You want to apply Citizenship for adults

You want to apply to become a Swedish citizen.

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Changes for those applying for Swedish citizenship

There are now changes in how the Swedish Migration Agency processes applications for Swedish citizenship. The changes include stricter identity checks and that people who want to become Swedish citizens need to provide more information in their application. The changes also affect those who have already applied but have not yet received a decision.

Read more about the changes related to Swedish citizenship and what you need to do

To become a Swedish citizen, you must meet certain requirements. Before you apply, the following requirements must be met:

You must have reached the age of 18

You must have one of the following:

  • a permanent residence permit
  • residence status
  • right of residence or a residence card
  • citizenship in another Nordic country.

You must be able to prove your identity

You must have lived in Sweden for a certain amount of time (period of habitual residence)

You must have lived an orderly life in Sweden

Read more about the requirements for proving your identity, your period of habitual residence, and having lived an orderly life:

You can prove your identity through an original identity document. This could be a national passport or an identity card.

The identity document must be issued by a competent authority in your country of origin. It also must include your photo. You must have applied for the document and/or collected it in person from the competent authority. A passport can be accepted as proof of your identity even if its period of validity has expired.

The Swedish Migration Agency will not request that a person who has received a refugee status declaration contact the authorities in their country of origin. It is clear from the decision whether you have received a refugee status declaration.

If you have previously submitted your passport to the Swedish Migration Agency, you can refer to this when you apply. You do this under the heading “Övrig information” [“Other information”] in the e-service or on the form.

In some cases, the Swedish Migration Agency may consider that you have verified your identity even though your identity documents do not meet all of the requirements. If you have several different documents that do not meet the requirements individually, we will assess whether together they can prove your identity.

You should not submit your identity document when you apply. The Swedish Migration Agency will contact you if we need it.

Special requirements for identity documents from certain countries

Identity documents from certain countries are subject to special requirements. These countries are:

  • Afghanistan
  • Iraq
  • Somalia
  • Eritrea.

The identity documents of stateless Palestinians are also subject to special requirements.

The Swedish Migration Agency’s assessment of identity documents

In some cases, a family member can prove your identity

If you do not have an identity document, in some cases your family member (spouse, parent, adult child, or sibling) can certify your identity. For a family member to prove your identity, the following is required:

  • your family member must be a Swedish citizen and have proven their own identity in a way that is acceptable today
  • during previous residence permit investigations, you and your family member must have provided consistent information about, for example, your identities, background, and family situation
  • prior to coming to Sweden, you must have lived together for long enough for your family member to have knowledge of your background and life story, so that your identity can be reliably and certainly proven.

Exceptions to the requirement to prove your identity

The Swedish Migration Agency can make exceptions for people who cannot prove their identity and who are unable to obtain documents that can do so. We can make an exception if we believe your identity is credible.

Your identity can be considered credible if you have lived in Sweden for at least eight years without interruption and have had the same identity throughout that time. There also must be no circumstances that contradict your claimed identity.

If your identity has changed during the time that you have been living in Sweden, this can affect your ability to be exempted from the requirement to prove your identity. For example, it can be problematic if your date of birth was changed during the course of the examination of your residence permit application. Changing the spelling of your name or the order of your names does not generally affect your ability to be exempted from the requirement to prove your identity.

You also cannot count the time that you were in Sweden with an incorrect or a false identity towards your period of habitual residence.

To become a Swedish citizen, you must have lived in Sweden for a certain period of time; you must have had your habitual residence here. Habitual residence means that you are a resident of Sweden and intend to stay here.

The amount of time you must have lived in Sweden in order to become a Swedish citizen varies.

The main rule is five years in Sweden

The main rule is that you must have lived in Sweden continuously for at least five years in order to become a Swedish citizen.

Some people may become Swedish citizens after a short period of time:

Nordic citizens

If you are a Nordic citizen, you must have lived in Sweden for at least two years in order to become a Swedish citizen.

People living with a Swedish citizen

If you are the spouse, registered partner or cohabiting partner of a Swedish citizen, you must have resided in Sweden for at least three years in order to become a Swedish citizen. You must have lived together for the past two years.

If your partner has previously been a citizen of a country other than Sweden or was stateless, they must have been a Swedish citizen for at least two years. During your time in Sweden, you must also have adjusted well to Swedish society. Among other things, the Swedish Migration Agency may consider how long you have been married, your knowledge of the Swedish language, and your ability to support yourself financially. Keep in mind that you must also meet other requirements for Swedish citizenship, such as the requirement to have a permanent residence permit.

If you have previously been in Sweden under a false identity or if you have made it more difficult to implement an expulsion decision, for example by absconding, you cannot become a Swedish citizen after three years. In that case, you must meet the requirement for a five-year period of habitual residence.

If you have been married to or cohabiting abroad with a Swedish citizen for at least ten years, and are a resident of a country of which you are not a citizen, you do not need to meet any requirements for habitual residence in Sweden. However, you must have some kind of connection to Sweden or need Swedish citizenship.

If you are stateless or have a refugee status declaration

If you are stateless or have a refugee status declaration, you must have been a resident of Sweden for at least four years in order to be granted citizenship. A refugee status declaration is issued to anyone who has been granted a residence permit as a refugee pursuant to Chapter 4, Section 1 of the Aliens Act (2005:716) or equivalent paragraphs of the old Aliens Act. It is not enough for you to have been selected as part of Sweden’s refugee quota.

How is your period of habitual residence calculated?

Even if you have lived in Sweden for a certain amount of time, it is not certain that you may count all your time in Sweden towards your period of habitual residence. In most cases, it is your time with the residence permit that was the basis for your permanent residence permit that counts, but your period of habitual residence can be calculated differently, depending on the type of permit you have had and why you have settled in Sweden.

  • If you had a permanent residence permit or another residence permit that provided a basis for settlement when you entered Sweden, you can calculate your period of habitual residence from the day you arrived in Sweden. It states in the decision whether the permit you received provided a basis for settlement in the country.
  • If you did not have a permanent residence permit or residence permit that provided a basis for settlement when you entered Sweden, the time is counted from the date you submitted your application for a residence permit to settle in Sweden.

Some types of residence permits are not included

If you have had a temporary residence permit in Sweden, such as a visitor’s permit or a residence permit for studies or to work as an au pair, the time during which you had that permit is not included in your period of habitual residence. The same applies if you work at another country’s embassy or consulate-general in Sweden.

However, if you are studying or have studied at the doctoral (third-cycle) level, in some cases you can count the time during which you had a residence permit for studies towards your period of habitual residence. You can count this time if it is apparent that you have had the intention of staying in Sweden after completing your studies.

If you have travelled abroad

If you travelled abroad briefly, for example for visits or holidays, this has no impact on your period of habitual residence in Sweden. However, if you were abroad for more than a total of six weeks in a year, the entire time you were outside Sweden must be subtracted from your period of habitual residence.

If you move to a different country and settle there, your period of habitual residence in Sweden ends. You can start over and begin adding up a new period of habitual residence in Sweden from the day you move back here.

EU/EEA citizens must have had right of residence

In order for their time here to count as a period of habitual residence and be able to apply for Swedish citizenship, EU/EEA citizens and their family members must have met the requirements for right of residence.

If you have had right of residence in Sweden for five years, but have not requested a certificate of permanent right of residence or applied for a permanent residence card, the Swedish Migration Agency assesses whether you meet the conditions for right of residence in connection with your application for Swedish citizenship.

Other identity

If you have lived in Sweden under an identity other than your true identity, you may not include the time you were in Sweden with a false identity in your period of habitual residence.

In order to become a Swedish citizen, you must have lived an orderly life. For example, this means that you cannot become a Swedish citizen if you are deemed to pose a threat to Sweden’s national security or public safety, or if you are affiliated with certain groups or organisations that have committed extensive abuse of people.

The Swedish Migration Agency requests information from other authorities to check if you have unpaid debts or have committed any crimes in Sweden. The information is retrieved from the Swedish Enforcement Authority, the Swedish Police, and the Swedish Security Service.

The Swedish Migration Agency also uses your personal data to check if you are registered in the Schengen Information System (SIS).

Debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority or other records of non-payment

Your application may be denied if you

  • have failed to pay taxes, fines or other fees
  • have failed to make maintenance payments.

Debts to private companies or the like the handling of which has been handed over to the Swedish Enforcement Authority may also prevent you from being granted Swedish citizenship. Even if you have paid your debts, some time (usually two years) must have passed before you can become a Swedish citizen. The reason for this is that you must show that you can remain debt-free.

In some cases, the manner in which the debts arose may be important, for example if you have been subjected to financial violence in a close relationship. Learn more about financial violence and the support you can get if you are a victim of violence in a close relationship:

Help for those who are living with domestic violence

Waiting time after a crime

If you have committed a crime, you must wait for a period of time before you can become a Swedish citizen. How long you must wait depends on the sentence you received.

The time that must pass after the crime before you can apply for Swedish citizenship is called a “qualifying period”. The qualifying period is usually counted from the date on which the crime was committed, but if you received a long prison sentence, the time is calculated from the date when you have served your sentence.

Before you can become a Swedish citizen

  • you must have served your prison sentence (if any)
  • the probationary period following your conditional release (if any) must have expired
  • you must have paid any fines that you were ordered to pay.

Qualifying periods

Each application for citizenship is examined individually. The table contains the Swedish Migration Agency’s guidelines for qualifying periods.


Sentence

Qualifying period

Day fines 30–

At least 1 year after the crime.
For example, if you are sentenced to

50 day fines, the qualifying period can be estimated at 1.5 years.

Day fines 60–

At least 2 years after the crime.

Day fines 100–

At least 3 years after the crime.

Suspended sentence

At least 3 years after the judgement has gained the force of law (begun to apply).
If you have been simultaneously sentenced to prison or day fines, the qualifying period will be longer.

Probation

At least 4 years from the date of the start of the probation.
If you have been simultaneously sentenced to prison or day fines, the qualifying period will be longer.

Prison 1 month

At least 4 years after the crime.

Prison 4 months

At least 5 years after the crime.

Prison 8 months

At least 6 years after the crime.

Prison 1 year

At least 7 years after the crime.

Prison 2 years

At least 8 years after serving the sentence.

Prison 4 years

At least 9 years after serving the sentence.

Prison 6 years

At least 10 years after serving the sentence.

 

If you have committed a crime multiple times, the qualifying period may be longer than the time specified in the table.

Special care

If you have been sentenced to special care after a crime, the Swedish Migration Agency looks at what punishment you would normally receive for the crime.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 21, you can instead choose to file a notification of Swedish citizenship.

Citizenship for people aged 18 to 21

If you are a Nordic citizen, in some cases you can choose to file a notification to become a Swedish citizen. Then you must have lived in Sweden for at least five years.

Citizenship for Nordic citizens

If you have children under the age of 18 who live in Sweden, they can become Swedish citizens together with you, if you state in your application that you want this to occur. In order for your child to become a Swedish citizen together with you, it is required that

  • you have custody of the child (if the child has two parents/legal guardians, the other parent/legal guardian must give their consent using their e-ID)
  • there is an actual connection between you and the child (which usually means that the child lives with you)
  • children aged 12 and over must consent to become a Swedish citizen
  • the child has their habitual residence in Sweden and a valid residence permit for settling here (it is stated in the decision whether the permit provides a basis for settlement). It is not enough for a child to have an ongoing application for an extended residence permit.

If the child has reached the age of 15 and has committed a crime, this may affect our assessment.

Children who have reached the age of 12 must sign with their own e-ID. If the child has reached the age of 12 but does not have an e-ID, you need to apply via a paper form.

If you are an EU/EEA citizen, you need to be able to show that you have and have had right of residence for the past five years. You must therefore submit documents showing that you have worked, been self-employed, had your own funds to support yourself, or studied in Sweden.

If you work or have worked, you must attach

  • a certificate of employment or employer’s certificate with information about the period of employment and terms of employment for the past five years
  • a certificate from the Swedish Public Employment Service verifying that you were registered as a jobseeker, if you have been unemployed for six months or more
  • a certificate from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency verifying that you lacked the ability to work for six months or more due to illness or accident, if applicable.

If you are or have been self-employed, you must attach

  • the registration certificate and F-tax card for the company
  • tax returns or other documentation showing that the company has been active for the past five years.

If you have or have had your own funds, you must attach

  • documents showing that you have had sufficient funds to support yourself and your family for the past five years, such as pension payments, wages/salary from abroad, or money in a bank (if you have your own funds for support, these must also be reported)
  • housing costs for the past five years
  • a certificate attesting that no one in the family has received income support under the Social Services Act in the past five years.

If you are studying or have studied, you must attach

  • transcripts for the periods during which you studied
  • a certificate verifying that you were able to support yourself financially during your time as a student.

Family member of an EU/EEA citizen

If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen, you need to be able to show that you have and have had right of residence by virtue of the fact that your close relative has it. You must therefore send in the documents described above, to show that your close relative has worked, studied, been self-employed, or lived off their own funds in Sweden for the past five years.

It is not possible to say exactly how long you will need to wait for a decision. There are many things that affect the waiting time, for example whether your application is complete to begin with or whether we need to request more information, or whether we need to check with other authorities when investigating your case.

Here we show statistics on how long it has taken for people who have applied for the same permit as you.

Applications not requiring investigation

75% of applications receive a decision within:2 months

Applications requiring investigation

75% of applications receive a decision within:28 months

Fee: SEK 1,500

If you include your child in your own application, you do not have to pay a fee for the child.

You will not receive a refund if your application is rejected.

The following people pay no fee to apply:

  • stateless people who have received a refugee status declaration
  • stateless refugees who have received travel documents from the Swedish Migration Agency.

News

2025-03-05

The Swedish Migration Agency's new website has now been launched

On 5 March, the Swedish Migration Agency launched a completely new version of migrationsverket.se, with a new structure and a more user-friendly navigation. The purpose of the new website is primarily to make it easier for visitors to find the information they need.

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.