Background:

The Finnish government is planning to reform the Finnish Nationality Act by tightening the requirements for naturalisation. Finland is therefore considering introducing a general citizenship test as part of the naturalisation process, supplementing the National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) test in Finnish or Swedish. A major focus within the citizenship test will be on public security. 

Within this context, Finland requested EMN Member and Observer Countries to answer several questions related to their policies and practices on citizenship tests as part of the naturalisation process.

Respondents:

25 EMN Member and Observer Countries (including BE) answered this ad hoc query.

Findings:

A preliminary analysis of the results of the ad hoc query shows that:

• A small majority of the responding countries (AT, CY, CZ, DE, EE, ES, FR, GE, GR, HR, HU, LI, LU, LV, NL) stated that they organise a citizenship test in order to acquire nationality. The authority or institutions responsible for administering and drafting the tests primarily include the Ministry of Education and/or the Interior, or the National Educational (Executive) Agency (CY, EE, HR, LI, LU, NL), and government institutions competent for citizenship and/or migration issues (DE, ES, FR, GE, GR, HU, LV). In BE, past proposals on citizenship were rejected in Parliament, but a proposal for a new law introducing a citizenship test is currently under review. In SE, an inquiry chair is currently looking into more stringent requirements for acquiring citizenship.
   
• Topics covered in the citizenship test encompass knowledge of the history and/or society and culture of the country (AT, CY, DE, ES, FR, GE, GR, HR, HU, LU, LV, SK), fundamental principles of the democratic system and/or civil rights as laid down in the Constitution or other legislative documents (AT, DE, EE, ES, HR, LI, LV), and geography (CY, CZ, GR, SK). In LV, the text of the national anthem is also part of the test. 
   
• In the majority of the countries that organise a citizenship test (AT, CY, CZ, DE, EE, ES, FR, HR, LI, LU, LV), the language proficiency test and the citizenship test are two separate examinations or processes. In the other countries (GE, GR, HU, NL) the language and citizenship test make out another part of the same examination. In HU, language skills are examined during the citizenship test, but the citizenship test is not a language exam per se. 
   
• Measures put in place to prevent any misuse or fraud contain the random selection of questions (GE) or different examination forms (AT), supervision in the examination room (AT, DE, HR, LU), identity checks before entering the examination room (DE, ES, LI, LU), and separate terminals to avoid cheating (LU). Sanctions often include failure of the exam (AT, EE, HU, NL) and (temporary) exclusion from the examination (CY, CZ, DE, GR, LV) or from the acquisition of citizenship (FR, NL).
   
• In the majority of the countries that organise a citizenship test (CY, CZ, DE, ES, FR, GR, HU, LI, LV, NL) there is a fee for participating in a citizenship test. In the other countries, the test is free of charge and usually does not come with other expenses.

For further details, please read the compilation of answers above.