Finland’s long-awaited overhaul of its Citizenship Act officially entered into force at 00:00 on 17 December 2025. From today, all naturalisation requests must be filed online through the Enter Finland portal; paper or in-person submissions are no longer accepted. The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) says the move will cut average processing times by two months because fee payment, identity verification and supplementary document uploads are now handled in a single digital workflow. Applicants can also monitor real-time case status and receive decisions electronically, a first among Nordic migration agencies.
Substance, not just procedure, has become markedly stricter. A new “economic self-reliance” test requires evidence of continuous, lawful income for the two years preceding application. Payslips, audited business accounts or pension statements are mandatory; bank savings alone no longer suffice. Anyone who has relied on Finnish unemployment benefit or social assistance for more than three months in the previous two years will be automatically refused. Law firms specialising in corporate immigration warned multinational employers to pre-screen sponsored staff carefully, as lucrative stock options or family assets will not meet the test.
For applicants feeling daunted by the new digital-only system and stricter eligibility rules, VisaHQ can provide practical assistance. The company’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) offers personalised document checklists, eligibility pre-screening and end-to-end tracking tools that mirror Migri’s online workflow, reducing the risk of incomplete submissions or costly delays.
![New Citizenship Act Takes Effect in Finland, Introducing Fully-Digital Applications and Tougher Eligibility]()
Criminal-record thresholds tightened at the same time. Minor traffic fines are still tolerated, but repeated misdemeanours or any custodial sentence trigger mandatory “cool-off” periods of up to ten years. The law also grants authorities retroactive revocation powers in cases involving terrorism, treason or fraud—a power Finland has seldom exercised until now. Human-rights groups have voiced concern that expanded revocation could create statelessness, but the Interior Ministry insists safeguards are in place.
For global mobility managers the changes demand immediate action. Employees who submitted citizenship files before 17 December will continue under the old, more lenient rules, but anyone applying from today faces the tougher criteria. Companies with Finnish operations are advising foreign talent to maintain meticulous income records and avoid even minor legal infractions. Finland’s start-up sector, which relies heavily on non-EU tech workers, fears the stricter regime could dent the country’s attractiveness just as neighbouring Sweden courts the same talent pool.
The legislation forms part of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s broader pledge to tighten immigration across the board. Analysts say the digital shift will ultimately benefit compliant applicants by bringing much-needed transparency, yet the heightened bar underscores a political climate where permanent settlement—and the Finnish passport that follows—must now be earned rather than assumed.
Substance, not just procedure, has become markedly stricter. A new “economic self-reliance” test requires evidence of continuous, lawful income for the two years preceding application. Payslips, audited business accounts or pension statements are mandatory; bank savings alone no longer suffice. Anyone who has relied on Finnish unemployment benefit or social assistance for more than three months in the previous two years will be automatically refused. Law firms specialising in corporate immigration warned multinational employers to pre-screen sponsored staff carefully, as lucrative stock options or family assets will not meet the test.
For applicants feeling daunted by the new digital-only system and stricter eligibility rules, VisaHQ can provide practical assistance. The company’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) offers personalised document checklists, eligibility pre-screening and end-to-end tracking tools that mirror Migri’s online workflow, reducing the risk of incomplete submissions or costly delays.
Criminal-record thresholds tightened at the same time. Minor traffic fines are still tolerated, but repeated misdemeanours or any custodial sentence trigger mandatory “cool-off” periods of up to ten years. The law also grants authorities retroactive revocation powers in cases involving terrorism, treason or fraud—a power Finland has seldom exercised until now. Human-rights groups have voiced concern that expanded revocation could create statelessness, but the Interior Ministry insists safeguards are in place.
For global mobility managers the changes demand immediate action. Employees who submitted citizenship files before 17 December will continue under the old, more lenient rules, but anyone applying from today faces the tougher criteria. Companies with Finnish operations are advising foreign talent to maintain meticulous income records and avoid even minor legal infractions. Finland’s start-up sector, which relies heavily on non-EU tech workers, fears the stricter regime could dent the country’s attractiveness just as neighbouring Sweden courts the same talent pool.
The legislation forms part of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s broader pledge to tighten immigration across the board. Analysts say the digital shift will ultimately benefit compliant applicants by bringing much-needed transparency, yet the heightened bar underscores a political climate where permanent settlement—and the Finnish passport that follows—must now be earned rather than assumed.
