You want to apply What Swedish citizenship meansYou want to applyWhat Swedish citizenship means

Swedish citizenship is a legal relationship between the Swedish state and its citizens. Citizenship strengthens your affinity with Sweden and unites the Swedish people. It represents formal membership of our society and is a cornerstone of Swedish democracy.

What is the difference between Swedish citizenship and a permanent residence permit?

Foreign citizens who have a permanent residence permit and are listed in the Swedish Population Register have essentially the same rights and obligations as Swedish citizens. But Swedish citizenship also gives you rights beyond these:

• Only Swedish citizens have an absolute right to live and work in Sweden, and only Swedish citizens have the right to vote in parliamentary elections.
• Only Swedish citizens can be elected to the Swedish Parliament.
• Only Swedish citizens can become police officers or professional members of the Armed Forces. There are also other jobs that may require Swedish citizenship.
• As a Swedish citizen, it will be easier for you to work in other EU countries, if you want to.

Dual and multiple citizenship

Sweden allows dual and multiple citizenship. Having dual or multiple citizenship means that a person is a citizen of two or more countries. If you become a Swedish citizen, you can retain your previous citizenship if the law in the other country allows it. You must find out for yourself whether your country of origin allows dual citizenship. A Swedish citizen who becomes a citizen of another country may retain their Swedish citizenship. However, some countries’ legislation does not allow dual citizenship.

Dual citizenship information on the website of the Swedish Government External link.

Risks of dual citizenship

Having dual citizenship can create risks or problems. The main risk is that your Swedish citizenship might not be recognised by the other country of which you are also a citizen. This may mean that the Swedish authorities have limited opportunities to help you if, for example, you were to be arrested by the police or end up in an emergency situation in the other country. In such a situation, it is possible that an official from a Swedish embassy may even be unable to meet with you.

You may also encounter problems if you travel to a country other than those countries of which you are a citizen. This is especially true if you did not enter the country with your Swedish passport but instead used your other passport. Then the authorities in that country can claim that Sweden does not have the right to help you.