Finland's new citizenship test (2027): what we know so far

• The changes to the Citizenship Act take effect on 1 January 2027.
• There is a transition period until 28 February 2027. Applications submitted by then are processed under the current rules, without the test.
• For applications submitted on or after 1 March 2027, the new requirement applies. You need to meet it before you submit your application.

The requirement applies to applicants aged 18 to 64. You don't need to take the test if you have:

• passed the Finnish matriculation examination (ylioppilastutkinto) in Finnish or Swedish, or
• completed a higher education degree in Finland taught in Finnish or Swedish.

Exemptions may also be possible for health or disability reasons, or for other very serious reasons. Special arrangements are planned for people with disabilities, illnesses or reading and writing difficulties.

The test measures how well you know how Finnish society works. According to the Finnish Government and Migri, it covers:

• the values and key principles of Finnish society
• key legislation that affects daily life in Finland
• fundamental and human rights
• equality, including gender equality
• Finnish history and culture

It will be computer-based, with multiple-choice questions. The University of Helsinki is preparing the questions and the learning material together with Migri. All questions will be based on publicly available study material, which Migri plans to publish on its website around the end of 2026.

Details are still being finalised. Based on what has been reported so far:

• The test is expected to be held six to ten times a year. In 2027, the planned locations are Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Kuopio, Vaasa and Rovaniemi.
• The test will have a fee, but the amount hasn't been announced yet.
• Registration details are expected from Migri around the beginning of 2027.

This is the part many people miss: you take the test in Finnish or Swedish, so you need to read and understand questions about laws, rights and history in one of those languages. And the existing citizenship requirement for at least satisfactory oral and written skills in Finnish or Swedish still applies.

If Finnish is your test language, working on your reading now will make both the citizenship test and the language requirement easier. Not sure where you stand? Our free Finnish Level Check gives you an informal estimate in about 6–8 minutes.

Not yet from official sources. As of October 2026, Migri hasn't published official example questions, the question format or the scoring rules. The official study material is expected around the end of 2026.

Some private websites already sell "citizenship test" practice questions. They aren't connected to Migri, and their questions can't be based on the official material, because it hasn't been published yet. Be careful about paying for them now.