughout. Because the language requirement applies to everyone, most applicants who pass it qualify for the 5-year period, so in practice 8 years mainly applies to applicants who have an exception to the language requirement. Shorter periods apply to:
| Situation | Years of residence |
|---|---|
| You meet the language skills requirement for citizenship (the usual route) | 5 |
| Your spouse is a Finnish citizen (and you have lived together at least 3 years) | 5 |
| You are stateless | 5 |
| You are a citizen of Denmark, Iceland, Norway or Sweden | 2 |
| You are the spouse of a Finnish diplomat | 2 |
| Permanent full-time work that is unreasonably difficult to do without citizenship, or very serious reasons | 3 |
Only time you actually lived in Finland counts, and gaps between permits are not counted. Your period of residence may include a total of 365 days spent abroad, of which up to 90 may fall in the year immediately before you apply. If your first permit was a temporary (B) permit, half of that time counts toward the period. If your residence history includes a B permit, or you were granted temporary protection, you must also have held a continuous residence permit (A) or a permanent residence permit (P) for at least 1 year before your citizenship application is decided. Your residence under a registered EU right of residence also counts as legal. See residence permit types and permit extensions for how a continuous permit builds up.
What the language requirement means in practice
For citizenship, Migri's language skills page accepts a National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) in Finnish or Swedish at level 3 (intermediate) or higher, or a Civil Service Language Proficiency Certificate with at least satisfactory oral and written skills. Completing Finnish basic education, general upper secondary school or certain Finnish vocational qualifications in Finnish or Swedish also counts. You need the certificate before you submit the application, so book the test early.
Fees and process
- Online application fee: 550 euros. Paper application: 650 euros.
- You apply in the Enter Finland service or on paper, then visit a Migri service point to prove your identity and show original documents. With online banking credentials in Enter Finland you may avoid the visit.
- The fee is not refunded even if the decision is negative or you cancel.
- A positive decision is entered automatically into the Population Information System. Your residence permit is cancelled, since a Finnish citizen cannot hold one.
- Finland accepts multiple citizenship.
- You can appeal a negative decision to an Administrative Court.
Do not apply until you meet every requirement; an application filed too early can lead to a negative decision.
What changes in 2027: the citizenship test
Parliament has approved changes to the Citizenship Act. They enter into force on 1 January 2027 and apply to applications submitted on or after 1 March 2027. Applications submitted by 28 February 2027 are processed under the current rules.
Under the new rules you must show sufficient knowledge of Finnish society, by passing the new citizenship test, completing the matriculation examination in Finnish or Swedish, or earning a Finnish- or Swedish-language higher education degree in Finland. This applies to applicants aged 18 to 64, with possible exemptions for health or disability reasons or other very serious reasons. The test is in Finnish or Swedish and covers legislation, fundamental and human rights, Finnish history and culture and equality. Migri's October 2026 bulletin adds that it is a computer-based multiple-choice test with a fee, that you must pass it before you submit the application, that the result does not expire, and that Migri will run 6 to 10 sessions a year (in 2027 in the Helsinki region, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Kuopio, Vaasa and Rovaniemi). The learning material and test dates are due at the turn of the year 2026/2027, and Migri says not all details are known yet.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I need to live in Finland before I can become a citizen?
8 years is the default, but it is 5 years if you meet the language requirement (which applies to everyone unless you have an exception), have a Finnish citizen spouse or are stateless, and 2 years for Nordic citizens. See the table above for the rarer cases.
Do I have to give up my other citizenship?
No. Migri states that Finland accepts multiple citizenship, although other countries may not.
How much does it cost?
550 euros for an online application and 650 euros on paper.
Will I need to take a test?
If you submit your application on or after 1 March 2027, yes, unless you hold a Finnish or Swedish matriculation exam or a Finnish- or Swedish-language Finnish degree, or qualify for an exemption.
Checked against migri.fi on 12 October 2026. Rules are changing, so confirm before applying.
Sources
- Citizenship application for adults - Finnish Immigration Service (Migri): requirements, fees, process
- Period of residence - Migri: 8-year rule, shorter periods, counting time abroad
- Language skills - Migri: accepted proof of language skills
- Finnish citizenship - Migri: multiple citizenship, decision, appeal
- Citizenship Act changed on 17 December 2025 - Migri: financial resources requirement
- Finland to introduce citizenship test - Migri, 17 June 2026
- Citizenship test learning material and arrangements - Migri, 9 October 2026