Last updated: 12 November 2026. Migri hasn't published every detail yet, so I'll update this page when the fee, the test dates and the learning material come out.
Every fact below links to its source. In Chrome, Edge and Safari, the link also highlights the exact sentence on the page.
From 1 March 2027, most adults who apply for Finnish citizenship have to pass a citizenship test before they apply. In Finnish it's called the kansalaisuuskoe. The law calls the underlying rule the requirement of knowledge of Finnish society (yhteiskuntatietoa koskeva edellytys).
This page covers the practical side: who takes it, when, where, how much it costs and what it looks like. If you're wondering how much Finnish you need for it, I wrote a separate piece on why the citizenship test is also a Finnish reading test.
The short version
- The test applies to citizenship applications submitted on or after 1 March 2027. (Migri)
- It applies to people aged 18 to 64. If you're 65 or older, you don't take it. (Migri, Migri FAQ)
- You have to pass it before you submit your citizenship application. (Migri)
- It's taken on site, on a computer, under supervision. The questions are multiple choice. (Migri, Ministry of the Interior)
- The test is in Finnish or Swedish only. There is no English version. (Migri)
- There are 6 to 10 test sessions a year, on national test days. (Migri)
- In 2027, the test is held in the Helsinki capital region, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Kuopio, Vaasa and Rovaniemi. (Migri)
- There is a fee. The amount hasn't been published yet. (Migri)
- Your result doesn't expire. If you pass in 2027 and apply in 2030, the pass still counts. (Migri)
- It does not replace the language requirement. You still need YKI or another accepted proof of Finnish or Swedish. (Ministry of the Interior)
When does it start?
The amended Citizenship Act takes effect on 1 January 2027. January and February 2027 are a transition period. (Migri, Migri) Applications submitted between 1 January and 28 February 2027 don't need the test.
From 1 March 2027, it's required. Migri expects the first test in March 2027. (Migri)
"Submitted" has a specific meaning here. If you apply online, it's the day you submit in Enter Finland. If you apply on paper, it's the day you visit a Migri service point. (Migri) If you're close to the deadline, I wrote a separate article on applying before 1 March 2027.
Who has to take it?
Anyone aged 18 to 64 who applies for Finnish citizenship with a citizenship application (kansalaisuushakemus). (Migri, Migri FAQ)
You don't need the test if:
- you're 65 or older (Migri FAQ)
- you get citizenship through a citizenship declaration (kansalaisuusilmoitus), for example as a Nordic citizen or a young adult who grew up in Finland (Migri FAQ)
- you've completed a matriculation examination in Finnish or Swedish (Migri)
- you've completed a Finnish- or Swedish-language higher education degree in Finland (Migri)
- you have a long-term health reason, disability or other very serious reason that prevents you from taking it (Migri)
Each of these has details that matter, so I put them in their own article: who is exempt from the Finnish citizenship test.
Test days and locations
Migri says there will be 6 to 10 test sessions per year, held on national test days. (Migri) Everyone taking the test that day sits it at the same time across the country.
In 2027, the test locations are: (Migri)
- Helsinki capital region
- Tampere
- Turku
- Oulu
- Kuopio
- Vaasa
- Rovaniemi
If you live in Joensuu, Lahti, Jyväskylä or somewhere smaller, plan for a trip. And with 6 to 10 sessions a year, you might wait a month or two for the next date, so don't leave it until the week before you planned to apply.
The exact dates and the registration period weren't public when I wrote this. Migri said it would publish them around the turn of the year 2026/2027. You can't register yet. (Migri, Migri FAQ)
How much does it cost?
There is a fee. Migri has confirmed that much. The amount hasn't been announced. (Migri)
For context, the citizenship application itself costs €550 online and €650 on paper (Migri's 2026 fees), and a YKI test costs extra on top. Budget for all three if you're starting from scratch.
What does the test look like?
What's confirmed:
- Digital, on site. You take it on a computer at a test venue, supervised. You can't take it from home. (Migri)
- Multiple choice. (Migri)
- In Finnish or Swedish. You pick one. (Migri)
- Pass mark: Migri only says that "most of the answers" must be correct. The exact number of points hasn't been published. (Migri)
What isn't known yet:
- how many questions there are
- how long you get
- the exact pass mark
- whether, how soon and how often you can retake it
- the fee
What's on the test?
The questions cover: (Migri)
- key laws that govern life in Finnish society
- fundamental rights and human rights
- equality, including gender equality
- Finnish history and culture
The questions are based on public learning material prepared for the test. The University of Helsinki is writing both the material and the questions. (Migri) Migri runs the test itself. The material builds on the civic orientation material that already exists for integration. (Finnish Government)
Migri said it would publish the material on its website around the turn of the year 2026/2027, well before the first test. (Migri, Migri) Once it's out, that material is the thing to study. Nothing else is guaranteed to match the questions.
While you wait, start on the words. Most of the material will use the same legal and civic vocabulary, and I've collected it in Finnish citizenship test vocabulary.
Special arrangements
You can ask for special arrangements in advance, for example because of an illness, a disability, or reading and writing difficulties. Migri's examples are: (Migri)
- extra time
- an oral test instead of the on-screen one
- using your own assistive device
People who can't read or write can take the test orally. (Migri)
How it fits with the rest of the application
The test is one more box on top of the existing requirements. You still need:
- enough years of residence in Finland (Migri)
- a Finnish or Swedish language certificate (usually YKI level 3) (Migri)
- to have supported yourself, without long stretches on unemployment benefit or social assistance (Migri FAQ)
- a clean enough criminal record (Ministry of the Interior)
- an established identity (Ministry of the Interior)
I go through the whole thing in order in how to get Finnish citizenship in 2027, step by step.
What I'll add when Migri publishes more
This page will change. These are the gaps I'm waiting on:
- the fee amount
- the 2027 test dates and how to register
- the number of questions, time limit and pass mark
- the retake rules
- a link to the learning material
Official sources: Migri: Amendments to the Citizenship Act 2027, Migri customer bulletin on the learning material, Ministry of the Interior FAQ.