How to Get Swedish Citizenship

Sweden is a beautiful and prosperous country that attracts people from around the world. There are two typical ways to acquire Swedish citizenship: naturalization and notification. Depending on your circumstances, you must live in Sweden for a specific number consecutive years before you can apply for citizenship. Obtaining Swedish citizenship might take a long time, but meeting the qualifications and acquiring the proper documentation is relatively simple.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Obtaining Swedish Citizenship Through Naturalization

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1
Live in Sweden for the required amount of years. The most important part of gaining citizenship through naturalization is actually living in Sweden. Most people will be eligible to apply for naturalized citizenship after living in Sweden for 5 years.^{[1]XResearch source}
- If you are already a Nordic citizen, you can apply after living in Sweden for 2 consecutive years.
- If you are married to a Swedish citizen and living in Sweden, apply for naturalized citizenship after 3 consecutive years of residence.
- Learning Swedish is not necessary for obtaining citizenship, and many Swedes are fluent in English and other Eurasian languages. Use your residency period to learn the Swedish language if you want to fully integrate into Swedish culture.^{[2]XResearch source} Make sure you bring your valid passport from your country of origin.
2
Apply for a residence permit. If you are spending over 90 consecutive days in Sweden, submit an application for a residence permit. Apply online on the Swedish Migration Agency website or submit an application in person at the Embassy of Sweden.^{[3]XResearch source}
- You must be at least 18 years old and have a valid passport from your country of origin in order to apply for a residence permit.
- Part of the application process is an interview at the Embassy of Sweden. Be polite, prompt, and bring along the documentation that you provided when submitting your application.
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3
Apply for a work permit if you need income. Work permits are required for non-citizens to hold a job. Apply for a work permit online using the Swedish Migration Agency’s website. Although it is not necessary, having gainful, permanent employment in Sweden will improve your chances of being granted Swedish citizenship.
- Employers actually initiate the work permit application by providing an offer of employment. If you need an income, secure a job offer before you apply for a work permit.
- Have a valid passport from your country of origin, a passport-size color photo of yourself, and your potential employer’s offer of employment in hand before you apply for a work permit.^{[4]XResearch source}
- There are different application forms for different types of work permits. Pay close attention and fill out the form that matches your job.
4
Behave yourself while living in Sweden. The Swedish Migration Agency specifies that applicants for citizenship must have conducted themselves well while in Sweden. If you have unpaid debts and taxes or have committed a crime, wait for a specified period before you can apply for citizenship. This is called a qualifying period and its length depends on the severity of the debt or crime.
- If you have committed multiple crimes, the length of your qualifying period will be considerably longer.
- The qualifying period is usually calculated from the date the crime took place. If you served a prison sentence, however, the qualifying period does not begin until you have been released.
5
Fill out your application for Swedish citizenship. Once you have fulfilled all of the criteria for citizenship, you can begin your application. The easiest way to apply is filling out the citizenship application on the Swedish Migration Agency’s website. If you do not apply online, fill out form number 316011, which is only available in the Swedish language, and mail it to the Swedish Migration Agency.^{[5]XResearch source}. Have the following items on hand to complete your application:
- A valid passport from your country of origin.
- Your permit of residence.
- Proof that you have lived in Sweden for the required amount of time.
- A valid email address.
- A credit card, debit card or another form of internet banking that you can use to pay the application fee.
- If you are applying through the mail, you must enclose your original documentation, including your passport, with your application.
6
Wait for your decision. The Swedish Migration Agency is able to process online applications that have all of the necessary information the quickest. If the Swedish Migration Agency needs more information to make its decision, the process can take longer. Applications through the mail will take the longest amount of time for the Swedish Migration Agency to process.^{[6]XResearch source}
- If you application for citizenship is rejected, make an appeal within three weeks of receiving the notice. You may remain in Sweden while the appeal is being reviewed, but you must leave the country if your appeal is refused.^{[7]XResearch source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Gaining Swedish Citizenship by Notification

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1
Find out if you are eligible for Swedish citizenship through notification. Notification is somewhat of a simplified naturalization process that only applies to certain individuals.^{[8]XResearch source} The four most common types of people who are eligible for citizenship through notification are:
- Stateless persons residing in Sweden.
- Young residents are people under the age of 18 who have lived in Sweden for 3 years and have a residence permit.
- Former Swedish citizens.
- Nordic citizens from the countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway.
2
Meet the age requirements for notification. Each type of person who is eligible for citizenship through notification must meet specific age requirements. These requirements vary greatly depending on which category you fit.
- If you are a stateless person, you have two ways to meet the requirements for citizenship through notification. If you are over 18 and have resided in Sweden since the age of 15, you can apply for citizenship through notification. Alternatively, you meet the standards for citizenship by notification if you were born in Sweden and apply for citizenship before your reach the age of 6.^{[9]XResearch source}
- You qualify as a young resident if you are less than 18 years old and have lived in Sweden since the age of 15.
- If you are a former Swedish citizen, you will qualify if you are over 18 and lived in Sweden for at least ten years before you turned 18.
- If you are already a Nordic citizen, you can apply for citizenship through notification when you are over 18.
3
Obtain a residence permit. Residing in Sweden for several consecutive years is required no matter how you qualify for citizenship through notification. Applying for a residence permit is necessary for you to stay in Sweden for more than 90 days.The residence permit application is available online on the Swedish Migration Agency website. You can also submit an application in person at the Embassy of Sweden.^{[10]XResearch source}The following items are necessary for applying for a residence permit.
- A valid passport from your country of origin.
- A functioning email address.
- A debit card, credit card, or some way to pay the application fee online.
- If you are under 18 years old, find a trusted friend or relative and grant them power of attorney so they can fill out the application form on your behalf.
- Attend the personal interview requested by the Embassy of Sweden. Be friendly, on-time, and bring all of the original documentation they request when contacting you.
- Nordic citizens are not required to obtain a residence permit.^{[11]XResearch source}
4
Live in Sweden for the required residency time. Your residency period will depend on which category you fit in for citizenship through notification. The years you live in Sweden must be consecutive.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Reside in Sweden for 3 years before you turn 18 years old if you are a stateless person.
- To qualify as a young resident, live in Sweden for 3 years before turning 18 years old. If you are already 18 or older, you must have lived in Sweden since you were 15 years old.
- If you are a former Swedish citizen, live in Sweden for at least 2 consecutive years. If you also have citizenship in another Nordic country, you can apply to renew your Swedish citizenship immediately.
- Apply for citizenship if you are a Nordic citizen that has lived in Sweden for two consecutive years.
5
Contact the Swedish Migration Agency before you apply to learn what specific documents you might need.They can be easily contacted through email on their website or through the mail. The types of documents you need will vary depending on how you qualify for citizenship through notification The following documents are necessary for your application regardless of how you qualify for citizenship through notification.^{[13]XResearch source}
- Proof of identity. Generally this is a valid passport from your country of origin.
- Documentation establishing you have lived in Sweden for the necessary period of time.
- A working email address.
- A credit cared, debit card, or some form of internet banking you can use to pay the application fee.
6
Apply for Swedish citizenship. Once you have met the specific criteria that applies to your situation, you can begin your application. Filling out the online application form on the Swedish Migration Agency’s website is the easiest and fastest way to method for applying for citizenship. If you cannot use the online application, mail all of the required documents to the Swedish Migration Agency.^{[14]XResearch source}
- If you are applying through the mail, you must enclose the original documents requested by the Swedish Migration Agency with the application. They cannot be copies.
7
Wait for the Swedish Migration Agency to make their decision. Processing applicants who are eligible for citizenship through notification usually takes less time than those who apply through naturalization. Online applications are also processed much quicker than those sent in the mail.^{[15]XResearch source}
- Applicants eligible for citizenship through notification are much less likely to be rejected because of their unique circumstances. However, if your application for citizenship is rejected, make an appeal within three weeks of receiving the notice. You are permitted to remain in Sweden while the appeal is being reviewed.^{[16]XResearch source}

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What mistakes should I avoid when applying for Swedish citizenship?
Miatrai Brown, Esq.
Immigration Attorney
Miatrai Brown is an Immigration Lawyer based in Washington D.C. With over 10 years of academic and professional experience, her areas of focus include employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant visas, investment-based immigration, family-based immigration, risk management assessment, and regulatory compliance. She began her legal career exclusively practicing immigration and nationality law as external immigration counsel to large U.S. corporations and fast-moving start-ups. After six years at top immigration firms, she opened her own practice, Direct U.S. Immigration. This move was motivated by her desire to provide more access to a high level of immigration support to clients worldwide. As a thoughtful and strategic advisor on immigration and related matters, Direct U.S. Immigration earned an impressive honor as Immigration Law Firm of the Year 2023 – Washington DC.
Miatrai Brown, Esq.
Immigration Attorney
Expert Answer
Common errors in immigration applications often stem from inadequate knowledge about the current immigration procedures. One prevalent mistake is submitting outdated forms. For instance, applicants may use forms that were current when printed and prepared but become outdated by the time they are submitted, resulting in rejection if received by immigration even a few days late. Ensuring that forms are not only accurate but also up-to-date is crucial. Another common mistake involves incomplete or inconsistent answers related to the applicant. It is essential to provide thorough and honest responses, as any oversight, even something as seemingly minor as forgetting to mention a brief employment stint on a visitor visa application, can have serious consequences. In some cases, when an employer sponsors an individual for a green card and the individual later remembers and includes previously omitted information, immigration authorities might question the integrity of the original application, potentially leading to allegations of misrepresentation or fraud. This, in turn, could result in a permanent bar on immigration benefits.
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Sweden recognizes dual citizenship, so you will not necessarily have to give up citizenship in your country of origin.^{[17]XResearch source}
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If your parents or legal guardians are Swedish citizens, you will likely qualify for an expedited citizenship process.^{[18]XResearch source}
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Marrying a Swedish citizen can make it easier to become a citizen of Sweden and reduce residency requirements. If you and your spouse live outside of Sweden, you will only be able to apply for citizenship after your 10th wedding anniversary.^{[19]XResearch source}
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