HomeMoving to FinlandCitizenship

Citizenship Matters in Finland

Expat Finland is not a government authority. Citizenship issues are manifold and complicated. Only a few are outlined below. Comprehensive information on all aspects of citizenship, residence and work permits is available at the Finnish Immigration Service www.migri.fi.

See also:

Multiple / Dual Nationality is Accepted in Finland

Finnish legislation accepts dual or multiple nationality. A foreigner who acquires Finnish nationality will not be obliged to renounce his/her current nationality. It should be noted, however, that the nationality legislation of the country in question does not necessarily accept multiple nationality.

Further, although multiple nationality is allowed, if a Finn acquires nationality of another state/country, they will lose their Finnish citizenship at age 22, if they lack 'a sufficient connection to Finland'.

Citizenship of Finland

Finnish citizenship may be based on one of the following:

For more information about being a citizen of Finland, including rights and obligations, loss of citizenship, establishing citizenship and more, visit
Finnish Immigration Service: www.migri.fi Finnish Citizenship

Application for Finnish Citizenship

The granting of Finnish citizenship by application is discretionary. Citizenship can be granted even if some requirements are not met. On the other hand, citizenship can be denied even if all requirements stipulated by law have been met.

Application Procedures & Requirements:
www.migri.fi Citizenship Application

The Finnish Immigration Service's e-service includes online applications for

  • Finnish citizenship: If you meet the requirements for naturalisation
  • Citizenship declaration: If you belong to a qualifying group
  • Visit enterfinland.fi

As a foreigner you may acquire Finnish citizenship upon application if

Citizenship by Declaration
In certain cases Finnish citizenship may be obtained by declaration, by

Safari: Add to Home Screen

Tap the Share button
Tap Add to Home Screen
Name the shortcut, tap Add
Chrome: Add to Home Screen

Tap the Menu button
Tap Add to Home Screen
Name the shortcut, tap Submit