How to Get Sweden CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 8 years
- Language
- None
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted
- Civic test
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- No income condition in the law
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Accepted in both directionsNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Europe
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024GLOBALCIT baseline, plus 1 later in-force change applied where the data records a new value.
- Last checked
- 5 November 2026
What changed since 2024
- In force
Stricter citizenship rules from 6 June 2026, including 8 years of residence for most applicants (was 5), plus self-support and civics/language requirements.
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. 1 later in-force change in the timeline above takes precedence where it differs.
Naturalisation (residence)
Residence in Sweden is the basis of this route, together with the other conditions below. Sweden allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
In force, 6 June 2026: Stricter citizenship rules from 6 June 2026, including 8 years of residence for most applicants (was 5), plus self-support and civics/language requirements.
- Residence
- 8 yearsChanged on 6 June 2026. Previously: 5 years.
Rule text coded for 1 January 2024 (superseded on this point)
Person has been resident in Sweden for (in most cases) 5 years with a permanent residence permit.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Language
- No language requirement
- Civic knowledge
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
Person has led and can be expected to lead a respectable life.
- Income or economic resources
- No income condition in the law
Marriage or civil partnership
Marriage to a citizen of Sweden is the basis of this route, together with the conditions below. Sweden allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
Person who is the spouse of a citizen, or living in conditions resembling marriage with a citizen, may be granted exemption from the naturalisation requirements.
Descent (citizen parent)
For a person with a parent who is a citizen of Sweden, the rules below set out how this route works. No authority decides this matter, since citizenship follows directly from the law of Sweden.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Sweden to a citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a citizen.
Child of a new citizen
This route covers children of a person who becomes a citizen of Sweden, subject to the conditions below.
Transfer to a child
Person is a minor whose mother is a citizen of another country and marries a citizen.
Child coacquisition
An unmarried minor residing in the country acquires citizenship together with his or her parent, when the parent acquires citizenship by declaration. The parent should have sole custody of the child or joint custody with the other parent, and that parent is a Swedish citizen. If both parents acquire citizenship by declaration at the same time, the child also acquires citizenship if the parents have joint custody. (SWE 10).
Child coacquisition
In a decision concerning naturalisation it shall also be decided whether the applicant's unmarried children under the age of 18 shall acquire Swedish citizenship. (SWE 13).
Child coacquisition
An unmarried minor acquires citizenship together with his or her parent, if the parent is a citizen of Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway who acquires citizenship by declaration, has reached the age of 18, has been domiciled in the country for the previous five years and has not been sentenced to imprisonment during that period. The parent should have sole custody of the child or has joint custody with the other parent, and that parent is a Swedish citizen. If both parents acquire citizenship by declaration at the same time, the child also acquires citizenship if the parents have joint custody. (SWE 18).
Child coacquisition
An unmarried minor acquires citizenship together with his or her parent, if the parent is a former citizen who reacquires citizenship, has been residing in Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway since losing citizenship and is domiciled in Sweden. The parent shall have sole custody of the child or has joint custody with the other parent, and that parent is a Swedish citizen. If both parents acquire citizenship by declaration at the same time, the child also acquires citizenship if the parents have joint custody (SWE 19).
Adoption
For people adopted by citizens of Sweden, the rules below set out what applies. No authority decides this matter, since citizenship follows directly from the law of Sweden.
Person is a minor under the age of 12 and adopted by a citizen. The child is adopted in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway, or adopted through a foreign adoption decision made in accordance with the Hague Convention (No 54) on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, or according to Law (2018:1289) on Adoption in International situations.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
This route covers people who previously held citizenship of Sweden, subject to the conditions below.
Person is a former citizen, has reached the age of eighteen and has lost or been released from his or her Swedish citizenship, may recover it by declaration if the person holds a permanent Swedish residence permit, was domiciled in Sweden for a total of ten years, and has been domiciled in Sweden for the past two years. (SWE 9).
Person who is a former citizen, and who does not qualify for ordinary naturalisation (the rules for ordinary naturalisation), may be granted an exemption from the naturalisation requirements. (SWE 12.(1).
Person is a former citizen, was resident in Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway since losing citizenship, and is now resident in Sweden. (SWE 19).
Citizens of specific countries
For citizens of certain countries, the law of Sweden sets separate rules, shown below.
Person is a citizen of Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway and has resided in Sweden for 2 years. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation. (SWE 11(4)(a).
A citizen of Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway acquires citizenship if he or she has reached the age of eighteen, has been domiciled in the country for the previous five years, and has not been sentenced to imprisonment during that period. (SWE 18).
A person who has lost his or her Swedish citizenship and has thereafter without interruption been a citizen of Denmark, Finland, Norway or Iceland may recover his or her Swedish citizenship on notification if he or she has become domiciled in Sweden. (SWE 19).
Requirements in the Citizenship Act for a permanent residence permit do not apply to citizens of Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway. For Union Citizens, EEA Citizens, and their family members permanent right of residence is equivalent to a permanent residence permit. (SWE 20).
Residence during childhood
Residence in Sweden as a child is the basis of this route. Sweden requires an application, after which citizenship must be granted if conditions are fulfilled.
Person is a minor, has a permanent residence permit, has been resident in Sweden for 3 years (2 if stateless) and the guardian(s) makes a declaration before the child turns 18. Child's consent is required from the age of 12 (SWE 7). If 18, 19 or 20 years of age, the person acquires citizenship by declaration if he or she has a permanent residence permit and have been resident in Sweden since the age of 13 (15 if stateless) (SWE 8). No permanent residence requirement if person was born in Sweden, has since birth been stateless, has been resident in Sweden for 5 years or for a total of 10 years and who has been granted a temporary residence permit ex Chapter 5, Art. 1, 3, 3 a or 6 or Chapter 12 Art. 18 of the Aliens Act (i.e. refugees).
This text mentions 5 years and was written before the ordinary residence period changed from 5 to 8 years on 6 June 2026. Check this route with the official source.Refugees
This route covers people recognised as refugees in Sweden, subject to the conditions below. Sweden allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
Person is a recognised refugee and has been resident in Sweden for 4 years with a permanent residence permit. Other conditions: See the rules for ordinary naturalisation.
Stateless persons
Statelessness, or the risk of it, is the basis of this route in Sweden.
Foundlings
Person is found in Sweden of unknown parentage.
Otherwise stateless (born in country)
Person is born in Sweden, under the age of 18, stateless since birth and resident in Sweden with a permanent residence permit. Declaration is made by the guardian(s). The requirement for a permanent residence permit in the first paragraph does not apply to a child has been resident in Sweden for 5 years or for a total of 10 years and who has been granted a temporary residence permit ex Chapter 5, Art. 1, 3, 3 a or 6 or Chapter 12 Art. 18 of the Aliens Act (i.e. refugees)
This text mentions 5 years and was written before the ordinary residence period changed from 5 to 8 years on 6 June 2026. Check this route with the official source.Stateless persons
Person is stateless and has been resident in Sweden for 4 years with a permanent residence permit. Other conditions: See the rules for ordinary naturalisation.
Special achievements
For people whose achievements or contributions are recognised by Sweden, the rules below set out what applies. Sweden allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
If the requirements for naturalisation are not met the applicant may still be naturalised if there are special reasons for granting citizenship.
Not available in Sweden: Birth in the country, Other family members of citizens, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Very long residence, Public or military service, Investment. Coded by GLOBALCIT for 1 January 2024 and updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
Both groups can hold a second citizenship under the law of Sweden: new citizens, and citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
Under the law of Sweden, 8 years applies, in line with the usual requirement across Northern Europe.
See how Sweden compares with every country in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Denmark | 9 years | Test or certificate | Accepted |
 Estonia | 8 years | Required, no test | Citizens abroad only |
 Finland | 8 years | Test or certificate | Accepted |
 Iceland | 7 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Lithuania | 10 years | Required, no test | Not accepted |
 Norway | 8 years | Test or certificate | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 11.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (2026, November 5). How to Get Sweden Citizenship. https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/sweden/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/sweden/">How to Get Sweden Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, last checked 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Swedish citizen?
8 years of residence is the period for ordinary naturalisation in Sweden. Other legal conditions also apply.
Does Sweden allow dual citizenship?
Yes, in both directions: new citizens and citizens who naturalise abroad can hold another citizenship.
Do I need a language test for Swedish citizenship?
Sweden does not impose a language requirement for naturalisation.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Swedish citizenship?
Sweden does not require applicants to pass a civic knowledge test.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Swedish citizenship?
Sweden does not require you to give up your current citizenship for Swedish citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.
Can I get Sweden citizenship by marriage?
Yes, Sweden provides a marriage route. Procedure: discretionary.
Can I get Sweden citizenship by descent?
Yes, the law of Sweden provides citizenship by descent from a citizen parent. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get Sweden citizenship by investment?
The data shows no investment route for Sweden.
Related pages
Also see: Sweden passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.