Finland’s centre-right coalition took the next formal step in its promised immigration overhaul on 17 April when Interior Minister Mari Rantanen tabled a 350-page bill package in Parliament. The headline measure is the creation of a mandatory multiple-choice citizenship examination to be sat in either Finnish or Swedish from early 2027. Applicants would have to answer roughly 20-40 questions and reach a pass mark of about 70 percent on topics ranging from constitutional rights to everyday life in Finland. Universities will be contracted to draw up and regularly update the bank of questions. Behind the test lies the Orpo administration’s broader goal of tightening access to citizenship after several consecutive years of record-high naturalisations. The government argues that clearer, objectively verifiable criteria will improve transparency and integration outcomes; critics counter that the test could deter otherwise well-integrated workers and students who struggle with the languages. Companies employing foreign talent worry about higher HR costs as they step up in-house language training and exam coaching.
![Finland’s government unveils citizenship test and sweeping immigration bill]()
For those searching for practical assistance amid these shifting requirements, VisaHQ offers a one-stop online platform that tracks Finland’s latest visa, residence-permit and citizenship rules and provides end-to-end application support. Both individual applicants and corporate HR teams can explore their options at https://www.visahq.com/finland/ saving time and reducing administrative stress while they focus on exam preparation and integration.
The same package incorporates parts of the EU Migration & Asylum Pact that allow asylum claims to be processed in "safe third countries" outside the bloc. It also introduces systematic security screening of undocumented migrants and raises the income threshold for family-reunification visas by 15 percent. The Interior Ministry estimates the combined reforms could cut permanent immigration by 8–12 percent a year once fully in force. Parliament’s Administration Committee will start deliberations in May, and the government hopes to obtain presidential assent before the summer recess. If enacted on that timetable, HR managers and relocation providers will have only six months to adapt their onboarding manuals, while prospective citizens already planning to apply in 2027 will need to build exam preparation into their schedules.
For those searching for practical assistance amid these shifting requirements, VisaHQ offers a one-stop online platform that tracks Finland’s latest visa, residence-permit and citizenship rules and provides end-to-end application support. Both individual applicants and corporate HR teams can explore their options at https://www.visahq.com/finland/ saving time and reducing administrative stress while they focus on exam preparation and integration.
The same package incorporates parts of the EU Migration & Asylum Pact that allow asylum claims to be processed in "safe third countries" outside the bloc. It also introduces systematic security screening of undocumented migrants and raises the income threshold for family-reunification visas by 15 percent. The Interior Ministry estimates the combined reforms could cut permanent immigration by 8–12 percent a year once fully in force. Parliament’s Administration Committee will start deliberations in May, and the government hopes to obtain presidential assent before the summer recess. If enacted on that timetable, HR managers and relocation providers will have only six months to adapt their onboarding manuals, while prospective citizens already planning to apply in 2027 will need to build exam preparation into their schedules.
