FAQ: Reform of the Citizenship Act

This is a major reform with several objectives. Some of these needed further study before decisions could be made. For this reason, the citizenship measures in the Government Programme were introduced gradually.

The citizenship test is part of the reform of the Citizenship Act, which tightens the conditions for acquiring Finnish citizenship in line with the Government Programme. To become a citizen, applicants are required to have the basic knowledge needed to take part in Finnish society. Applicants can demonstrate this by passing the citizenship test. 

A cross-administrative working group examined how a citizenship test could be implemented in Finland and assessed its relationship to the language skills requirement. The working group proposed three alternative models for testing knowledge of society and language skills. Applicants must already demonstrate satisfactory skills in the Finnish or Swedish language.

In addition to the Ministry of the Interior, the working group included members from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Ministry of Education and Culture, Finnish Immigration Service, National Police Board, National Agency for Education, Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, Association of Finnish Cities and Municipalities, and the six largest Finnish cities (C6 cities). The working group consulted various experts.  

Report on the introduction of a citizenship test | fi

The citizenship test will measure knowledge of how Finnish society works, its key principles, and the rights and responsibilities of individuals. Language skills will, however, remain a separate requirement for acquiring citizenship.

The citizenship test will be a computer-based test in Finnish or Swedish, but applicants will also need to present a certificate of their language skills.

The test questions will be based on predefined, publicly available learning materials developed on the basis of existing civic orientation materials. This will ensure transparency and impartiality of the test.

The topics of the questions will include:

• key legislation in Finland
• fundamental and human rights
• equality
• gender equality
• Finnish history and culture.  

The citizenship test will be taken in person under supervision and will, as a rule, be in digital format. The test will consist of multiple-choice questions. 

The Finnish Immigration Service will be responsible for the new official duties related to the citizenship test and will commission a university, for example, to prepare the test.

The European Migration Network (EMN) published a study on acquiring citizenship in Europe in July 2020.

According to the study, over half of EU Member States require a citizenship test or oath of allegiance for naturalisation. At that time, citizenship tests were in place in Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, Spain, France, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia and the Netherlands.

Among the Nordic countries, Denmark and Norway have citizenship tests, and Sweden is also introducing one. Iceland does not have a test. 

Study on acquiring citizenship in Europe

A citizenship test will be introduced in Finland at the beginning of 2027. The President of the Republic approved the amendments to the Citizenship Act on 16 June 2026. The test will be introduced after the required legislative amendments have entered into force at the beginning of 2027.

If a person is assessed as a threat to Finland’s national security, their application for citizenship can be refused.

This applies regardless of whether the person seeks citizenship by application or by declaration. This change makes it easier to address threats to national security.

Statements on citizenship declarations may also be requested from the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service and the National Bureau of Investigation.

A citizenship declaration is a simplified procedure for certain groups, such as former Finnish citizens and Nordic citizens. It has fewer conditions than the application procedure.

Applicants for Finnish citizenship must have sufficient financial resources. 

The premise is that people who have no income other than unemployment benefit or social assistance are no longer eligible for Finnish citizenship.

In line with the Government Programme, citizenship will not be granted if the person does not actively help the authorities to establish their identity. Identity is usually proven with a passport from the applicant’s country of nationality or another official identification document.

The applicant’s obligation to prove their identity is now stronger than before. These amendments only apply to people who can reasonably be expected to present their national passport. They do not apply to beneficiaries of international protection.

The amendments related to the loss of citizenship apply to situations where the applicant has given false information during the application process or has committed offences that violate Finland’s vital interests.

In such situations, the loss of citizenship can become more common. For example, more terrorism-related offences can lead to loss of citizenship than before. A person with dual citizenship may lose Finnish citizenship if they are sentenced to at least two years for a terrorist, treason or high treason offence (previously the threshold was five years).

The integrity requirement was tightened so that committing offences will have a greater impact on whether an applicant can be granted citizenship. 

Waiting periods imposed because of offences were generally extended by one year. The waiting period is the time after which a person can apply for citizenship again. In future, applicants whose application has been rejected may face a waiting period of one to eight years. 

In addition, the Act now states that a person guilty of a very serious offence cannot acquire Finnish citizenship.

The period of residence required for Finnish citizenship was extended from five years to eight years on 1 October 2024. Now only periods of residence with a residence permit count towards the requirement, and fewer days spent abroad are accepted as part of the calculation. 

The derogation for people with international protection has been removed. With the amendment, the residence requirement for spouses of Finnish citizens, children aged 15 or over, stateless persons and applicants meeting the language proficiency requirement was extended from four to five years. 

The change is connected to the Government Programme's objective of tightening the requirements for naturalisation. Extending the required residence period highlights successful integration as a key condition for citizenship and allows security aspects to be addressed more effectively.

The aim of extending the residence requirement by at least one year for almost all applicants is to ensure these objectives are achieved as comprehensively as possible.