Finland Mentions Fees and Processing Time for Foreigners Who Apply for Citizenship
- Finland's immigration service told citizenship applicants not to submit before meeting all requirements, as processing times are longer than usual
- The Finnish Immigration Service also mentioned the fee for electronic applications and the amount for paper-based submissions from foreigners
- Officials also revealed the service currently has approximately 20,000 citizenship applications waiting to be processed
Finland's immigration authority, the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), has published updated details on citizenship application fees and processing times for foreigners.
The service also announced a significant backlog that is stretching wait times across the board.
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Finland's Citizenship Application Fees
Foreigners applying for Finnish citizenship through the online portal, Enter Finland, are charged a processing fee of €550.
Those who opt for a paper application and visit a Migri service point in person to prove their identity will pay a higher fee of €650.
Payment for online applications is made at the time of submission using a credit card or Finnish online banking credentials, while paper applicants settle the fee during their identity verification visit.
Processing time for Finnish citizenship applications
The immigration authority cautioned that processing times are more unpredictable than usual during the backlog clearance period, and that applications are not necessarily handled in the order they arrive.
An application only begins its wait once the applicant has confirmed their identity at a service point, or, where identity verification is not required, once the online submission is complete.
The authority noted that a decision can come relatively quickly in two specific situations: where all requirements are satisfied, and the outcome is positive, or where it is immediately clear that at least one condition has not been met and the result is negative.
As of 1 July 2026, roughly 20,000 citizenship applications are sitting in a queue awaiting review. Migri attributed the build-up to an exceptionally high volume of incoming applications over the past several years, which outpaced the authority's processing capacity.
Migri urged applicants not to submit before they are certain they meet every requirement for citizenship, warning that doing so under the current conditions could result in an unnecessarily prolonged wait. The authority added that applicants will receive automated email updates whenever the status of their application changes, and that customer service staff are unable to provide exact timelines for individual decisions.
Canada announces compulsory citizenship test
Canada's immigration authority has outlined the citizenship test requirements that most foreign applicants aged 18 to 54 must complete.
The test can be taken online from anywhere in the world, with applicants given 30 days to complete it after receiving their invitation.
Applicants who do not pass on their first attempt have up to 3 chances to pass, with possible next steps including a re-test, interview, or hearing.
Source: Legit.ng
