To be released from Swedish citizenship

If you no longer wish to be a Swedish citizen, you may apply to be released from it.

Swedish (svenska)
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In order to be released from your citizenship, you must

  • be a citizen of another country or
  • want to become a citizen of some other country.

The Swedish Migration Agency may refuse to release you from Swedish citizenship if

  • there is reason for the Swedish Migration Agency to assume that it is not your own will to be released from Swedish citizenship
  • you live in Sweden and there are other special grounds.

If you have the intention of applying for citizenship of another country you will be released from your Swedish citizenship if you obtain another citizenship within one year of the Swedish Migration Agency’s decision.

For a child to be released from Swedish citizenship, these requirements also apply:

  • The release from citizenship must not be considered to be contrary to the best interests of the child.
  • If the child has reached the age of 12, they themselves must sign a document stating that they want to be released from their Swedish citizenship.
  • The child’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) must consent that the Swedish Migration Agency may contact the child.

Apply for release

Fill out the form Ansökan om att bli befriad från svenskt medborgarskap, 312011 (in Swedish only). 

Ansökan om att bli befriad från svenskt medborgarskap, form 312011 (in Swedish only) Pdf, 669.3 kB, opens in new window.

Fill in the form Ansökan om att bli befriad från svenskt medborgarskap för barn, 313011 (in Swedish only).

Ansökan om att bli befriad från svenskt medborgarskap för barn, 313011 (in Swedish only) Pdf, 698.6 kB, opens in new window.

If you live outside Sweden, submit your application to the nearest Swedish embassy or consulate-general.

If you are resident in Sweden you send it to:

The Swedish Migration Agency
Citizenship Unit
601 70 Norrköping

It costs nothing to apply to be released from Swedish citizenship.

After the deci­sion has been made

The Swedish Migration Agency will send the decision home to you or to the Swedish embassy or consulate-general.

A decision releasing someone from Swedish citizenship can be revoked if

  • the decision was made on or after 1 October 2024
  • at the time of the decision, there were impediments* to releasing the applicant from their Swedish citizenship
  • There are no special grounds** not to revoke the decision.

*Examples of impediments may be that it appears that the release from citizenship has taken place against the applicant's will or the best interests of the child (i.e., the application was made under threat or the application was signed by someone other than the applicant themselves).

**Special grounds may be that the applicant has committed a crime, is considered to be a threat to Sweden’s national security, or has participated in an organisation or group whose activities include systematic, extensive, and serious abuse of other people.

Any revocation decision applies from the date on which the decision to release the applicant from Swedish citizenship gained the force of law.

How it works

If you want to apply for your decision to be released from Swedish citizenship to be revoked, you must contact the Swedish Migration Agency in writing. You must attach the documents to which you wish to refer, which must prove that were impediments to the decision to release you from Swedish citizenship.

If the Swedish Migration Agency has received information from sources other than yourself that may indicate that there were impediments to releasing you from Swedish citizenship, the Swedish Migration Agency can open a case to revoke its decision to release you. If this is the case, the Swedish Migration Agency will contact you.

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