A Quick Guide to Acquire Finnish Citizenship for Indians

Studying and working abroad has become an everyday affair in the globalised world. However, the student or work visa does not allow individuals to stay longer in countries like Finland. For this, they require citizenship. However, the process of getting citizenship is not that simple.

Are you curious to know how to get citizenship in Finland for Indians? Find out all about it through this piece.

In order to get citizenship in Finland for Indians, meeting the following eligibility criteria will be necessary.

• Applicants must be at least 18 years old. 
• They must have stayed in Finland for about 4-7 years. 
• Paying all taxes, bills, child support, hospital fees with a stable financial condition is required. 
• Applicants must not have committed any criminal offence. 
• They must have stable jobs and proof of livelihood. 
• Finally, they must understand and speak either Finnish or Swedish. 

Now the question is, how to get citizenship in Finland for Indians? The process is online. The following steps will guide you to do so. 

Step 1: Visit the official website of Enter Finland Services. Click on the “Finnish citizenship” icon. 

Step 2: Next, click on the "Citizenship application" button. This will consist of several stages. 

Step 3: Fill out the form after reading all the instructions carefully. Upload all the attachments and required documents. 

Step 4: Pay for the application through an online transaction. Next, visit a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service in Finland after booking an appointment. 

Step 5: Wait for the verdict after the interview. The Finnish Immigration Service will contact you with further instructions.

While applying for Finnish citizenship, applicants must be able to present some valid documents. These are listed below. 

• A valid ID proof, preferably a passport
• Certificate of language skills
• Current and earlier income proof certificate

The Finland government charges specific fees from the applicants to become citizens. The application fee for the online application is about €460, while those filling the paper application will have to pay about €690. In addition, a citizenship declaration charge of €160 will also be levied. On the other hand, it would be about €120 for those who filled out an online application. Finally, there is a fee of €100 to determine the citizenship status of the applicants.

Fortunately, Finland allows dual citizenship and multiple nationalities among the citizens. However, individuals with more than one citizenship besides Finnish citizenship might lose their citizenship in the native country. Thus, they cannot have more than two citizenships.

It isn't easy to get citizenship for the entire family. At most, individuals can try to get a residence permit for their family members. This permit can be granted to your spouse, registered partner or minor children. Moreover, if any of your family members live in Finland, you can get a residence permit based on family ties. If you are the family reunification sponsor, your income should be able to support your family’s stay in Finland.

Usually, a child born in Finland quickly gets Finnish citizenship. However, if it does not happen, parents must create a passport for the child from the diplomatic mission of their native country. They then have to report the child’s citizenship to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Following this, the child will receive a residence permit in any EU country. After that, parents can apply for a residence permit in Finland if necessary. Children can apply for citizenship after turning 18.

A child born in Finland is automatically considered a Finnish citizen if he or she meets at least one of the following criteria. 

• The mother is a Finland citizen. 
• The father is a Finnish citizen and married to a mother who is non-Finnish.
• The child is born in Finland with confirmed Finnish paternity or maternity. 

When a child is born in Finland, the birth is registered under Finnish Population Information System at the hospital. However, if these conditions are not met, the child will have to apply for citizenship after turning 18.

When it comes to applying for Finnish citizenship for Indians, there are various rules and regulations. Some mistakes and errors can end up rejecting your citizenship application. Find out these mistakes and avoid making these in your application.

1. Documentation and verification

The failure to attach or submit all the required documents within the stipulated time while applying can reject your application for Finnish citizenship. Moreover, these documents must be valid, as the immigration experts are likely to verify these. Applicants need to avoid any fraudulent activities with their papers, as it can reject their application.

2. Criminal records

If the auditors or experts find criminal records or convictions while checking an applicant's past in Finland, they might reject their citizenship application. Governments naturally avoid having criminals as citizens. Thus, the applicants should understand and comply with Finnish law to avoid criminal convictions.

3. Application details

 Applicants must complete their applications correctly and submit them. While the online submission is simple, one must make a paper submission to the proper authorities if he or she has chosen the offline method. Moreover, they must fill out all the form sections and not leave any incomplete information. These might reject their applications.

4. Language proficiency

Applicants need to prove their proficiency in speaking and understanding the Finnish or Swedish language. Apart from providing proof, they will have to demonstrate their proficiency during the interview. Their failure to speak correctly in these languages can reject their applications.

5. Employment and financial stability

Applicants must be able to prove their employment in Finland and a stable livelihood. They must not have any outstanding bills or tax payments. These might highlight the inability of the applicant to reside in Finland. As a result, the immigration experts might reject the application.