2025-03-21
Important changes for people applying for Swedish citizenship
New measures are being introduced to improve security in Swedish citizenship cases. The new measures also affect people who have already applied and are waiting for a decision.
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Identity documents from certain countries are subject to special requirements. Here you can find information about how the Swedish Migration Agency assesses documents from these countries.
The Swedish Migration Agency considers that Afghan identity documents do not prove the holder’s identity to the extent necessary for them to become a Swedish citizen. This assessment is based, among other things, on the lack of reliable population registration and the forms in which identity documents are issued.
The Swedish Migration Agency has good knowledge of what authentic Iraqi documents should look like. We also know the types of documents that are often counterfeited.
Series G and A passports prove your identity if you received the passport from the embassy in Stockholm (this is made clear by the passport stamp) or applied for or collected it yourself on a trip to Iraq. You must provide proof of your journey in the form of ticket receipts or by other credible means. If you did not collect your passport in person, you can contact the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm to have the passport verified.
Series S passports are easy to counterfeit and, according to the Swedish Migration Agency’s knowledge, are often issued based on insufficient supporting documentation, which negatively affects the evidentiary value of these passports. Therefore, a series S passport alone is not considered sufficient proof of identity.
Passports in previous series can be accepted if they were issued in an authorised manner and in connection with a personal appearance.
Identity certificates from the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm do not meet our security requirements, as it is the assessment of the Swedish Migration Agency that a satisfactory identity check is not carried out when the certificate is issued. Therefore, such a certificate alone cannot prove the holder’s identity.
Iraqi identity cards and citizenship certificates do not meet the Swedish Migration Agency’s security requirements, because they are simply designed and lack security features that can be checked. Therefore, an identity card or a citizenship certificate alone cannot prove the holder’s identity.
An Iraqi military book may in some cases prove the holder’s identity, provided that it was issued in an approved manner by a competent authority.
Somali passports issued after January 1991 do not meet the Swedish Migration Agency’s security requirements. Since January 1991, Somalia has no competent authorities to issue legal documents. We also know that there is an extensive black market for Somali passports and other types of documents.
Other identity documents issued in Somalia also do not meet the Swedish Migration Agency’s security requirements.
If you are a citizen of Eritrea, you can prove your identity if you have a national passport. In most cases, a certificate of identity with a photo, issued by the Eritrean Embassy in Stockholm, may also be sufficient.
However, Eritrean ID cards issued by the now-defunct Eritrean Provisional Government (EPLF) prior to the 1993 election and those issued thereafter cannot prove the holder’s identity, because they do not meet the security requirements that the Swedish Migration Agency must impose on an ID card.
According to the Swedish Migration Agency, a Palestinian travel document issued by the Palestinian Authority to Palestinians from the West Bank or Gaza can prove the holder’s identity.
After checking with the Palestinian Authority, the Swedish Migration Agency may approve ID cards of residents of Gaza or the West Bank that have an accompanying white counterfoil containing information about their family members and marital status.
In most cases, the following documents can prove the holder’s identity:
Palestinians who have resided in countries other than those listed above can only prove their identity with a passport or identity document if, due to their birth or long-term residence in the country in question, they can be considered known to the authorities there.
A Palestinian travel document issued by the Palestinian Authority to a person who has resided outside the Palestinian Territories cannot adequately prove the holder’s identity, according to the Swedish Migration Agency.
Travel documents with ID numbers starting with two zeros can be accepted, if they are presented together with a certificate from the Palestinian Embassy in Stockholm.
2025-03-21
Important changes for people applying for Swedish citizenship
New measures are being introduced to improve security in Swedish citizenship cases. The new measures also affect people who have already applied and are waiting for a decision.