How to Get Swedish Citizenship

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 9, 2023 References

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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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]
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- 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]
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  Research source} Make sure you bring your valid passport from your country of origin.
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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]
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- 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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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]
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- There are different application forms for different types of work permits. Pay close attention and fill out the form that matches your job.
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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.
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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]
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Research 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.
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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]
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- 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]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Gaining Swedish Citizenship by Notification

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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]
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Research 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.
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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]
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- 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.
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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]
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Research 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]
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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]
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- 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.
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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]
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- 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.
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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]
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- 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.
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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]
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- 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]
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