Citizenship application 2025

[Karima]

Hello. for information. I,m got citizenship today.
- Application submitted online on 8.07.2023
- Visited service point and got case number on 11.7. 2023 (case number 76XX)
- Application moved to stage 2 on 18.2.2025
- Final decision received on 19.2.2025

[Bunthebun]

Congrats

Could you clarify the grounds of your application?

[KiviBra]

Interesting article on what the new citizenship exam might look like: https://yle.fi/a/74-20144682 (in Finnish, but I'm sure the piece will be available in English soon).

Interestingly, they're also recommending that candidates for citizenship undergo an in-person interview. With that, Finland would be aligning itself with practices in some other countries, e.g., Switzerland.

EDIT: The article, in English: https://yle.fi/a/74-20144768.

I wonder if these new recommendations will impact current applications. I hope not.

[TUserFin]

Hello. for information. I,m got citizenship today.
- Application submitted online on 8.07.2023
- Visited service point and got case number on 11.7. 2023 (case number 76XX)
- Application moved to stage 2 on 18.2.2025
- Final decision received on 19.2.2025

Wow. Congrats. 19 months. Do you know why it took long time for you? Are you enterpreneur by chance?

[Karima]

Hello. for information. I,m got citizenship today.
- Application submitted online on 8.07.2023
- Visited service point and got case number on 11.7. 2023 (case number 76XX)
- Application moved to stage 2 on 18.2.2025
- Final decision received on 19.2.2025

Wow. Congrats. 19 months. Do you know why it took long time for you? Are you enterpreneur by chance?

just waiting, no requests. I moved in with my family in 2019.

[Auringon_kukka]

Hello. for information. I,m got citizenship today.
- Application submitted online on 8.07.2023
- Visited service point and got case number on 11.7. 2023 (case number 76XX)
- Application moved to stage 2 on 18.2.2025
- Final decision received on 19.2.2025

Congratulations!!!

[hakunamatata]

Interesting article on what the new citizenship exam might look like: https://yle.fi/a/74-20144682 (in Finnish, but I'm sure the piece will be available in English soon).

Interestingly, they're also recommending that candidates for citizenship undergo an in-person interview. With that, Finland would be aligning itself with practices in some other countries, e.g., Switzerland.

EDIT: The article, in English: https://yle.fi/a/74-20144768.

Thank you for sharing, do not think the proposed citizenship tests would be applicable to citizinship applications already submitted retrospectively? Any clarifications provided around that?

[Auringon_kukka]

Interesting article on what the new citizenship exam might look like: https://yle.fi/a/74-20144682 (in Finnish, but I'm sure the piece will be available in English soon).

Interestingly, they're also recommending that candidates for citizenship undergo an in-person interview. With that, Finland would be aligning itself with practices in some other countries, e.g., Switzerland.

EDIT: The article, in English: https://yle.fi/a/74-20144768.

Thank you for sharing, do not think the proposed citizenship tests would be applicable to citizinship applications already submitted retrospectively? Any clarifications provided around that?

No clarifications provided around that, unfortunately.

Opinions are mixed (predictably), judging by the comments under the Yle article in English. I wonder if the net effect will be a decrease in citizenship applications, at least initially.

I personally would like to see Finland hold citizenship ceremonies for its new citizens to welcome them into the fold. Integration goes both ways.

[com_posed]

Interesting article on what the new citizenship exam might look like: https://yle.fi/a/74-20144682 (in Finnish, but I'm sure the piece will be available in English soon).

Interestingly, they're also recommending that candidates for citizenship undergo an in-person interview. With that, Finland would be aligning itself with practices in some other countries, e.g., Switzerland.

EDIT: The article, in English: https://yle.fi/a/74-20144768.

Thank you for sharing, do not think the proposed citizenship tests would be applicable to citizinship applications already submitted retrospectively? Any clarifications provided around that?

I think it’s very very unlikely to affect pending applications. This is supported by the fact that the first of the three planned citizenship reforms which already passed only applied to applications submitted on or after the date the law went into force.

Administratively, it would likely create additional costs for the state, logistical issues, and would probably be challenged in the courts given that it violates an implicit understanding that one has applied in good faith with the law active at the time of submission. The headache caused alone for the state is good enough reason to avoid it.

However, I’ve noticed in Sweden that recent law changes to residency permit applications have applied to pending applications. And certain legal changes have similarly applied to pending RP applications in Finland as well. I believe these fall under a different legal purview as citizenship is defined by its own law.

[TUserFin]

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[TUserFin]

Interesting article on what the new citizenship exam might look like: https://yle.fi/a/74-20144682 (in Finnish, but I'm sure the piece will be available in English soon).

Interestingly, they're also recommending that candidates for citizenship undergo an in-person interview. With that, Finland would be aligning itself with practices in some other countries, e.g., Switzerland.

EDIT: The article, in English: https://yle.fi/a/74-20144768.

Thank you for sharing, do not think the proposed citizenship tests would be applicable to citizinship applications already submitted retrospectively? Any clarifications provided around that?

I think it’s very very unlikely to affect pending applications. This is supported by the fact that the first of the three planned citizenship reforms which already passed only applied to applications submitted on or after the date the law went into force.

Administratively, it would likely create additional costs for the state, logistical issues, and would probably be challenged in the courts given that it violates an implicit understanding that one has applied in good faith with the law active at the time of submission. The headache caused alone for the state is good enough reason to avoid it.

However, I’ve noticed in Sweden that recent law changes to residency permit applications have applied to pending applications. And certain legal changes have similarly applied to pending RP applications in Finland as well. I believe these fall under a different legal purview as citizenship is defined by its own law.

Applicants who may be exempt from the citizenship test include:

Applicants with education in Finland:
Those who have completed social studies courses in Finnish primary, secondary, or higher education institutions can demonstrate their knowledge with relevant certificates​

Applicants with equivalent education abroad:
Individuals who have completed social studies at a university or other recognized institution abroad may also be exempt​

Age-based exemptions:
Applicants aged 65 or older may be exempt from the test requirement​

Health-related exemptions:
Individuals with long-term physical or psychological conditions, or sensory or speech impairments that prevent them from taking the test may be exempt with a medical certificate​

Applicants with literacy challenges:
Those who are illiterate or have significant difficulties with reading and writing may qualify for an exemption​

[harsha95]

Hello. My citizenship application process:

12.06.2024: Applied
18.06.2024: Dairy number received
09.12.2024: Sent info about trips
23.12.2024: Sent info that I won't be around from 24.12.2024 to 02.02.2025
21.01.2025: Processing began (I was still outside of Finland)
02.02.2025: Returned to Finland
03.02.2025: Received positive decision!

I wrote to them in November 2024 to ask how long the process would take and they said 9 months. I ended up being quicker than that.

Background: Indian, moved to Finland to work in 2019, was consistently employed. The decision page said it was an automatic decision.

Congratulations
Did they say just 9 month or 9-31 months?

They said 9 months, not 9-31 months.

[harsha95]

Does anyone know if automated decision making can be used for those applicants who applied after a shorter period of residence (4 years) due to having the required language skills? Until now I have only seen automated decision making for applicants who have been living in Finland for 7 years or more. Let me know if anyone has seen otherwise.

I applied with less than 5 years and automatic decision was used in my case.

[finnishbot101]

Does anyone know if automated decision making can be used for those applicants who applied after a shorter period of residence (4 years) due to having the required language skills? Until now I have only seen automated decision making for applicants who have been living in Finland for 7 years or more. Let me know if anyone has seen otherwise.

I applied with less than 5 years and automatic decision was used in my case.

Did you mention in the application that you are requesting exemption based on language skills? Also if its ok for you can you share the name of your home country?

[Päivänkakkara]

Hello everyone
I was granted a citizenship today.
Arrived in 2019, applied for citizenship on 28 March 2023
Background - entrepreneur, managing director in my own company
Altogether about 23 months of waiting for processing
2 weeks in processing stage
2 additional requests regarding my income during this stage

My child was a co-applicant and was granted citizenship as well.

I don’t remember my initial queue number.
I’m so happy that this uncertainty is finally over and I will never ever again gonna visit enterfinland