You want to apply Citizenship for adults

You want to apply to become a Swedish citizen.

  • Important to know
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To become a Swedish citizen once you have turned 18, you must meet certain requirements. Before you apply, the following requirements must be met:

You must have one of the following:

  • a permanent residence permit
  • residence status
  • right of residence or a residence card
  • citizenship in another Nordic country.

You must be able to prove your identity

You must be able to prove your identity through identity documents and by visiting the Swedish Migration Agency in person so that we can check your identity.

You must have lived in Sweden for a certain amount of time (period of habitual residence)

You must have a good knowledge of Swedish and Swedish society

You must be able to support yourself

You must have lived an orderly and honourable life

Read more about the requirements:

Some people can apply for Swedish citizenship without having a permanent residence permit. This exemption applies if you have one of the following temporary residence permits:

  • a long-term resident status in Sweden
  • as a refugee or person in need of subsidiary protection
  • on the grounds of exceptionally distressing circumstances
  • on the grounds of certain persistent impediments to enforcement of expulsion
  • as a family member of a person who has a residence permit for one of the reasons mentioned above.

To be eligible for the exemption, you must have well-founded prospects of being granted a long-term residence permit. If you have been resident in Sweden for at least ten years and meet the other requirements for Swedish citizenship, the requirement for well-founded prospects of being granted a long-term residence permit does not apply.

Assessment of well-founded prospects

Well-founded prospects of being granted a long-term residence permit means that a person is considered to have a good chance of having their residence permit extended in the future. The Swedish Migration Agency always makes an individual assessment in each case.

You must be able to prove your identity through identity documents and by visiting the Swedish Migration Agency in person so that we can check your identity.

Your identity document must be an original. An identity document could be a national passport or an identity card.

The identity document must be issued by a competent authority in your country of origin. It also must include your photo. You must have applied for the document and/or collected it in person from the competent authority. A passport can be accepted as proof of your identity even if its period of validity has expired.

The Swedish Migration Agency will not request that a person who has received a refugee status declaration contact the authorities in their country of origin. It is clear from the decision whether you have received a refugee status declaration.

If you have previously submitted your passport to the Swedish Migration Agency, you can refer to this when you apply. You do this under the heading “Övrig information” [“Other information”] in the e-service or on the form.

In some cases, the Swedish Migration Agency may consider that you have verified your identity even though your identity documents do not meet all of the requirements. If you have several different documents that do not meet the requirements individually, we will assess whether together they can prove your identity.

You should not submit your identity document when you apply. The Swedish Migration Agency will contact you if we need it.

Special requirements for identity documents from certain countries

Identity documents from certain countries are subject to special requirements. These countries are:

  • Afghanistan
  • Iraq
  • Somalia
  • Eritrea.

The identity documents of stateless Palestinians are also subject to special requirements.

The Swedish Migration Agency’s assessment of identity documents

In some cases, a family member can prove your identity

If you do not have an identity document, in some cases your family member (spouse, parent, adult child, or adult sibling) can certify your identity. For a family member to prove your identity, the following is required:

  • your family member must be a Swedish citizen and have proven their own identity in a way that is acceptable today
  • during previous residence permit investigations, you and your family member must have provided consistent information about, for example, your identities, background, and family situation
  • prior to coming to Sweden, you must have lived together for long enough for your family member to have knowledge of your background and life story, so that your identity can be reliably and certainly proven.

Exceptions to the requirement to prove your identity

The Swedish Migration Agency can make exceptions for people who cannot prove their identity and who are unable to obtain documents that can do so. We can make an exception if we believe your identity is credible.

Your identity can be considered credible if you have lived in Sweden for at least ten years without interruption and have had the same identity throughout that time. There also must be no circumstances that contradict your claimed identity.

If your identity has changed during the time that you have been living in Sweden, this can affect your ability to be exempted from the requirement to prove your identity. For example, it can be problematic if your date of birth was changed during the course of the examination of your residence permit application. Changing the spelling of your name or the order of your names does not generally affect your ability to be exempted from the requirement to prove your identity.

If you have been in Sweden for a period of time using a false identity, you cannot count this period as a period of residence.

You must visit the Swedish Migration Agency for an identity check

In order to be granted Swedish citizenship, you must visit the Swedish Migration Agency for an identity check. This is called a “personal appearance”.

You will receive a letter from the Swedish Migration Agency with information about when it is time for you to make an appointment to carry out the check. The letter will state how to make an appointment.

You can only make an appointment when you have received your letter.

You can book a visit in the following locations: Malmö, Gothenburg, Norrköping, Sundbyberg, Sundsvall and Boden.

If you do not make a personal visit, you risk not becoming a Swedish citizen. If you are unable to visit the Swedish Migration Agency, you must contact us. You will find contact details in the letter you receive from us.

Exceptions to the requirement for personal appearance

Some people may be exempt from the requirement for personal appearance, if there are special reasons for it. For example, you may be unable to move around, even with assistance, or if you have such a serious illness or physical or mental disability that you cannot visit the Swedish Migration Agency in person. You must be able to prove your special reasons with, for example, a medical certificate or a certificate from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.

To become a Swedish citizen, you must have lived in Sweden for a certain period of time; you must have had your habitual residence here. Habitual residence means that you are a resident of Sweden and intend to stay here.

The amount of time you must have lived in Sweden in order to become a Swedish citizen varies.

The main rule is eight years in Sweden

The main rule is that you must have lived in Sweden continuously for at least eight years in order to become a Swedish citizen.

Some people may become Swedish citizens after a short period of time:

Nordic citizens

If you are a Nordic citizen, you must have lived in Sweden for at least two years in order to become a Swedish citizen.

People living with a Swedish citizen

If you are the spouse, registered partner or cohabiting partner of a Swedish citizen, you must have resided in Sweden for at least seven years in order to become a Swedish citizen. You must have lived together for the past five years.

If your partner has previously been a citizen of a country other than Sweden or was stateless, they must have been a Swedish citizen for at least five years.

If you have previously been in Sweden under a false identity or if you have made it more difficult to implement an expulsion decision, for example by absconding, you cannot become a Swedish citizen after seven years. In that case, you must meet the requirement for a eight-year period of habitual residence.

If you previously had Swedish citizenship

If you previously had Swedish citizenship, you must have been resident in Sweden for at least two years in order to become a Swedish citizen.

If you are under 21

If you are under 21 when you apply for Swedish citizenship, you must have been resident in Sweden for at least seven years in order to become a Swedish citizen.

If you are stateless or have a refugee status declaration

If you are stateless, you must have been a resident of Sweden for at least five years in order to be granted citizenship. If you have a refugee status declaration, you must have been resident in Sweden for at least seven years in order to be granted citizenship. A refugee status declaration is issued to anyone who has been granted a residence permit as a refugee pursuant to Chapter 4, Section 1 of the Aliens Act (2005:716) or equivalent paragraphs of the old Aliens Act. It is not enough for you to have been selected as part of Sweden’s refugee quota.

How is your period of habitual residence calculated?

Even if you have lived in Sweden for a certain amount of time, it is not certain that you may count all your time in Sweden towards your period of habitual residence. In most cases, it is your time with the residence permit that was the basis for your permanent residence permit that counts, but your period of habitual residence can be calculated differently, depending on the type of permit you have had and why you have settled in Sweden.

  • If you had a permanent residence permit or another residence permit that provided a basis for settlement when you entered Sweden, you can calculate your period of habitual residence from the day you arrived in Sweden. It states in the decision whether the permit you received provided a basis for settlement in the country.
  • If you did not have a permanent residence permit or residence permit that provided a basis for settlement when you entered Sweden, the time is counted from the date you submitted your application for a residence permit to settle in Sweden.
  • If you have received a decision to leave Sweden that is valid (has gained the force of law), you are generally not allowed to count the time before that decision. Your period of habitual residence begins to be counted from the time you receive a residence permit to settle in Sweden.

Some types of residence permits are not included

If you have had a temporary residence permit in Sweden, such as a visitor’s permit or a residence permit for studies or to work as an au pair, the time during which you had that permit is not included in your period of habitual residence. The same applies if you work at another country’s embassy or consulate-general in Sweden.

However, if you are studying or have studied at the doctoral (third-cycle) level, in some cases you can count the time during which you had a residence permit for studies towards your period of habitual residence. You can count this time if it is apparent that you have had the intention of staying in Sweden after completing your studies.

If you have travelled abroad

If you travelled abroad briefly, for example for visits or holidays, this has no impact on your period of habitual residence in Sweden. However, if you were abroad for more than a total of six weeks in a year, the entire time you were outside Sweden must be subtracted from your period of habitual residence.

If you move to a different country and settle there, your period of habitual residence in Sweden ends. You can start over and begin adding up a new period of habitual residence in Sweden from the day you move back here.

EU/EEA citizens must have had right of residence

In order for their time here to count as a period of habitual residence and be able to apply for Swedish citizenship, EU/EEA citizens and their family members must have met the requirements for right of residence.

The Swedish Migration Agency will assess whether you meet the conditions for the right of residence for the required period of residence in connection with the examination of your application for Swedish citizenship.

Other identity

If you have lived in Sweden under an identity other than your true identity, you may not include the time you were in Sweden with a false identity in your period of habitual residence.

To become a Swedish citizen, you must have a knowledge of the Swedish language and Swedish society. This requirement applies to those aged between 16 and 66.

Stateless persons born in Sweden who are under 21 years of age and Nordic citizens who have applied for Swedish citizenship are exempt from the knowledge requirements.

If you have a disability or other reasons that prevent you from meeting the requirements, you may be exempted.

Knowledge in the Swedish language – recognised qualifications

Language proficiency will be assessed at different levels in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR):

  • Reading and listening comprehension: Level B1
  • Speaking and writing skills: Level A2

You can meet the requirements by presenting approved grades from certain courses:

  • A pass grade in Swedish or Swedish as a second language from Year 9 of compulsory school or adapted compulsory school, or from Years 9–10 of special school
  • A pass grade in Swedish or Swedish as a second language from upper secondary school, special needs upper secondary school or folk high school
  • A pass grade in Swedish or Swedish as a second language from a local adult education programme
  • A pass grade in the highest level of the municipal adult education course in Swedish for immigrants (SFI)
  • A pass grade in Swedish from primary or secondary school in another Nordic country
  • A pass mark in a proficiency test used to assess the level of Swedish required for higher education in Sweden (the Tisus test)
  • Another Swedish language proficiency test that provides a high degree of certainty regarding a person’s functional proficiency in Swedish.

Knowledge of Swedish society – recognised qualifications

You must demonstrate that you have knowledge of Swedish society by providing a pass grade in social studies or basic social studies subjects from

  • year 9 of mainstream primary school or adapted primary school, or Years 9–10 of a special school
  • upper secondary school, adapted upper secondary school or adult education at upper secondary level
  • municipal adult education, Komvux.

Citizenship test

If you are unable to demonstrate your knowledge of Swedish and of Swedish society through approved qualifications, you will have the opportunity to take the citizenship test.

The citizenship test on Swedish society will be available from August 2026.

The citizenship test in Swedish will be available from autumn 2027 at the earliest. Until then, people who do not have approved educational qualifications can demonstrate their language skills by passing the Tisus test. During the transition period, other proficiency tests that demonstrate knowledge of Swedish at a functional level with a high degree of certainty can also be used to confirm language skills, such as Folkuniversitet's Swedex.

When it becomes possible to take the citizenship test, the Swedish Migration Agency will send you an invitation to take the test if you do not meet the knowledge requirements in any other way.

To obtain Swedish citizenship, you must meet the maintenance requirement.

Who is subject to the maintenance requirement?

The maintenance requirement applies to anyone between 18 and 67 years of age who is applying for Swedish citizenship.

What types of income count?

You must have a regular income from employment or self-employment. It must be your own income. Capital or investment income cannot be used to meet the means maintenance requirement.

You cannot count income from various forms of subsidised employment, such as special employment support, new start jobs or establishment jobs, towards meeting the means maintenance requirement. Unemployment benefit, activity support, development allowance or establishment allowance do not count either.

Furthermore, during the three years prior to the decision on Swedish citizenship, you must not have received social assistance for a period longer than six months.

How much income do I need to have?

To meet the maintenance requirement, your annual salary or income from self-employment must be at least three income base amounts before tax (SEK 250,200 for 2026). This means that your monthly income before tax must be at least SEK 20,850.

Exemptions from the maintenance requirement

You are not required to be able to support yourself and have housing in these cases:

  • You are entitled to an income-based old-age pension, a guaranteed pension or income support for the elderly.
  • You are studying full-time with approved academic results at a Swedish university or university college, leading to a degree at undergraduate, advanced or postgraduate level. During the three years immediately preceding the decision on Swedish citizenship, you must not have received income support for a period exceeding six months.
  • You are studying full-time on a course leading to a higher vocational education qualification or a higher vocational education qualification with specialisation. During the three years immediately preceding your application, you must not have received income support for a period exceeding six months.
  • You are studying at upper secondary school.
  • It cannot reasonably be expected that you meet the requirement, for example because you have a disability.

In order to become a Swedish citizen, you must have llived, and are expected to continue to live, an orderly and honourable life. For example, this means that you cannot become a Swedish citizen if you are deemed to pose a threat to Sweden’s national security or public safety, or if you are affiliated with certain groups or organisations that have committed extensive abuse of people.

The Swedish Migration Agency requests information from other authorities to check if you have unpaid debts or have committed any crimes in Sweden. The information is retrieved from the Swedish Enforcement Authority, the Swedish Police, and the Swedish Security Service.

The Swedish Migration Agency also uses your personal data to check if you are registered in the Schengen Information System (SIS).

Debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority or other records of non-payment

Your application may be denied if you

  • have failed to pay taxes, fines or other fees
  • have failed to make maintenance payments.

Debts to private companies or the like the handling of which has been handed over to the Swedish Enforcement Authority may also prevent you from being granted Swedish citizenship. Even if you have paid your debts, some time (usually two years) must have passed before you can become a Swedish citizen. The reason for this is that you must show that you can remain debt-free.

In some cases, the manner in which the debts arose may be important, for example if you have been subjected to financial violence in a close relationship. Learn more about financial violence and the support you can get if you are a victim of violence in a close relationship:

Help for those who are living with domestic violence

You must have lived an orderly life even outside Sweden

Even offences for which you have been convicted in another country may mean that you have to wait a certain period of time before you can become a Swedish citizen. The offence you have committed abroad must be regarded as a criminal offence under Swedish law for it to affect the assessment of whether you have lived a orderly life. Even circumstances abroad that you have not dealt with, such as unpaid debts that you are not paying off, can affect whether you are granted Swedish citizenship.

Waiting time after a crime

If you have committed a crime, you must wait for a period of time before you can become a Swedish citizen. How long you must wait depends on the sentence you received.

The time that must pass after the crime before you can apply for Swedish citizenship is called a “qualifying period”. The qualifying period is usually counted from the date on which the crime was committed, but if you received a long prison sentence, the time is calculated from the date when you have served your sentence.

Before you can become a Swedish citizen

  • you must have served your prison sentence (if any)
  • the probationary period following your conditional release (if any) must have expired
  • you must have paid any fines that you were ordered to pay

Qualifying periods

Each application for citizenship is examined individually. The table contains the Swedish Migration Agency’s guidelines for qualifying periods.


Sentence

Qualifying period

Day fines 30–

At least 2 year after the crime.
For example, if you are sentenced to

50 day fines, the qualifying period can be estimated at 2.5 years.

Day fines 60–

At least 3 years after the crime.

Day fines 100–

At least 4 years after the crime.

Suspended sentence

At least 4 years after the judgement has gained the force of law (begun to apply).
If you have been simultaneously sentenced to prison or day fines, the qualifying period will be longer.

Probation

At least 5 years from the date of the start of the probation.
If you have been simultaneously sentenced to prison or day fines, the qualifying period will be longer.

Prison 1 month

At least 7 years after the crime.

Prison 4 months

At least 8 years after the crime.

Prison 8 months

At least 9 years after the crime.

Prison 1 year

At least 10 years after the crime.

Prison 2 years

At least 11 years after serving the sentence.

Prison 4 years

At least 15 years after serving the sentence.

Prison 6 years

At least 17 years after serving the sentence.

Restraining order

At least 2 years after the last restraining order expired

 

If you have committed a crime multiple times, the qualifying period may be longer than the time specified in the table.

Special care

If you have been sentenced to special care after a crime, the Swedish Migration Agency looks at what punishment you would normally receive for the crime.

If you are a Nordic citizen, in some cases you can choose to file a notification to become a Swedish citizen. Then you must have lived in Sweden for at least five years.

Citizenship for Nordic citizens

If you are an EU/EEA citizen, you need to be able to show that you have and have had right of residence for the past five years. You must therefore submit documents showing that you have worked, been self-employed, had your own funds to support yourself, or studied in Sweden.

If you work or have worked, you must attach

  • a certificate of employment or employer’s certificate with information about the period of employment and terms of employment for the past five years
  • a certificate from the Swedish Public Employment Service verifying that you were registered as a jobseeker, if you have been unemployed for six months or more
  • a certificate from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency verifying that you lacked the ability to work for six months or more due to illness or accident, if applicable.

If you are or have been self-employed, you must attach

  • the registration certificate and F-tax card for the company
  • tax returns or other documentation showing that the company has been active for the past five years.

If you have or have had your own funds, you must attach

  • documents showing that you have had sufficient funds to support yourself and your family for the past five years, such as pension payments, wages/salary from abroad, or money in a bank (if you have your own funds for support, these must also be reported)
  • housing costs for the past five years
  • a certificate attesting that no one in the family has received income support under the Social Services Act in the past five years.

If you are studying or have studied, you must attach

  • transcripts for the periods during which you studied
  • a certificate verifying that you were able to support yourself financially during your time as a student.

Family member of an EU/EEA citizen

If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen, you need to be able to show that you have and have had right of residence by virtue of the fact that your close relative has it. You must therefore send in the documents described above, to show that your close relative has worked, studied, been self-employed, or lived off their own funds in Sweden for the past five years.

It is not possible to say exactly how long you will need to wait for a decision. There are many things that affect the waiting time, for example whether your application is complete to begin with or whether we need to request more information, or whether we need to check with other authorities when investigating your case.

Here we show statistics on how long it has taken for people who have applied for the same permit as you. The statistics are based on cases decided in the last 12 months.

75% of recently decided cases have been decided within:53 months

Fee: SEK 2,900

You will not receive a refund if your application is rejected.

The following people pay no fee to apply:

  • stateless people who have received a refugee status declaration
  • stateless refugees who have received travel documents from the Swedish Migration Agency.

News

2026-09-24

New look – same agency

The Swedish Migration Agency has a new logo. On 24 September, the new logo will replace the old logo on the Agency’s website. The new logo will be rolled out gradually across all digital services and communications.

2026-06-05

New rules for Swedish citizenship from 6 June 2026

New rules for Swedish citizenship will come into force on 6 June 2026. This will affect you if you have applied, are planning to apply, or want to make a notification for Swedish citizenship.

2026-05-06

New rules for Swedish citizenship from 6 June 2026

New rules for Swedish citizenship will come into force on 6 June 2026. This will affect you if you have applied, are planning to apply, or want to make a notification for Swedish citizenship.

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The Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for considering applications from people who want to live in Sweden, seek protection or become Swedish citizens. Our work is based on Swedish laws and international conventions, with a focus on legal certainty and effective reception and return.