Finland has increased the residency requirement for obtaining citizenship from 5 to 8 years. This change, implemented on October 1, 2024, reflects the government’s desire to ensure stronger integration of new citizens into Finnish society.
Key Points:
- Applicants residing in Finland for at least 8 years are now eligible for citizenship.
- The new rule applies to applications submitted after October 1st, 2024.
- Earlier applications will be evaluated based on the previous 5-year requirement.
Reduced Residency with Specific Qualifications
The Finnish Immigration Services acknowledges that exceptions exist, allowing a shorter residency period under certain circumstances. These include:
- Strong Finnish language skills
- Marriage to a Finnish citizen
- Holding a passport from another Nordic country
- Receiving international or humanitarian protection in Finland
- Being stateless
Backlog of Applications and Processing Times
Finnish authorities advise potential applicants to submit their applications promptly due to a backlog of roughly 28,000 requests. This backlog has resulted in longer processing times, partly due to incomplete applications.
The Finnish Immigration Services encourages applicants to carefully review all citizenship requirements before submitting their applications.
Looking Forward
Authorities aim to clear the existing application backlog by 2027. The Citizenship Act is also undergoing a three-stage reform process, with the first two stages already implemented.