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You want to apply Automatic citizenship for children

In some cases, children can automatically become Swedish citizens by birth, adoption, the marriage of their parents, or if a parent becomes a Swedish citizen.

For a child to automatically become a Swedish citizen, one or both of their parents must be, or become, a Swedish citizen. A child’s ability to automatically acquire Swedish citizenship also depends on several circumstances. Select the option that best describes your family’s situation.

A child born after 1 April 2015 always acquires Swedish citizenship if any of the following applies to you:

  • Either of their parents is a Swedish citizen at the time of the child’s birth.
  • A deceased parent of the child was a Swedish citizen at the time of their death.

This applies regardless of the country in which the child is born.

If your child is born outside Sweden

If your child is born outside of Sweden, you should contact the Swedish Tax Agency to get them listed in the Swedish Population Register and submit a name registration on their behalf.

Read more about how to file a name registration on the Swedish Tax Agency’s website External link.

You can contact the Swedish Police to apply for a passport for your child during a visit to Sweden.

Read more about how to apply for a Swedish passport on the website of the Swedish Police External link.

If you want to apply for a Swedish passport for the child from abroad, contact your nearest Swedish embassy or consulate-general.

Swedish embassies and consulates-general External link.

Before 1 April 2015, but after 1 July 2001, there were different rules than those that apply today.

Children with a Swedish mother

A child with a Swedish mother always became a Swedish citizen. It did not matter if the child was born in Sweden or abroad.

Children with a Swedish father and a non-Swedish mother

A child of a Swedish father and a non-Swedish mother always became a Swedish citizen if the child was born in Sweden. If their father was married to their mother, the child acquired Swedish citizenship at birth, regardless of where in the world the child was born.

Children of a non-Swedish mother who was the spouse, registered partner, or cohabitating partner of a Swedish woman

A child of a non-Swedish mother who was the spouse, registered partner, or cohabitating partner of a Swedish woman also became a Swedish citizen if the child was born in Sweden and an insemination had taken place with the Swedish woman’s consent according to the provisions of the Children and Parents Code.

Swedish citizenship through the parents’ marriage

When a non-Swedish woman had children with a Swedish man and the child was born abroad, the parents had to be married to each other in order for the child to receive the father’s Swedish citizenship.

If the parents were unwed at the time of the child’s birth but later married, the child then became a Swedish citizen (provided that the child was under the age of 18 and themselves unwed at the time of their parents’ marriage). The process by which such a child became a Swedish citizen is known as “legitimation”. It is the Swedish Tax Agency that registers the child as a Swedish citizen. The child was then considered to have acquired Swedish citizenship on the date their parents married.

The Swedish Tax Agency External link.

Children with a Swedish father who were born abroad

Prior to 1 April 2015, children with a Swedish father who were born abroad did not automatically receive Swedish citizenship. In order for the child to be granted Swedish citizenship, the father needs to file a notification.

Children who were born abroad before 1 April 2015 with a Swedish father

A child under age 12 who has been adopted by a Swedish citizen automatically gains Swedish citizenship upon their adoption, if any of the following apply:

  • The child is adopted through a decision made in Sweden or another Nordic country.
  • The child is adopted through a foreign adoption decision that is approved in Sweden by the Family Law and Parental Support Authority (MFoF).
  • The adoption is valid in Sweden on the basis of law.

The adoption must have been decided or approved after 30 June 1992.

A child who was 12 or older at the time of their adoption can become a Swedish citizen through application.

Apply for citizenship for children

If a parent becomes a Swedish citizen through notification, in some cases their child(ren) can simultaneously acquire Swedish citizenship.

This applies to children who live in Sweden and are under 18 years of age. One of the following must also apply:

  • The parent has sole custody of the child(ren).
  • The parent shares joint custody with the other parent, who is a Swedish citizen.
  • The other parent becomes a Swedish citizen at the same time as the notifying parent.

If the child has reached the age of 15

If the child has reached the age of 15, in some cases it is also be required that

  • it has been proven probable that the child’s identity is correct
  • the child does not pose a threat to Sweden’s national security or public safety
  • the child is not associated with groups or organisations that have committed abuse against other people.
  • the child is not reasonably suspected or convicted of certain crimes.

If a child over the age of 15 has committed a crime

The child must not be reasonably suspected or convicted of a crime for which the punishment under Swedish law is four or more years in prison. The child must also not be convicted of repeated crimes. The exception to this rule is if the repeated crimes were of a less serious nature according to Swedish law, or if they were committed a long time ago. This applies regardless of whether the suspected or committed crimes took place in Sweden or another country.

Children of parents who become Swedish citizens through application

If a parent becomes a Swedish citizen through application, the child does not automatically become a Swedish citizen. In that case, the parent can either simultaneously apply for citizenship for the child in their own application for citizenship, or file a separate notification for the child.

News

The Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for considering applications from people who want to live in Sweden, seek protection or become Swedish citizens. Our work is based on Swedish laws and international conventions, with a focus on legal certainty and effective reception and return.