Military service after been granted Finnish Citizenship

Alex.Sm · Post by **Alex.Sm** » Sun Apr 14, 2013 1:00 pm

Hi,

I have just been granted Finnish Citizenship (I have dual citizenship) and I would like to know if anybody is/was in the same situation.

I am 29 years old, and I have done the military service in my home country (1 year).

Here is stated that I don't have to do it if I did it in my home country total or at least 4 months: http://www.puolustusvoimat.fi/portal/pu ... 433f46c91a

In order to be exempt from military service in Finland (peace time) I have to apply for it. Do I have to go to Santahamina - Helsinki (i live in Helsinki) in person? What application I have to fill in? Is that application form somewhere online? What documents I need to attach/show to/with my application?

I have a certificate from my home country that I did military service and I think I have to translate it in Finnish, right?

How long will it take until I will get an answer and a call-up certificate that I don't have to go to army so I can make a passport (as they will ask this at the police).

Can I make a passport without this call-up certificate? I guess not?

Kiitos!

**Sponsor:**

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sun Apr 14, 2013 2:50 pm

Well, the chances are that you are too old. If not, you need to sign a form petitioning for the release. Looks like they have everything else on their pages except that form - anyways, call 0299 422 211 and explain (you sure its Helsinki as Espoo and Vantaa have different offices), they'll tell you what to do - probably send the forms in the mail. You also might want to double check at the maistraatti that you pop up as a Finnish Citizen in the computer.

Alex.Sm · Post by **Alex.Sm** » Sun Apr 14, 2013 6:10 pm

Pursuivant wrote:Well, the chances are that you are too old. If not, you need to sign a form petitioning for the release. Looks like they have everything else on their pages except that form - anyways, call 0299 422 211 and explain (you sure its Helsinki as Espoo and Vantaa have different offices), they'll tell you what to do - probably send the forms in the mail. You also might want to double check at the maistraatti that you pop up as a Finnish Citizen in the computer.

Thanks for the info! I was also thinking to give them a phone call and ask more details. Regrading my status I checked at http://www.vrk.fi and at citizenship is stated: Kansalaisuus Suomi, XXXX (where XXXX is my second nationality).
I will also check it tomorrow morning at Maistraatti, that is everything right.

Kiitos!

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sun Apr 14, 2013 6:44 pm

If it shows in VRK, then you're OK. The VRK feeds the military database so it should show up in theirs... what they usually do is update the register each year when they hold the draft, make files of every male person resident in their area due for the draft - and hold it until it get transferred to the Military archives (kid you not, I found in the basement my dad's file from 1944). So maybe you have a file already created... all the cloak & dagger business aside, yes, just call them, explain them your situation and say that you need the certificate for getting a passport so you would like to get the form for release as you have served already in a foreign military yada yada yada... they'll know exactly what paperwork to send you. Not a huge drama... its more fun to go in front of three majors though and declare you're an anarchist and get carted off by the police

Alex.Sm · Post by **Alex.Sm** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 10:00 am

Here is the update on this matter

One week after I got the Finnish citizenship, I received a recommended letter at home from Aluetoimisto (ASEVELVOLLISUUSASIANNE) that is the call-up order for 22.05.2013. That was fast!

I made a free application asking to be relieved from military service and attached a Finnish translation of my sotilaspassi and a copy of the original sotilaspassi from my former home country where I served 1 year.

Now I'm waiting for the decision and I would like to ask: is it possible that they will still order me to go to army?

The main problem is not to go to army is that I have my wedding and honeymoon in the period: 18.05 - 18.06 and they ordered to go to call-up on 22.05 when I will not be in Finland! Can I post-pone it?

Has anybody been in the situation that you have been ordered to go to army although you have done military service in your former home country?

Kiitos!

Alex.Sm · Post by **Alex.Sm** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 6:22 pm

Alex.Sm wrote:Here is the update on this matter

One week after I got the Finnish citizenship, I received a recommended letter at home from Aluetoimisto (ASEVELVOLLISUUSASIANNE) that is the call-up order for 22.05.2013. That was fast!

I made a free application asking to be relieved from military service and attached a Finnish translation of my sotilaspassi and a copy of the original sotilaspassi from my former home country where I served 1 year.

Now I'm waiting for the decision and I would like to ask: is it possible that they will still order me to go to army?

The main problem is not to go to army is that I have my wedding and honeymoon in the period: 18.05 - 18.06 and they ordered to go to call-up on 22.05 when I will not be in Finland! Can I post-pone it?

Has anybody been in the situation that you have been ordered to go to army although you have done military service in your former home country?

Kiitos!

Does anybody can comment on the above post?

Kiitos?

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