Swedish Citizenship

A Swedish citizen has the unconditional right to reside and work in Sweden. With Swedish citizenship, individuals over 18 years of age gain the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Only Swedish citizens are eligible for election to the Swedish Parliament. These rights are not granted to those with permanent residence permits. Additionally, certain professions require Swedish citizenship.

Application for Swedish citizenship

To be eligible for Swedish citizenship by application, the applicant must be at least 18 years old and must have either been granted permanent residence in Sweden or possess a right of residence or residence card.

Verified identity

The applicant must be able to verify their identity by presenting a passport or other identification document. ID cards or driver’s licenses are not considered valid. In some cases, multiple documents that are insufficient individually may together constitute adequate proof of identity. Passports from countries without a sufficiently functioning government administration may be rejected. 

In certain circumstances, a spouse, partner, or close relative who is a Swedish citizen may verify the applicant’s identity. Those who face significant challenges in verifying their identity may, under certain conditions, be granted an exemption from the identity verification requirement. This means that less stringent documentation may suffice to prove identity. 

Exemptions may be granted to those who have resided in Sweden for at least 8 years, provided they can demonstrate that they have made reasonable efforts to obtain valid identification documents, such as attempting to acquire a passport from their home country by contacting their home country’s embassy in Sweden. The identity must also be credible.

Domicile and residency period in Sweden

The applicant must have resided in Sweden for a specific period. Domicile refers to the place where the applicant primarily lives, resides, and intends to stay. The entire period of domicile can be counted regardless of the type of permit held before being granted permanent residence. However, illegal residence in Sweden cannot be included.

As a general rule, the applicant must have resided in Sweden for the past five years. Danish, Finnish, or Norwegian citizens must have resided in Sweden for the past two years. Stateless persons or those granted residence as refugees must have resided in Sweden for the past four years. If the applicant is married to, in a registered partnership with, or cohabiting with a Swedish citizen, they may become a Swedish citizen after three years, provided they have lived together for the past two years and can demonstrate a good integration into Swedish society.

If the applicant relocates and resides in another country, the residency period is interrupted. The residency period then begins anew from the day they return to Sweden. However, short trips abroad do not interrupt the residency period, as long as the time abroad is less than six weeks.

Good conduct 

To be granted Swedish citizenship, the applicant must have led, and be expected to continue leading, a good conduct life. The Swedish Migration Agency will assess the applicant’s past conduct. 

Primarily, past criminal activity may prevent the applicant from being granted Swedish citizenship on this basis. If crimes have been committed, the assessment is based on specific waiting periods depending on the penalty imposed for the offense. Other factors that may influence the assessment of good conduct include whether the applicant has paid tax debts to the state or child support.

Special reasons 

If one or more of the above criteria are not met, there may still be a possibility of obtaining Swedish citizenship if there are special reasons. In such cases, the Swedish Migration Agency will consider the applicant’s personal circumstances and other factors, such as whether the individual’s Swedish citizenship would significantly benefit Swedish society.

Notification of Swedish citizenship

Minors, young adults between 18 and 21 years old, and Nordic citizens may submit a notification for Swedish citizenship. There are different types of notifications depending on the category under which one qualifies.

Minors

Minors may submit a notification for Swedish citizenship if they: 

1. Are under 18 years old, 
2. Have a permanent residence permit, 
3. Right of residence, residence card, or residence status in Sweden, 
4. Have lived in Sweden for at least three years

If the child is stateless, they only need to have lived in Sweden for two years despite the requirement in point 3. There are no requirements for minors to verify their identity or conduct, unlike the application for Swedish citizenship.

Young adults 

An individual who is 18 but not yet 21 years old can submit a notification for Swedish citizenship if they have lived in Sweden since the day they turned 13, or 15 if stateless. 

Additionally, the applicant must have a permanent residence permit in Sweden. The requirement for a permanent residence permit does not apply to those born in Sweden, who have been stateless since birth, who have been domiciled in Sweden for the past five years or a total of ten years, and who have been granted a temporary residence permit.

Nordic citizens

A Nordic citizen wishing to become a Swedish citizen may submit a notification for Swedish citizenship to the County Administrative Board. As a citizen of a Nordic country, one may retain dual citizenship. Upon the approval of the Swedish citizenship application, the citizenship of the other Nordic country is retained.

Automatic citizenship

Citizenship by birth 

A child born in Sweden automatically acquires Swedish citizenship if one of the parents is a Swedish citizen. This also applies if a deceased parent was a Swedish citizen at the time of death. If the child of one or two Swedish citizens is born abroad, the Swedish Tax Agency must be contacted to register the child in Sweden.

Citizenship by adoption 

A child under 12 years of age adopted by a Swedish citizen automatically acquires Swedish citizenship at the time of adoption, provided that: 

1. The adoption is decided in Sweden or another Nordic country
2. The adoption is recognized by a foreign adoption decision that is approved in Sweden
3. The adoption is valid in Sweden by law

A child over 12 years of age at the time of adoption must apply for Swedish citizenship.

We are here to help 

At Advantage law firm, we possess deep and extensive knowledge in migration law. We are happy to assist you with your questions regarding Swedish citizenship and to support you throughout the process. 

Contact us today to schedule a meeting.