I went through all these motions earlier this year, however like many people, I took a rather erratic course.
I would turn up at one office one morning, be sent somewhere else, then returned with a piece of paper, then sent somewhere else because the correct stamp was missing. Then sent to the library to get a printout of an online bank statement, then told I would be given citizenship on basis of a Finnish parent, then told to pay to register, then told I couldn't register as there was no need, then asked why I hadn't registered, then given a passport with my name spelt incorrectly, then I cancelled my residency permit at the police station as instructed by the citizenship office, then told by maistraati that I had been living outside of Finland for the last 5 months (I hadn't even left its' borders for a holiday), then finally told to fill out a change of address form, "and remember to fill out both the 'previous address" and 'new address' sections with the same address", said the maistraati lady, "I know it sounds silly, but that's the way it works", she added. You're telling me!
To be frank, this left me with a rather confused vision of the "system" and when I really think about it, I guess the many pen-pushers I met, similarly didn't have much of a clue as to what should happen and in what order.
Have I put you off yet?
