The rights and obligations of Finnish citizens

Rights

• The right to obtain a Finnish passport
• The right to arrive in Finland and refuse extradition to another country
• The right to vote in presidential elections, parliamentary elections and referenda if the person is 18 or older
• The right to stand in parliamentary elections if the person is 18 or older
• The opportunity to be appointed to state positions that require Finnish citizenship
• The rights of EU citizens, such as the right to freely travel and work within the EU and the right to vote and stand in EU elections

Obligations

• A Finnish citizen is obligated to participate in national defence or assist in the cause. Compulsory conscription (asevelvollisuus) applies to all men over 18 years of age.
• It is the responsibility of a Finnish citizen to observe all Finnish laws even when outside of Finland. A Finnish citizen can be convicted in Finland for an offence committed abroad.

Please note that these are rights and responsibilities related to Finnish citizenship. Information on rights and obligations that apply to all Finnish residents is available on the InfoFinland page Your rights and obligations in Finland.