What is the citizenship test?

Starting with applications filed on or after 1 March 2027, most people applying for Finnish citizenship will need to pass a civic-knowledge test. This page is the short version. Every claim below links to a longer article if you want the detail.

The basics

The test is computer-based, taken in Finnish or Swedish, and made up of multiple-choice and true/false questions covering eight subject areas: Finnish society and its founding principles, individual rights and responsibilities, key legislation, fundamental and human rights, equality, gender equality, Finnish history, and Finnish culture. Public drafts point to 20 to 40 questions with roughly 70 percent needed to pass, though that spec isn't locked in yet. For the full breakdown, see what's actually on the citizenship test.

Why Finland is introducing it

Finland isn't inventing something new here. By the time the government committed to a citizenship test in its June 2023 programme, 13 other EU countries already required some form of citizenship test as part of naturalization. The Finnish version's journey from government programme to signed law took three years, passing through a working group, a public consultation, and a vote in Parliament along the way. For the full story, see how Finland's citizenship test became law, including the earlier, unsuccessful 2019 attempt at the same idea.

Who has to take it

The requirement applies to applicants between 18 and 64 who file on or after 1 March 2027. It doesn't apply to people who file earlier, people outside that age range, holders of a Finnish or Swedish matriculation exam or degree, or people granted a health or disability exemption. For the complete picture, see who is exempt from the citizenship test.

Who writes the questions

Migri administers the test, but the University of Helsinki, selected through a public tender in August 2026, is the one actually writing the question bank and study material. Migri is expected to publish that material in autumn 2026, ahead of the test's start. For how that division of labor works, see who creates the citizenship test.

Is it controversial?

Yes, to a degree. The government's own estimate puts annual running costs at roughly 2.3 million euros, and immigrant advocacy groups have raised concerns about per-applicant fees, accessibility for people with limited digital skills, and whether preparation material will be ready in time. None of that changes that the test is now law, but it's worth knowing the debate exists.

Everything on this page sits inside a longer process. For the full sequence of events, past and upcoming, see the timeline.