Finland Implements Updated Citizenship Regulations Starting October 2024

Finland is placing more emphasis on language proficiency and long-term stay by raising the residency requirement for citizenship to eight years starting in October 2024. The new regulations seek to expedite the naturalization procedure while maintaining equity and openness for all candidates.

To encourage effective integration into Finnish society, Finland will begin enforcing new citizenship requirements on October 1, 2024, which will increase the needed residency duration to eight years.

All citizenship applications filed on or after this date will be impacted by this change, which places a heavy focus on language ability and continuous residency as essential requirements for naturalization.

Key Changes to the Finnish Citizenship Process

Finland tightened up its citizenship requirements, raising the time restriction for applicants to live abroad, emphasizing language skills and legitimate residency permits. The residency requirement was also extended to eight years.

1. Extended Residence Duration

The normal residency requirement for Finnish citizenship will rise from the current standard of three years to eight years as of October 20, 2024. Finland’s emphasis on making sure candidates are fully integrated into the nation before applying for naturalization is reflected in this delay.

2. Advantages of Language Proficiency

Reducing the length of residency is advantageous for applicants who show adequate language skills. The significance of language proficiency in integration is highlighted by the fact that those who meet the language criterion can seek citizenship after five years of residency, as opposed to having to wait eight years.

3. Requirement for a Current Resident Permit

The only time that will contribute toward the mandatory residency period under the new regulations is the time that was spent in Finland with a valid residence permit. As a result, time spent outside of the country without a valid resident status—like while awaiting acceptance of an asylum claim—will no longer be taken into account when determining citizenship.

4. Limitations on Travel Time

During their residency period, applicants are permitted to spend up to 365 days outside of Finland. However, only 90 of those days can be in the year immediately before the citizenship decision. This modification aims to guarantee that candidates fulfill the residency requirements and retain a close relationship with Finland.

Backlog and Processing Times

With processing times varying from 9 to 31 months based on the intricacy of the case, the Finnish Immigration Service is now managing a backlog of about 28,000 pending citizenship petitions.

The Immigration Service wants to shorten processing times to one year for most applications by 2027. To speed the processing of applications that fulfill all requirements up front, a new system will be put into place. This includes giving applications from stateless people and recipients of international protection priority, with the first batch of applications coming in after October 1, 2024.

No Effect on Declarations of Citizenship

Citizens of Nordic countries or former citizens of Finland will continue to submit applications following current regulations; the new amendments will not impact their citizenship declarations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Finland’s new citizenship laws, which go into force in October 2024, are designed to facilitate naturalization while encouraging effective integration. The amendments put fairness and transparency for all candidates first with longer residency requirements and a focus on language proficiency