Apply for citizenship – for stateless children born in Sweden

Here is information on how a stateless child under the age of 18 who is born in Sweden can become a Swedish citizen. You as the parent/legal guardian file a notification of citizenship.

Swedish (svenska)
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Requi­re­ments for citi­zenship

For the child to become a Swedish citizen, it is required that the child

  • is born in Sweden
  • has been stateless since he or she was born (it is not enough that the child’s citizenship is unknown)
  • is stateless without the parents having been able to affect this status
  • is under 18 years old
  • has a permanent residence permit and lives in Sweden.(The child does not need to have a permanent residence permit if the child has lived in Sweden for five years or for a total of ten years and has a temporary residence permit as a refugee or as a person eligible for subsidiary protection, as a family member, on the grounds of particularly or exceptionally distressing circumstances or impediments to enforcement).

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

The notification must be made by the child’s parent/legal guardian(s).

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 sign the application as an expression that he or she wants to become a Swedish citizen.

You may need to pay a fee.

Citizenship fees

Not everyone who applies needs to pay a fee

Requi­re­ments for using the e-service

To use the e-service, the following is necessary:

  • you as the parent/legal guardian must have an e-identification
  • children 12 and up must have an e-identification
  • you as the parent/legal guardian must have an email address
  • you as the parent/legal guardian must be able to pay by card.

Children 12 and up must sign the notification with an e-identification. If the child (12 or older) does not have an e-identification, you need to apply for citizenship by form.

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.

This applies to those who are

  • stateless and have received a refugee declaration
  • stateless and have received travel documents from the Swedish Migration Agency.

The refugee declaration was replaced on 1 January 2010 in Swedish law by a refugee status declaration, which builds on the provisions in the EU Qualification Directive. Anyone who has a refugee status declaration can be granted a travel document.

You can use the My page e-service to see how your case is progressing and, for example, whether a decision has been made.

Log in to My page

If you cannot apply online, complete the form Notification of Swedish citizenship for a stateless child who was born in and lives in Sweden, 319011 (in Swedish only).

Notification of Swedish citizenship for a stateless child who was born in and lives in Sweden, form 319011 (in Swedish only) Pdf, 684.8 kB, opens in new window.

Send the notification to

Swedish Migration Agency
Citizenship Unit
601 70 Norrköping

In most cases, you pay a fee.

Citizenship fees

The Swedish Migration Agency sends the decision to your officially registered address. 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.

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