The Finnish citizenship test is taken in Finnish or Swedish. What that means for you
Vishwen Labs
The Finnish citizenship test cannot be taken in English. Migri says the questions can be answered in Finnish or Swedish, and the University of Helsinki, which is writing the material, says it is writing in clear Finnish aimed at readers around level B1. That level is not an accident: satisfactory Finnish or Swedish, normally a YKI certificate at level 3, which is B1, is already a requirement for citizenship. The two requirements are separate, and they are prepared for together.
Two requirements, one language
Citizenship requires satisfactory oral and written skills in Finnish or Swedish. Migri's standard proof is the National Certificate of Language Proficiency, YKI, at level 3 or higher, which corresponds to B1, or an equivalent such as the civil service language test or Finnish schooling. From 1 March 2027, citizenship also requires civic knowledge, shown by the test or by a Finnish- or Swedish-language matriculation examination or degree. The test is answered in the same two languages, so a candidate who meets the language requirement can read it, and a candidate who cannot yet read at B1 should meet the language requirement first.
Clear Finnish, by design
In September 2026 the University of Helsinki's vice rector Kai Nordlund described the hardest part of writing the test as producing language that is clear, with input from plain-language experts and people who know the Finnish immigrants actually have. The stated target is B1. That should mean short sentences, everyday vocabulary and the specialised words only where the topic needs them, which in this test it often does: perusoikeudet, yhdenvertaisuus, tasa-arvo, kunnallisvaalit, oleskelulupa, verotus. Those words are the study list.
The exceptions, and who they cover
The language requirement has exceptions the test requirement partly mirrors. Applicants who have reached 65 can request an exception: with refugee, subsidiary protection or humanitarian status they attach nothing; otherwise a certificate of at least A1.3 oral skills or of regular language study. Health and illiteracy are grounds for exception too, with documentation. The civic-knowledge requirement stops at 64 and allows derogations for health, disability or other very serious reasons, and special arrangements including an oral test. Someone exempt from the language requirement on health grounds should ask Migri about the test at the same time.
Learning in two languages, in the right order
Understanding first, vocabulary second, recognition third. Read the material in the language you read best, so that the ideas land: what a municipality does, why the Constitution matters, how the President and Parliament divide power. Then read the same material in Finnish, sentence by sentence, matching terms to ideas. Finally practise questions in Finnish only, because on the day there will be no toggle. The app is built for this sequence: every lesson and question exists in Finnish and English, the two can be shown side by side, and the Finnish is read aloud.
Swedish
The test can be answered in Swedish, and Swedish-language matriculation and degrees count for the exemption, because Swedish is a national language and the language requirement can be met in either. If your Swedish is stronger than your Finnish, take the test in Swedish. The app's content is Finnish and English; the civic orientation material is available in Swedish and several other languages on its own site.
Kansalaisuuskoe is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) or any other Finnish authority. Migri will publish the official learning material for the citizenship test before the first test in March 2027, and the test's questions will be based on it; the app's lessons and questions are its own, written from the civic orientation and InfoFinland material that the official material will draw on.
Questions people also ask
What language level do I need for the Finnish citizenship test?
The material is being written in clear Finnish for readers at about B1, which is the level of YKI 3, the standard language requirement for citizenship. A candidate who meets the language requirement should be able to read the test; one who cannot yet read at B1 should work on the language first.
Can I take the Finnish citizenship test in my own language?
No. Migri states the questions can be answered in Finnish or Swedish, and no other language. Special arrangements exist for illness or disability, such as extra time or an oral test, but not for language.
