Government proposes stricter requirements for acquiring Finnish citizenship

The requirements for acquiring Finnish citizenship will be tightened in accordance with the Government Programme. Amendments are proposed to the provisions on the establishment of identity, the integrity requirement and the requirement for sufficient financial resources. The Government submitted a proposal on the matter to Parliament on 27 March.

The aim of the proposal is that successful integration in society would be a prerequisite for being granted citizenship. The purpose of the legislative amendments is also to place greater emphasis on security-related risks and compliance with the rules of society.

“Finnish citizenship is not something that can be granted automatically. It requires successful integration, work, and compliance with the rules of Finnish society,” says Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

More stringent requirements for integrity and sufficient financial resources

The integrity requirement will be made more stringent, which means that committing offences will have a more substantial impact on whether the applicant can be granted citizenship. The importance of national security as part of the procedure for granting citizenship will also be emphasised.

In future, applicants for Finnish citizenship would be required to have sufficient financial resources. More attention will be paid to sufficient financial resources as an indicator of integration into Finnish society. This means that persons who do not have any income other than unemployment benefit or social assistance will no longer meet this requirement.

The obligation of the person to establish their identity would be increased compared with the current situation. The amendments will only apply to those who can be reasonably expected to present their national passport.

Amendments also proposed to legislation on loss of citizenship

Legislative amendments related to the loss of citizenship will apply to situations where a person has given false information when applying for citizenship or has committed offences that violate Finland’s vital interests.

In such situations, the loss of citizenship can become more common in future. For example, a larger number of terrorism-related offences can lead to the loss of citizenship. A person with dual citizenship could lose Finnish citizenship if they have been imposed a sentence of at least 2 years for a terrorist, treason or high treason offence (currently at least 5 years).

The proposed act is scheduled to enter into force on 1 October 2025.

Inquiries:
Roope Jokinen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 362, firstname.lastname@gov.fi
Hanna Pihkanen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 217, firstname.lastname@gov.fi