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I came across this blog post a couple days ago and found it so entertaining I just had to post! Apparently, according to this blogger, it is near impossible to become a Finnish citizen these days. After reading this post I felt compelled to do a little research of my own especially since Finnish citizenship might be in my own future down the road. Here is the link to the full article from Mary Nurimen from Savon Sanomat:
How to Apply for Finnish Citizenship – Kolumnit – Savon Sanomat:

Here is a little of my own research (please note that I am not an expert, I am just an American doing research on Finland and I encourage you to do your own research and not trust my opinions):

Finnish Immigration Service Quiz
First, you can check out this website which walks you through a quiz to see if you fulfill the requirements for migrating to Finland:
http://www.uvi.fi/migratingtofinland/eng/

**Of note, I was not able to take this quiz because I have no family ties in Finland, no job, no school acceptance and really no reason to be considered a resident (I don’t think they would make me a citizen just yet..). You need to be a resident FIRST before you can apply to be a citizen, Mary noted this as well…oh boy…this will be a process for sure…at some point.

Statistics
So, I did a little more searching. I found that “residence permit applications by foreign citizens increased in Finland by some 25 percent in January-April 2008 compared to the corresponding period in 2007.” This includes just over 6,000 resident applications. Chances are if you send in your application today you shouldn’t plan to move in the next few weeks…

Migration Tactics
You can migrate to Finland (i.e. establish residency) in many ways. You can study abroad (depending on age and status you can apply for citizenship after studying abroad in Finland), Work, or have family ties.

Something interesting about family ties I want to mention while reading through the Finland immigration services website FAQ’s:

Family ties
I have been dating a foreigner (non-EU citizen or equivalent person) for almost a year. We lived together for three months when I visited her home country during my holidays. Can she acquire a residence permit in Finland on the basis of family ties?
Cohabiting partners are required to live together in the same household under marriage-like circumstances for at least two years. Secondly, if the individuals are registered in and have their domicile in different states, taking turns to cohabit during tourist holidays in each other’s home country is not considered cohabitation under marriage-like circumstances.

My wife is a foreign national (non-EU citizen or equivalent person), I am a Finnish citizen. Last year I became unemployed. Can my wife acquire a residence permit in Finland even if I am unable to support her?
Your wife (a family member of a Finnish citizen living in Finland) will be granted a residence permit even though her means of support in Finland are not secured by your work or other income.

So…this is quite interesting. Would like to find out more about how they track the two year cohabitation an does that cohabitation have to be in Finland or anywhere in the world? I always thought you would have to get married to become a resident in a spouse or partner’s home country, this does not seem to be the case in Finland unless I’m misreading it.

Income Requirement
“The granting of a residence permit usually requires that the foreigner’s income is secure. The objective of the income requirement is that foreigners living in Finland are able to support themselves economically by their own means.”
What does this mean exactly?
Well, for an adult you are required to secure $900 a month or $10,800 a year. A student will need to secure $500 a month or $6,000 a year. For additional income requirements you can read more here

Well, I think that is it for my own research for now, if you can even really call it that. Go to the Finnish Immigration Service website and READ, READ, READ. Lots of good information. Anyone, especially an American that has gone through this process, please provide any information you have…how difficult was the process?

Hei Hei!

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