Automatic citizenship for children in Sweden

Many children become Swedish citizens without anyone applying. It depends on when the child was born, which parent is a Swedish citizen and whether the child was born in or outside Sweden. Here we go through what the Swedish Migration Agency writes about automatic citizenship, as at 17 October 2026.

The basic rule for children born after 1 April 2015

According to the Swedish Migration Agency, a child born after 1 April 2015 always receives Swedish citizenship if either parent is a Swedish citizen at the time of the child's birth. This also applies if a deceased parent was a Swedish citizen at the time of their death. It does not matter in which country the child is born.

If the child is born outside Sweden

If the child is born outside Sweden, the Swedish Migration Agency writes that you should contact the Swedish Tax Agency to register the child in Sweden and to make a notification of name. You can apply for a Swedish passport for the child at the Police Authority during a visit to Sweden. If you want to apply for a passport abroad, you contact the Swedish embassy or consulate general.

Children born before 1 April 2015 but after 1 July 2001

Before 1 April 2015, different rules applied. A child of a Swedish mother always became a Swedish citizen, whether the child was born in Sweden or abroad. A child of a Swedish father and a foreign mother always became a Swedish citizen if the child was born in Sweden. If the father was married to the mother, the child received Swedish citizenship at birth wherever in the world the child was born. A child born abroad before 1 April 2015 to a Swedish father who was not married to the mother did not receive citizenship automatically. In that case the father needs to make a notification, and the Swedish Migration Agency has a separate page for that.

Parents who marry later

If the parents later married each other, the child became a Swedish citizen if the child was then under 18 and unmarried. This is called legitimation: the child became a Swedish citizen through legitimation. It is the Swedish Tax Agency that registers the child as a Swedish citizen, and the citizenship counts from the day the parents married. The Government counts legitimation, together with birth, adoption, application and notification, as one of the ways you can become a Swedish citizen.

Adoption

A child who has not turned 12 and who is adopted by a Swedish citizen automatically receives Swedish citizenship on adoption, under certain conditions. The child must have been adopted by a decision in Sweden or another Nordic country, or by a foreign adoption decision that is approved in Sweden by the Family Law and Parental Support Authority, or the adoption must be valid in Sweden by law. The adoption must have been decided or approved after 30 June 1992. A child who has turned 12 at the time of the adoption can become a Swedish citizen by application, see citizenship for children: how to apply.

When a parent becomes a Swedish citizen

If a parent becomes a Swedish citizen by notification, the child can in some cases become one at the same time. This applies to children who live in Sweden and are under 18, and who meet one of three conditions: the parent has sole custody, the parent has joint custody with another parent who is a Swedish citizen, or the other parent becomes a Swedish citizen at the same time. If both parents become Swedish citizens at the same time by notification, the child does too, if they have joint custody. If the parent becomes a Swedish citizen by application, however, the child does not automatically become a citizen. The parent can then apply for citizenship for the child in a separate application. This applies, for example, to you if you follow the route in our article on applying for citizenship.

If you are unsure: declaration of citizenship

If you do not know whether you became a Swedish citizen when you were born, or if you wonder whether you have lost your citizenship, you can apply to the Swedish Migration Agency for a declaration of citizenship. It shows whether you are a Swedish citizen or not. You attach certified copies of an identity document, a birth certificate if you were born outside marriage, and your parents' marriage certificate. It costs nothing to apply. If you live outside Sweden, you submit the application to the nearest Swedish embassy or consulate general, and if you live in Sweden, you send it to the Swedish Migration Agency, Medborgarskapsenheten (the Citizenship Unit), 601 70 Norrköping.

What does not apply here and what we do not know

We have only summarised the rules for the most common situations. We do not go through the rules for children born before 1 July 2001. This text is not legal advice. Contact the Swedish Migration Agency or the Swedish Tax Agency if you are unsure about your child's citizenship.

Automatic citizenship for children: birth and adoption