Citizenship

Citizenship for a child

A child is a Finnish citizen if, at the time when the child was born

  • the mother was a Finnish citizen 

  • the father was a Finnish citizen, the mother was a foreign national and the parents were married

A child born outside marriage

If a child was born outside marriage and only the father was a Finnish citizen when the child was born, a declaration of acknowledgement of paternity is required. An application to obtain a Finnish citizenship for the child can be filed after that by means of declaration.

Please remember to register the birth of a Finnish citizen at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Citizenship on application or declaration

The Finnish Immigration Service can grant Finnish citizenship on declaration or on application. If you reside abroad, you can submit a citizenship application for a child or adopted child, a declaration on recovery of citizenship, or an application for release from citizenship at a Finnish mission or honorary consulate.

The declaration or application must always be submitted in person. The Finnish Immigration Service can start processing the matter only after you have paid the processing fee.

You can find more detailed information about citizenship matters, legislation, processing fees and forms on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Loss of Finnish citizenship at the age of 22

If you are a citizen of both Finland and another country, you can lose your Finnish citizenship automatically at the age of 22 years. The Finnish Immigration Service will notify you of the risk of losing your Finnish citizenship provided that your address details are up to date in the Population Information System of Finland(Link to another website.). You can retain your Finnish citizenship if you have sufficient connection with Finland. 

Read the instructions on the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency(Link to another website.) and visit the website of the Finnish Immigration Service(Link to another website.) to learn more.
Form: Notification of retaining Finnish citizenship(Link to another website.)

You can fill in and file a notification form online on the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s website. Strong authentication is not required.

A mission will forward your notification of retaining Finnish citizenship to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency free of charge.

Multiple nationality

If you have multiple nationality, you must find out yourself what rights and obligations you have in your other home country. Missions of Finland abroad can serve only in matters concerning Finnish citizenship.

If you have multiple nationality and you are staying in your other home country, you are treated in accordance with the local laws in the same way as persons who are citizens of that country. In such situations, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland normally has rather limited opportunities to provide consular assistance.

Registering U.S. citizenship in Finland

The Act on the Population Information System (661/2009) obliges Finnish citizens to keep their population information up to date and to report any changes in their civil data. You can register your U.S. citizenship directly with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency service location(Link to another website.) or through the Finnish Embassy/Consulate General by submitting the following documents:

  • Certified copy of your US Naturalization Document with an Apostille authentication

  • In order to return the document, please provide a prepaid, self-addressed envelope of FedEx/DHL/UPS/USPS

or

  • Original US Naturalization Document 

  • Valid US passport (if you send a copy of your passport to the consulate/embassy, copy has to be notarized and legalized with Apostille)

  • In order to return the documents, please provide a prepaid, self-addressed envelope of FedEx/DHL/UPS/USPS

Documents can be sent directly to DVV or to the Finnish mission. You can also book an appointment. When mailing in the registration to the mission, please attach a money order or certified check addressed to the Embassy of Finland in Washington DC, Consulate General of Finland in New York or Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles.

Transfer of the population data notification through the Finnish Mission to the Digital and Population Data Service Agency is subject to service fee.

 

If you register your nationality with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency location, you will need a certified copy of your US Naturalization Document with an Apostille authentication.

 Obtaining a certified true copy(Link to another website.):

  • Book an appointment with the nearest U.S. immigration authority (Homeland Security(Link to another website.)).
  • Request a Certified True Copy of the U.S. Naturalization Document by presenting the original. Note: Notarized copy is not the same as a certified true copy.

 Obtaining an Apostille:

More information on U.S. Citizenship: http://www.uscis.gov/(Link to another website.)