Apply for citizenship – for children born abroad with a Swedish father before 1 April 2015

Here, you find information on how to apply for Swedish citizenship for your child if he or she has a Swedish father and was born abroad before 1 April 2015. This is called filing a notification of citizenship.

Swedish (svenska)
Print

If the parents are married, the child automatically becomes a Swedish citizen. Then, you do not need to file a notification of Swedish citizenship.

Read more about automatic citizenship

Requi­re­ments for citi­zenship

For the child to become a Swedish citizen:

  • the father must be a Swedish citizen since the child’s birth
  • the child must not have turned 18 years old
  • there must be a valid established paternity.

Keep in mind that all requirements must be met when the notification is filed.

The notification must be made by the child’s father. If the child has more than one parent/legal guardian, the other parent/legal guardian must also sign the notification.

If the child has turned 12 years of age, the child must also sign the application as an expression that he or she wants to become a Swedish citizen.

In most cases, you pay a fee.

Citizenship fees

If the person the notification concerns has children who are resident in Sweden, they can become Swedish citizens through the same notification if

  • the person has sole custody or
  • the other parent/legal guardian is a Swedish citizen or
  • the other parent/legal guardian becomes Swedish at the same time.

Complete the form Notification of Swedish citizenship for a child with a Swedish father, born out of wedlock outside Sweden before 1 April 2015, 321011 (in Swedish only).

Notification of Swedish citizenship for a child with a Swedish father, born out of wedlock outside Sweden before 1 April 2015, form 321011 (in Swedish only) Pdf, 1.1 MB, opens in new window.

If the child is not nationally registered in Sweden, submit the form to a Swedish embassy or consulate.

If the child is nationally registered in Sweden, send the form to

Swedish Migration Agency
Citizenship Unit
601 70 Norrköping

Remember to include

  • a certificate of paternity and/or another equivalent document
  • documents (such as passports) that show your citizenship at the time of the child’s birth and at the time of notification (if you are not nationally registered in Sweden)
  • a custody decision if you have sole custody of the child or if anyone other than you and the child’s mother are legal guardians.

If the child lives abroad, you must include

  • a birth certificate.

All copies must be certified as a true copy.

In most cases, you pay a fee. Note that if you submit the notification to a Swedish embassy or consulate, you pay the fee there.

Citizenship fees

The Swedish Migration Agency sends the decision to your officially registered address. If you live abroad, the decision is sent to the Swedish embassy (or consulate).

If the child has become a Swedish citizen, we also notify the Swedish Tax Agency of the decision. We will then also freeze the child’s residence permit card, which means that the card is invalid and can no longer be used for travel.

Swedish passport

If the child has become a Swedish citizen, you can apply for a Swedish passport. You file the application for a Swedish passport with the police.

Read more about how to apply for a Swedish passport on the police’s website External link, opens in new window.

If the child is abroad and you want to apply for a Swedish passport, you can do so at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general.

Swedish embassies and consulates-general External link, opens in new window.

Last updated: