Foreigners living in Finland have nearly the same rights and obligations as Finnish citizens. The following rights and obligations also apply to foreigners living in Finland.

Rights

• Everyone has the right to equal treatment. No one must be treated differently based on gender, age, religion or handicap, for example.
• Everyone has the right to freely express their opinions verbally or in writing.
• People are allowed to hold meetings and demonstrations and participate in them. The police must be notified of all demonstrations in advance.
• No one can be sentenced to death or tortured.
• All people can choose their place of residence and freely travel within the country.
• Everyone has a right to the protection of their privacy. No one is allowed to read another person’s letters or listen to someone else’s phone calls.
• Everyone is free to choose their own religion. Should you not want to, you do not need to choose any religion.
• Those foreigners permanently residing in Finland who are over 18 have a right to vote in municipal elections.
• Foreigners who have the right to vote in municipal elections are also entitled to stand in the municipal elections.
• EU citizens with a municipality of residence in Finland can vote in the European Parliament elections in Finland if they have been registered in the voting register.
• Citizens of an EU country included in the Finnish voting register can also stand in the Finnish European Parliament elections.

Obligations

• All persons living or residing in Finland must adhere to Finnish legislation.
• The obligation for compulsory education applies to persons between 7 and 17 years of age, i.e. they must complete the comprehensive school curriculum.
• Often, those working in Finland must pay taxes to Finland from their salary.
• Everyone is obligated to testify in court should they be summoned to do so.
• Parents have the responsibility to take care of their children.
• Everyone is obliged to lend their aid in the event of an accident.

The rights and obligations of Finnish citizens

Finnish citizenship entails a number of rights and obligations that do not apply to foreigners living in Finland.

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

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

Source: InfoFinland