Amendments to the Citizenship Act entered into force on December 17, 2025. A person applying for Finnish citizenship is now required to have sufficient financial resources.
Applicants are not considered to have sufficient financial resources if they have resorted to unemployment benefits or social assistance for more than three months in total during the past two years. Applicants must also provide a reliable account of the source of the money they have received for living in Finland during the past two years.
Amendments to the Citizenship Act also affect establishing the applicant’s identity. If the applicant has been issued an alien’s passport for the purpose of getting a national passport, he or she must present a valid national passport when applying for citizenship.
The impact of criminal offences on acquiring citizenship has also increased. The waiting period imposed in connection with negative decisions may be one to eight years. Citizenship is not typically granted during this period. It is also easier to lose citizenship if the applicant has given false information, acted fraudulently or committed serious offences.
The immigration authorities (Migri) will process all applications submitted before December 17, 2025 in the Enter Finland online service or at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service in accordance with the old Citizenship Act. The amendments to the Citizenship Act will not affect these applications.
Applications submitted on or after December 17, 2025, will be decided in accordance with the new requirements.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.