Requirements for Swedish citizenship

Since 6 June 2026, stricter requirements apply for Swedish citizenship. Here you get an overview of the requirements for adults according to the Swedish Migration Agency. Each application is assessed individually, so use the page as guidance and always check your own situation with the Swedish Migration Agency.

Residence status and identity

You must have a permanent residence permit, residence status, a right of residence or a residence card, or be a citizen of another Nordic country. Some people with a temporary residence permit can also apply, if they have well-founded prospects of being granted a lasting permit.

You must be able to prove your identity with an original identity document and by visiting the Swedish Migration Agency in person for an identity check.

Time of residence: eight years as the general rule

The general rule is that you must have lived in Sweden continuously for at least eight years. Nordic citizens and people who have previously been Swedish citizens need two years. Anyone under 21, and anyone who is married to, a registered partner of or cohabiting with a Swedish citizen, needs seven years, and stateless people need five years.

Shorter trips abroad do not matter, but if you have been abroad for more than six weeks in a year, that entire time is deducted from your time of residence. Read more in our article on the time of residence.

Knowledge of Swedish and of society

The requirement applies if you are between 16 and 66 years old. In Swedish, reading and listening comprehension are assessed at level B1 and oral and written skills at level A2. You can show the knowledge with passing grades, for example from compulsory school, upper secondary school, municipal adult education (Komvux) or the highest course in Swedish for immigrants (sfi), or with results from Tisus (a Swedish test for university studies).

You show knowledge of Swedish society with a passing grade in civics or in the basic social science subjects. If you cannot show the knowledge with approved qualifications, you may need to take a citizenship test. Read more about the citizenship test.

The support requirement

The requirement applies if you are between 18 and 67 years old. You must have an annual income from employment or business of at least three income base amounts before tax, which is SEK 250,200 for 2026, that is, at least SEK 20,850 a month. You must not have received income support (försörjningsstöd) for longer than six months during the last three years. There are exceptions, for example for those who receive an old-age pension, study full time on certain programmes or have a disability. Read more in our article on the support requirement.

An orderly and honest way of life

The Swedish Migration Agency collects information from the Swedish Enforcement Authority (Kronofogden), the Police Authority and the Security Service. Unpaid taxes, fines and maintenance payments, and debts that have gone on to the Swedish Enforcement Authority, can lead to a refusal. If you have committed a crime, a certain time, a waiting period, must pass before you can become a citizen. The waiting period depends on the sentence. Read more in the article on way of life and waiting periods.