Starting October 1, 2024, foreign nationals seeking Finnish citizenship will face stricter regulations. However, the government emphasized that citizenship applications from beneficiaries of international protection would continue to be prioritized, with decisions on these applications made within one year of submission.

Proposals to amend the Citizenship Act were submitted to the Finnish Parliament during a government session on April 18. At that time, the government stated that this approach would allow authorities to evaluate applicants' suitability for citizenship over a longer period.

Finland Implements New Changes to the Residence Period for Asylum Seekers

Among the changes approved through the bill proposed on April 18 is the determination of residence periods for asylum seekers. Under the new regulations, only periods of residence with a residence permit will be considered when determining an applicant's period of residence. This means that the time taken to process an asylum application will no longer count towards the residence period. For beneficiaries of international protection in Finland, the approved period of residence will begin once they are issued a residence permit.

The amendments stipulate that any stay in Finnish territory without a residence permit will not be considered "under any circumstances" when determining the period of residence. Additionally, factors such as the applicant's age, state of health, or other similar reasons will no longer justify approving a period of residence without a residence permit.

Finland Granted Citizenship to 12,224 Foreign Citizens in 2023

According to Statistics Finland, a total of 12,224 international residents in Finland were granted citizenship last year. This marks an increase of 2,026 compared to 2022. The largest group of new Finnish citizens were from Russia, accounting for 6 percent of the total. Statistics Finland also reported that there were 172,000 dual citizens in Finland at the end of 2023.