The law is passed: Parliament adopted the amendments to the Nationality Act on 10 June 2026 and the President confirmed them on 16 June 2026. The changes take effect on 1 January 2027, and the test is required for citizenship applications submitted on or after 1 March 2027. The number of questions, time limit, pass mark and fee have not been published yet; the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) has said more information will follow.
Finland has tightened its citizenship rules in three steps since 2024. Here is what an adult applicant needs today, and what changes in 2027.
The requirements
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Residence | At least eight years of residence in Finland (raised from five in October 2024). Only time with a residence permit counts, and the rules on time spent abroad are stricter. |
| Language | Satisfactory oral and written Finnish or Swedish – usually shown with level 3 in the YKI test, or with Finnish school or university qualifications. |
| Identity | Your identity must be reliably established, and you must actively help to establish it. |
| Integrity | No serious crimes or repeated offences, and you have met your payment obligations. These rules were made stricter in December 2025. |
| Means of support | You must be able to support yourself; the requirement was tightened in December 2025. |
| Citizenship test | From 1 March 2027, applicants aged 18–64 must pass the test or have an accepted alternative (Finnish or Swedish matriculation examination, or a Finnish- or Swedish-language higher education degree from Finland). |
How the application works
- Check the requirements on Migri's website and with its citizenship calculator.
- Gather your documents: passport, language certificate, and – from March 2027 – proof of a passed citizenship test or an accepted alternative.
- Apply online in the Enter Finland service and pay the processing fee.
- Prove your identity at a Migri service point.
- Wait for the decision. Processing often takes many months; you can follow it in Enter Finland.
Timing your application around March 2027
If you meet every other requirement before the end of February 2027, an application submitted by 28 February 2027 is assessed under the current rules, without the test. If not, plan for the test: the official study material and test dates will be published before the requirement starts.
Rules can change. Always check the details on migri.fi before you apply.