Record-Breaking Number of Finnish Citizenship Applications Submitted This Summer
Key Highlights
- A record number of Finnish citizenship applications were submitted in the summer of 2024, just before new citizenship regulations took effect.
- As of October 1, 2024, obtaining Finnish citizenship has become more challenging, with additional requirements imposed on foreigners.
- The surge in applications began in 2023, and the numbers are expected to climb further in 2024, driven by the impending law changes.
Finnish authorities recorded an unprecedented volume of citizenship applications in the third quarter of the year, specifically during July, August, and September.
Mari Luukkonen, a representative of Finnish Immigration Services, confirmed the surge, revealing that over 2,000 applications were submitted during this period. She also stated that 2,124 citizenship applications were received in September alone – the highest monthly total so far in 2024.
New Rules Trigger Application Surge, Says Finnish Immigration Services
The influx of applications is primarily due to newly-implemented and stricter requirements for citizenship. Starting in October 2024, the required residency period for citizenship has increased from five to eight years, prompting many to apply before the new regulations took effect.
In addition, new rules now limit the amount of time applicants can spend outside Finland while on a residence permit. Moving forward, only 365 days spent outside Finland will count towards the residency requirement, with a maximum of 90 days in the year immediately preceding the citizenship decision. Any time spent abroad beyond this limit will not be counted.
Mari Luukkonen noted that applications submitted in September were processed under the old rules, leading many individuals to seize the opportunity to apply before the stricter criteria took effect.
Furthermore, the language proficiency requirement has also been modified. Applicants who meet the language criteria must now have resided in Finland for five years, an increase of one year over the previous requirement.
Record-Breaking Number of Foreigners Granted Finnish Citizenship in 2023
The rising interest in Finnish citizenship has been an ongoing trend. According to Statistics Finland, apart from the pandemic-affected year of 2020, the number of foreigners seeking Finnish citizenship has consistently increased.
In 2023, Finland granted citizenship to 12,224 foreigners, marking the highest number ever recorded. This figure even surpassed the previous high of 12,219 in 2017.
The majority of new citizens in 2023 came from Asia, with 5,251 individuals (42.9% of the total), followed by 4,285 from Europe and 2,010 from Africa. In terms of nationalities, Russians led the way with 1,906 people gaining Finnish citizenship, followed by Iraqis (1,517) and Syrians (805).