Before you apply 1 Check the basic requirementsYou are an adult, you live in Finland and you can reliably prove your identity. You have also lived in Finland long enough. In most cases the requirement is 5 or 8 years. Applying for citizenship →
2 Keep a clean record and pay what you oweYou have not committed crimes. You have paid what you owe on time, for example taxes, fines, child support and hospital fees. The requirements →
3 Explain your incomeExplain where the money you lived on in Finland came from during the past two years. In those two years you may have received unemployment benefit or income support (toimeentulotuki) for a total of three months at most. The requirement does not apply if you are 65 or older. The income requirement →
4 Show your language skillsYou need at least satisfactory skills in Finnish or Swedish, or the same level in Finnish or Finland-Swedish sign language. You can show this with the National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI, at least level 3 in certain parts of the test), the civil service language exam or a certificate or degree accepted by the Finnish Immigration Service. Official certificate of language proficiency →
The citizenship test 5 Find out if you need the citizenship testIf you apply on 1 March 2027 or later and you are 18–64, you must show that you know enough about Finnish society. You can show this with the citizenship test (kansalaisuuskoe) or with a Finnish- or Swedish-language matriculation examination (ylioppilastutkinto) or higher education degree completed in Finland. Finnish Immigration Service press release (in Finnish) →
6 Prepare for the testThe test is multiple choice and is taken digitally in Finnish or Swedish. The University of Helsinki writes the study material and the questions. The Finnish Immigration Service will publish the material on its website by the turn of the year at the latest. The course →
7 Take the citizenship testThe Finnish Immigration Service will hold tests from spring 2027 in the Helsinki region, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Vaasa, Kuopio and Rovaniemi. The test dates and how to register will be published by the turn of the year at the latest. Test locations and timetable (in Finnish) →
The application 8 Gather your documentsYou need at least a valid official identity document, such as a passport, proof of your language skills and an account of your income. Application documents →
9 Apply in the Enter Finland serviceFill in the application in the Enter Finland service, add the documents and pay the processing fee at the same time. If the service says you need to prove your identity in person, you have three months to do it. Book an appointment at a Finnish Immigration Service service point. You can also apply on a paper form. How to apply →
Waiting and the decision 10 Check your Enter Finland accountIf the Finnish Immigration Service needs more information from you, you are told in the Enter Finland service. Send it by the deadline, or you may get a negative decision. After you apply →
11 The decisionWhen the Finnish Immigration Service has made a decision, you are informed. Applying for citizenship →
After the decision 12 Apply for a Finnish passportAs a Finnish citizen you have the right to a Finnish passport. You can apply for one in the police online service. Finland accepts dual citizenship, but not every country does, so check your other country's rules too. Police: passport →
Step 6 is where we help The course covers Finnish society in 9 chapters, with lessons, practice questions and a mock test. It is based on public sources, and we will update it to match the Finnish Immigration Service's material when that is published. All of chapter 1 is free with an account.
See the course Sources The steps are checked against the authorities' own pages and the law. Dates and requirements can change, so always check the source before you send anything in.
Kansalaisuuskurssi