Kansalaisuuskurssi
The University of Helsinki is writing the study material for the citizenship test in Finnish and Swedish. Migri will publish it on its website by the turn of the year at the latest. The test questions are based on this material.
The official study material for the Finnish citizenship test (kansalaisuuskoe) has not been published yet. On 9 October 2026, the Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto, Migri) said the material will be published by the turn of the year at the latest. Here we sum up what is known about the material on 21 October 2026 and how you can prepare before it comes.
What is known about the study material?
- Author: the University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto). Migri chose the university through a tender. A working group of several experts writes the material and the test.
- Language: Under the law, the material is written in Finnish and Swedish.
- Publication: Migri will publish the self-study material on its website by the turn of the year at the latest. At the same time, it will publish the schedule of the first test dates and instructions on registering.
- Basis: The material is based on the civic orientation material (yhteiskuntaorientaatio). Civic orientation is an information package offered to people who are settling in Finland. Under the law, it covers at least living and working in Finland, how society works and a person’s rights and obligations.
Why is the material important?
Under the law, the test questions are based on study material that everyone can access. According to Migri, shared and open material makes the test fair for all applicants. According to the Finnish Government, the material makes sure that everyone can prepare for the test.
Under the law, the questions cover for example
- key Finnish legislation
- fundamental and human rights
- equality (yhdenvertaisuus)
- gender equality (sukupuolten tasa-arvo)
- Finnish history and culture.
The university’s task is also to test, maintain and develop the material. So the material may change later.
What do we not know yet?
We do not know how long the material is, how it is structured, or whether there will be, for example, an audio version or an easy-to-read version. We also do not know the price of the test, the number of questions, the test time or the pass mark. We will report on them when Migri publishes the information.
How can I prepare now?
1. Check whether you need the test. The test concerns people aged 18–64 who apply for citizenship on or after 1 March 2027. If you have a Finnish- or Swedish-language matriculation examination or higher education degree completed in Finland, you do not need the test. Read more in the guide Finnish citizenship test.
2. Practise the language. The test is taken in Finnish or Swedish. The better you read Finnish or Swedish, the easier the material will be to read.
3. Read basic information on the same topics. InfoFinland has pages on Finnish history, laws and rights, equality, elections and the rights and obligations of citizens. They are not the official test material, but the topics are the same.
4. Learn the words. Under the law, the test topics include perusoikeudet (fundamental rights), yhdenvertaisuus (equality) and tasa-arvo (gender equality). Learn what these words mean.
5. Read the official material in full when it is published. The questions are based on it. Be careful with websites that promise “real test questions” before the material has even been published.
What does Kansalaisuuskurssi do?
Kansalaisuuskurssi is now based on public sources, such as the law and InfoFinland. When Migri’s material is published, we will update the course to match it and say on which date we did it. Our practice questions are our own, not Migri’s.
Kansalaisuuskurssi is an independent course. We are not connected to the Finnish Immigration Service or the University of Helsinki.
