Sweden and Swedish Citizenship

/ Tess Meyer

How I applied to become a Swedish citizen!

I have officially been living in Sweden for FIVE years and today I applied to become a Swedish citizen. I’ll walk you through the steps that I took to apply for Swedish citizenship and once I have my decision, I’ll be sure to update this post with how long it took.

Update! A decision was reached and I am officially a Swedish citizen!

First, a little disclaimer: I am not an expert on the Swedish citizenship application process and there are multiple ways to gain citizenship, including being a refugee, being born abroad to a Swedish parent, marrying a Sweden, and living and working in Sweden as a resident. I will only my sharing my experience and situation today. Should you have any questions, I’d recommend you look at Migrationsverkets (the Migration Agency’s) website. You can read up on all of the requirements (including the latest changes, which this post won’t reflect), and apply directly through their site.

Now, let’s dive into the process!

Requirements to Apply

The first thing I did was go to the Migration Agency’s website and research the current requirements to become a citizen based on my situation. For reference, I am an American (a non-EU and non-Nordic citizen), I moved here with my American partner on a sambo (domestic partnership) visa, and have needed to reapply for my residency visa every two years until I became a Permanent Resident at year four of living in Sweden.

At the time of my application (October 18th, 2023), I needed to:

  • have reached the age of 18
  • be able to verify my identity – I used BankID
  • have met the requirements for habitual residence, which means that I must have lived in Sweden a certain amount of time – five years at the time of my application
  • have lived an orderly life in Sweden – no crimes!
  • have a permanent residence permit (a temporary residence permit does not apply), or have the right of residence or a residence card (for those who are EU citizens or a close relative of an EU citizen), or have residence status – I became a permanent resident after four years of living here

The Application Process

Once I satisfied these requirements, I logged into Migrationsverket and began the application. It is in Swedish, so I kept Goole Translate nearby to help ensure I knew exactly what the questions were asking. The questions centered around:

  • Where I was born and which other passports I currently hold
  • When I moved to Sweden
  • Where I have worked in Sweden and for how long
  • If I live with a partner and our relationship status (married, sambo, etc.)
  • If my partner is Swedish, or if my partner is currently applying for citizenship was well
  • If I have children and if I will submit their citizenship applications, too
  • My total annual income for every year I have lived in Sweden

I then reviewed my entire application before e-signing and paying the fee of 1,500SEK (~$135USD) for adults and 175SEK (~$16USD) for children. The whole process took about 20 minutes, including looking up my annual income. It was easy-peasy!

Waiting for the Decision

You can follow your case by logging into the Migration Agency’s website and selecting My Page. The decision will be sent to your officially registered address, so be sure to keep that updated if you move. The Swedish Tax Agency (Skatterverket) will also be notified.

The day after submitting my application, I received a message from the Migration Agency asking me to submit my passport and residency card. We took this as a great sign because it meant that we had been assigned a case officer. Also, multiple friends of ours said they received their decision soon after submitting their passport.

We sent our documents via registered mail and they arrived the next day at the Migration Agency. They processed our documents and returned our passports to us the same day they received them. The Migration Agency kept our residency cards because they become inactive if your application is approved. If it is rejected, they are returned to you.

The Decision

I was without my passport for about one week total. Then I waited for another two weeks before receiving this message from the Migration Agency:

About a week after receiving the message above, I received an official brevis (document/letter) in the mail stating that I had been granted Swedish citizenship.

The whole process took just under four weeks after submitting my application! It was really smooth and easy. I know that many don’t have this experience, but I am grateful that it was so quick in my case.

Applying for a Swedish Passport or National ID Card

After receiving your decision, you can apply for a Swedish passport through the police or through a Swedish Embassy, if you are abroad. I was able to book an appointment for the morning following when I received my brevis. Bring a vaild photo ID with you (Swedish passport, Swedish ID card, Swedish driver’s license) and a copy of your brevis in case their system has not yet updated saying you have received your Swedish citizenship (this happened to my partner).

I took a photograph and provided biometrics (fingerprints and height). The cost was 400 SEK (~$35 USD) each for a Swedish passport and a Swedish National ID. They said it would be ready in a week. Again, a very smooth and efficient process!

Fun Facts:

  • October 5th, 2018 was the day my American partner and I moved to Sweden with our cat, Clea!
  • The current processing time for Swedish citizenship applications is 33 months! Yikes!
  • A Swedish language requirement was not part of the application for us, but this will be changing in the coming years, so keep an eye on it!
  • The Swedish passport is valid for 5 years (3 for infants).

Tess’ Tips:

  • One of the questions you will be asked is your total annual income for every year you have lived in Sweden. This can be easily found on your tax forms, so keep those handy during the application.
  • You can also pre-fill out the form before you are able to submit it, but the system will only keep the form for 14 days. Since our five year mark of being residents was during the workweek, I filled out my form over the prior weekend, so all I had to do was login, pull up my application, pay the fee, and press submit before heading to work for the day.
  • The most important tip I can offer you is to not apply before your five years AS A RESIDENT in Sweden. While my partner and I moved to Sweden on October 5th, 2018, we did not receive our official residency paperwork until the 18th of October, 2018. So October 18th, not 5th, was the date we became active in the Swedish population registry and so started the clock on our five years. If we had submitted our paperwork on October 5th, 2023, we might have been rejected!
  • Once your application has been in the queue for six months, you can formally request the Migration Agency to conclude your case. You can do that via the e-services on their website.

Hope you learned some new Swedishness today and I’ll see you in the next post!

Sources

48 thoughts on “Sweden and Swedish Citizenship”

  1. Congrats and completing that step! When you said “a Swedish language requirement was not part of the application for us, but this will be changing in the coming years”, how do you know that this change is coming? Is there a place to see such updates? -Graham

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  2. Hej Tess,
    Happy 2024 and CONGRATULATIONS!

    Should you have obtained a PR before applying for citizenship? I complete 5 years in 2026. Wondering if I can apply for citizenship directly. And hopefully they may not have mandatory language test by then..
    – Swati

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  3. Hey Tess.

    You mentioned that you were without your passport for over a week, again you said further below that your passports were sent back the next day after submission, could you please explain 😀?

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  4. Hi Tess and congrats!! My family and I (two kids, all European citizens) applied for Swedish citizenship 14 months ago. By the middle of January, we sent a request for resolution thinking this was going to be it, since we know other people who succeed with it. Unfortunately, they say that they haven’t had enough time to compile the documentation they need to make a decision. Now we have the option to appeal or keep waiting God knows for how long. Do you have any recommendations? Do you know similar cases or people who obtained a positive resolution after appealing?

    Thank you!

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    • Hi! I’m sorry to hear you’re stuck in a queue, but it sounds very Swedish. I have a German friend who has been waiting over four years for her Swedish citizenship. She is waiting and hasn’t appealed, last we spoke about it. My best guess is your case is deprioritized as you already have EU citizenship. I’m sorry to not be more help. Perhaps your company has a relocation specialist or someone from HR who has insights into these applications whom you can talk to? Good luck!

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  5. Hello Tess

    Thanks for writing.Inspiring indeed.

    I have been living in Sweden since 2019 and a non-EU citizen. Received my PR last year in Oct.2023. I am considering to apply for citizenship as soon as i am eligible. Also to note, I have a gap of 7.5 months approx., in 2021 during which I was living in another EU country. So will I be eligible for citizenship end of this year, if I cover this additional 8 month period totalling it to 60 Months of legal stay in Sweden.

    Regards,

    Jacob

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    • Hi Jacob, glad you found the post helpful. I’m not an immigration expert so do please continue researching, but my understanding is that you would need to make up the time you have missed. As I understand it, yes, you would need to wait an additional 8 months to apply. So at 5 years and 8 months you could apply for citizenship. Again, please keep researching but that is how I interpret the citizenship requirements. Good luck!

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  6. hi there!
    I applied the 27th January this year and the 31st was asked to send my passport and residence card, the processed my documents also the same day they received it and also sent my passport back the same day. This was the 8th February when they send my passport back and the 16th February I had it home…still waiting for the decision but as per your experience seems that I should get the answer soon….

    do you have another friends that has applied and hasn’t been asked yet to send their passports and has been waiting for a long period? Or do you know someone that after migrationsverket processed their passports hasn’t receive an answer yet after a long period?

    I am wondering if the fact that they already processed my passport means that I will get an answer soon or if that may also happen that even if they already controlled my document it still can take long time to get an answer?

    hope my question is clear

    thank you!

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    • Hi! I haven’t heard any of my friends in your particular situation, but I see your progress as a good sign. I do have a British friend who waited around three months before his passport was requested. I think it is good that they have started requesting and processing your passport. Hopefully it will be closed soon! Good luck!

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      • one of my person there and face same issue after completing 5 years nd 6 month he applied but 6 mo th completing not application processed now 2 month more spending send application but still no response so much worried

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  7. Congrats! Thanks for writing this blog. Very helpful and informative.

    I just sent my citizenship application this weekend as well. Of course, can’t help but overthink and a bit nervous as well. That request for your passport and residence permit, did that come in a letter by post or in an email?

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Hi! Glad you found it to be helpful. I received an email stating that I had a message in my Migrationsverket account. Checked there and could see what was needed. So keep an eye on your account! Hope it goes quickly!

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  8. Hey Tess,

    Congrats on the citizenship ! Thank you for writing this blog, it was indeed very helpful and informative!
    I had few questions on my mind for you 1) My one year old daughter and me moved to Sweden last year in the month of August to live with my Husband who has been working in Sweden since 2019 and we will be hopefully applying for citizenship this year around July. How does this actually work? Like will my husband get citizenship first and then me and my child? Is it important for me and my child to have lived a minimum of 4 years or so to get citizenship?

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    • Hi! Glad you found the post helpful. Typically you would wait 5 years to apply, but if you are partnered with a Swedish citizen, then the wait is only 3 years. I believe that your husband would apply for citizenship, and then you could apply three years after the point at which he receives his decision. As for your daughter, the rules might be different there too. I believe if she was born in Sweden she would only have to wait 1.5 years to apply for citizenship, but since she was not born in Sweden, the wait might be a little longer. Definitely research the particulars to your case! I’m sure you can find the answers quickly on the website linked. Good luck!

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  9. Hello! First of all congratulations. Recently I received an email that said that I have an update on my case, when I logged in, I had an alert that says :

    The Swedish Migration Agency needs your passport

    The Migration Agency has sent you a letter or e-mail with instructions on how to proceed in order to submit your passport.

    I didn’t received any letter or email with the instructions. Can you tell me please how did you send it, to which address. You said that you send them your PR too. I wondering do I need to send it as it wasn’t mentioned.

    Thank you ❤

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  10. Congratulation on your success. Please I applied for the citizenship since 2020 and till date no response , I applied to close the case but the immigration declined so i appeal to the immigration court . On january 31st 2024 the immigration court mandated the immigration agency to close the case and on april 15th i received a letter from the case officer to submit my passport and permanent residence card which i did since on the 20th of april but till date no response. I have written to the case officer but he said it is under process and he does not have a time frame when it will be decided. Please has any one have asimilar experience also what is the advice on what next to expect.

    Thank you.

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    • Hi! I am sorry to hear it has been such a long process for you so far and still not resolved. If I was in your shoes, I would continue to reach out to my Case Officer to get it closed. Good luck!

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      • please i received the message below from my case officer after asking him about the status of my citizenship application. Do know what it means and what i can expect next.

        Thanks for helping.

        The message from the officer: Din ansökan handläggs och är under utredning.

        Någon tidsuppfattning för när ärendet blir klart har jag inte i dagsläget.

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  11. Hello, thank you for sharing the very informative article.
    I have moved to Sweden in 2016 and I have a PR since 2020. I have applied for my citizenship this year in 2024. However, I was away for some months in India during 2022-2023 due to my family emergencies but still was working and traveling to Sweden in between for some weeks. Will this gap be considered for last 5 years residence before granting the citizenship to me? Or will they also consider the years count from 2016?

    Looking forward to your response.

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    • Hi! I recommend discussing this with an immigration professional. My understanding is that all of your time in Sweden counts as long as you have a visa (though student visa don’t count, I believe). But you cannot be out of Sweden for more than 6 weeks in a calendar year. Time more than 6 weeks will need to be “made up” before applying. Again, talk to a professional about your particular circumstances. Good luck!

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  12. Hi, Thank You! for informative blog. I applied for my citizenship in August 2023 and still I didn’t hear anything. No notification as well on migrationsverket account to submit any document or passport.

    Can you please tell me if waiting period until now is also be counted as total habitual residence time period for citizenship when my application is processed ?

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    • Hi! No, I don’t believe the time after applying is considered in your total habitual residence. My understanding is that you need to meet the requirements before applying. The best information is on their website! Good luck!

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  13. Hi! Thank you for the blog post! I’m an EU citizen who will have lived 5 years in Sweden on the 31st August but I’m curious about your point regarding the date you registered not being the date from which your 5 years is calculated. It took me until December to get my Personnummer – does that mean that I need to wait until December from your research? I’ve not been able to find anything about this so am grateful for guidance!

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    • Hi there! Your interpretation of my words is correct. That is how I understand the process. I’d recommend calling to find out from which date you are able to apply. It would be unfortunate if you applied too early and are denied. And it would also be unfortunate if you wait longer than necessary!

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  14. Hello Tess,

    I just came across your blog and applaud your effort in sharing useful information as you deem fit. I am an international student studying in Sweden and would like to know if my 2 years of Master’s study also count towards having my permanent residency.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Hi there! Glad you are finding the blog helpful! I am not sure where you have citizenship currently. If EU, I think this time does count. But if you are, for example, American and in Sweden on a student visa, then the time does not count. Always best to check with the migration agency and discuss your specific visa status.

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  15. Hi Tess,

    Thanks for sharing, how long did the immigration hold your PR card? I got my passport back like a month ago and immigration is still having my PR card. Some of my friends have gotten an answer after a month of getting their passports. Should I send a message or what else should I do?

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  16. Hello!

    A few questions:

    1.Could I count my time from when they have a registered temporary persoon number in the system and from when I was a tax paying resident?
    2. Do you need to list every time you have left the country in your application?

    3. If they request my passport but I have upcoming travel, is it ok to provide this on return?

    Thank you!

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    1. Hi , Regarding your message
      “The day after submitting my application, I received a message from the Migration Agency asking me to submit my passport and residency card.”

      Could you please share if there is any timeline mentioned to submit passport and residency card ? If so , for how many days ?

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    2. i forgot to fill the number of days i was out for more than 6 weeks should i wait for them to contact me or i should contact them. Even though i waited another 6 weeks before i applied but forgot to state it in my application

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    3. I forgot to state the number of days i was out of the country for 6 weeks (6 weeks 1day). I waited another 6 weeks 1 day to apply for citizenship but forgot to state it in my application should i reach out or wait for them to reach out or will they figure it out.

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    4. Hey, they didn’t ask you for a 5-year travel history. But in my case, they requested my 5-year travel history along with my PR card and passport yesterday.

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