The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) announced on 9 October that a mandatory civic-knowledge examination will become part of the naturalisation process from 1 March 2027. Although amendments to the Citizenship Act take effect on 1 January 2027, a two-month transition means only applications submitted from March will be subject to the test. The multiple-choice exam—available in Finnish or Swedish—will cover Finnish governance, history, culture, human rights and gender equality. Applicants aged 18–64 who cannot instead demonstrate completion of a Finnish- or Swedish-language matriculation exam or domestic higher-education degree must pass the test. Migri has partnered with the University of Helsinki to develop the question bank and will publish free self-study materials online “at the turn of the year,” giving prospective citizens 15 months to prepare. The move represents the final stage of a three-step tightening of nationality rules introduced by Finland’s centre-right coalition. Previous changes in 2025 and 2026 lengthened the required period of continuous residence and raised financial self-sufficiency thresholds. Government sources argue the test will foster social cohesion, but NGOs fear it may disadvantage long-term residents with limited study time or test anxiety. For employers, the new requirement affects foreign staff whose residence-to-citizenship planning horizon falls after March 2027. HR teams should budget extra lead-time and offer study-support resources, especially for dependants. Companies should also note that dual citizenship remains permitted, so passing the exam can still deliver EU-mobility rights without relinquishing an employee’s original passport. Legal advisers recommend that eligible employees who wish to avoid the test submit complete applications before 29 February 2027, provided they already meet residency and income criteria. Migri’s online Enter Finland portal will be updated with practice questions once the learning package is live.
Source: Yle News
