Nationality

Citizenship is a legal relationship between the state and an individual person, with rights and obligations for both parties. Each country has its own laws on acquiring, renouncing or losing citizenship. Finnish citizenship is covered by the Nationality Act (359/2003), which came in force on 1 June 2003. The rights and obligations of Finnish citizens are laid out in the Finnish Constitution and other legislation.

Finnish legislation accepts dual or multiple nationality. A Finn who acquires a foreign nationality will not lose his/her Finnish nationality, nor will a foreigner who acquires Finnish nationality be obliged to renounce his/her current nationality. It should be noted, however, that the nationality legislation of the country in question does not necessarily accept multiple nationality. Hungary accepts dual nationality. For further information concerning the Hungarian nationality please contact the local competent authorities.

Acquiring Finnish citizenship

A person can automatically acquire Finnish citizenship on the basis of

• birth
• marriage of parents (legitimation),
• adoption
• place of birth.

In addition, Finnish citizenship can be acquired

• by application
• by declaration to the authorities.

Birth

A child acquires Finnish citizenship at birth if

• the child's mother is a Finnish citizen
• the child's father is a Finnish citizen and the parents are married
• the child's father is a Finnish citizen
• the child is born out of wedlock and paternity is established
• the child's father who died before the child was born was a Finnish citizen and who was married to the child's mother at the time of his death
• or the child's father, who died before the birth of the child, was a Finnish citizen and the child was born in Finland out of wedlock and the father's paternity was established.

Legitimation

A child who is born abroad and whose father is a Finnish citizen will acquire Finnish citizenship when the parents get married. If paternity has been established, the child will acquire Finnish citizenship as of the date of the marriage contract. If paternity is established after this point, the child will acquire Finnish citizenship as of the date on which paternity is established.

Adoption

A foreign adopted child under 12 years of age will automatically acquire Finnish citizenship if at least one of the adoptive parents is a Finnish citizen and if the adoption is recognised as valid in Finland. A local register office will enter the child's Finnish citizenship in the population register. If the adoption decision was made prior to 1 June 2003, an adopted child under 12 years of age will receive Finnish citizenship by declaration.

An adopted child who is over 12 years old will receive Finnish citizenship by declaration.

Losing or being released from Finnish citizenship

Losing citizenship

A person who has been granted Finnish citizenship through application or a declaration to the authorities can lose it if the person has provided incorrect or misleading information. Furthermore, a person may lose Finnish citizenship if it has been granted on the basis of the father's citizenship and there is later an annulment of paternity.

A 22-year-old person who has dual citizenship and insufficient close ties with Finland will automatically lose his or her Finnish citizenship.

Being released from Finnish citizenship

Upon application, a Finnish citizen may be released from Finnish citizenship if he or she is a citizen of or is about to gain citizenship of a foreign state.