Medborgarskapskursen

Dual citizenship in Sweden: what are the rules?

Published: · Reading time: about 5 min

Shayan Parsai, kursansvarig och kursutvecklare
Written byCourse developerLinkedIn

Quick answers

Does Sweden allow dual citizenship?
Yes, since 1 July 2001. You do not have to give up your previous citizenship when you become Swedish.
Can I keep my previous citizenship?
That is decided by the law of the other country, not by Sweden. Check with that country's authorities or embassy before you apply.
How many citizenships can you have?
Sweden sets no limit. The Swedish Migration Agency says Sweden allows dual and multiple citizenship. How many you can have depends on the other countries' rules.
Do I have to apply for dual citizenship?
No, there is no such application. You apply for Swedish citizenship as usual and keep the other one if that country allows it.
Can I lose my Swedish citizenship?
People born and living abroad can lose it at the age of 22. On 20 May 2026 the Riksdag also voted yes, for the first time, to a constitutional amendment on revocation.

Dual citizenship means that you are a citizen of more than one country. Sweden has allowed it since 1 July 2001. This guide explains what that means when you become Swedish, what applies to Swedes who become citizens of another country and which risks you should know about.

Medborgarskapskursen is an independent course that helps you with the knowledge requirement. We are not connected to the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) or the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The information below comes from their pages and from the Riksdag.

Sweden allows dual citizenship

Since the Swedish Citizenship Act took effect on 1 July 2001, you do not have to give up your previous citizenship when you become Swedish. It also works the other way: a Swedish citizen who becomes a citizen of another country does not lose the Swedish one because of it.

Sweden also sets no limit on how many citizenships you have. The Migration Agency says Sweden allows dual and multiple citizenship.

The other country decides if you keep yours

Sweden can only decide about Swedish citizenship. Whether you can keep your previous citizenship is decided by the law of that country. The Migration Agency says you must find out for yourself whether your country of origin allows dual citizenship.

Do this before you apply. Contact that country’s authorities or its embassy in Sweden. Some countries allow dual citizenship and others do not, and the rules can change.

You do not apply for dual citizenship

There is no separate application for dual citizenship. You apply for Swedish citizenship in the usual way and must meet the same requirements as everyone else. The requirements are in the guide to Swedish citizenship requirements, and the application is explained in the guide on how to apply for Swedish citizenship.

Once you have become Swedish

If you also have one or more other citizenships, the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) only registers your Swedish citizenship in the population register. If you keep your previous citizenship, you have rights and obligations towards that country as well.

As a Swedish citizen you get rights that others do not have. The Migration Agency says only Swedish citizens have an absolute right to live and work in Sweden and the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Only Swedish citizens can be elected to the Riksdag or become police officers and professional members of the Armed Forces. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs says only Swedish citizens have the right to a Swedish passport.

Risks when you travel

The main risk is that the other country does not recognise your Swedish citizenship. Swedish authorities may then have limited means to help you if, for example, you are arrested or end up in an emergency in that country. You can always ask a Swedish embassy for help, but the Ministry for Foreign Affairs says the other country can limit what Sweden is allowed to do there.

The Ministry also mentions two other things:

  • If you are a citizen of a country with compulsory military service, you may have to do it, even if you live in Sweden.
  • If you travel with two passports, border police and customs can carry out extra checks. One of the passports can be confiscated and you may risk a fine.

Before you travel you can read about the country on Sweden Abroad or in the Ministry’s app Resklar.

The age 22 rule if you were born abroad

You lose your Swedish citizenship when you turn 22 if you were born outside Sweden, have never lived here and have not stayed in Sweden in circumstances that show a connection with the country. The rule does not apply if you would become stateless. Nor does it apply if you have lived in Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway for a total of at least seven years.

If you want to keep your Swedish citizenship, you can apply to do so after you turn 18 and before you turn 22. You use the form “Ansökan om att få behålla svenskt medborgarskap” (302021). It is free of charge.

If you want to give up or regain Swedish citizenship

If the other country requires you to give up your Swedish citizenship, you can apply to the Migration Agency to be released from it. If you have lost or been released from your Swedish citizenship, you can under certain conditions get it back by notification or application.

New proposal: revocation for dual citizens

On 20 May 2026 the Riksdag voted yes to a constitutional amendment as a so-called vilande proposal (bill 2025/26:78). The amendment makes it possible to decide by law that Swedish citizenship can be revoked for people with dual citizenship who obtained the Swedish one through false or misleading information or other improper conduct, or who have been convicted of crimes that seriously harm Sweden’s vital interests.

The proposal only concerns people with dual citizenship, so that nobody becomes stateless. A constitutional amendment requires the Riksdag to vote yes twice with a general election in between, so it must be approved again after the election in September 2026. It is proposed to take effect on 1 January 2027.

How revocation would work is to be set out in an ordinary law. A government inquiry (SOU 2026:21) has proposed that the Migration Agency should decide on revocation and that the law should take effect on 1 January 2028.

What should you do now?

Find out what the other country says about dual citizenship, go through the requirements and apply once you meet them. You can prepare for the knowledge requirement right away: the test is based on UHR’s material Sverige i fokus, and all 13 chapters are explained on the chapter pages.

Difficult words

avsäga sig
to renounce: give something up voluntarily, for example a citizenship
konsulär hjälp
consular assistance: help that an embassy or consulate gives its country's citizens abroad
statslös
stateless: not a citizen of any country
återkalla
to revoke: take back something that was given earlier
vilande
a constitutional proposal the Riksdag has approved once and must approve again after an election

Frequently asked questions

Can you be a citizen of both Sweden and Finland?

Yes. Sweden allows dual citizenship, and the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) says Finnish law allows multiple citizenship. Finland has its own age 22 rule for dual citizens without a sufficient connection to Finland.

Does Norway allow dual citizenship?

Yes, since 1 January 2020 according to the Swedish Embassy in Oslo. Nordic citizens living in Sweden can in some cases become Swedish by notification instead of an application.

Is my other citizenship shown in the population register?

No. If you have one or more other citizenships alongside your Swedish one, the Swedish Tax Agency only registers the Swedish citizenship.

Do I lose my Swedish citizenship if I become a citizen of another country?

Not under Swedish law. Since 1 July 2001 a Swedish citizen does not lose their Swedish citizenship by acquiring another one. But the other country may require you to give up the Swedish one.

Do the revocation rules already apply?

No. The Riksdag voted yes for the first time on 20 May 2026. The proposal must be approved again after the general election in September 2026, and the constitutional amendment is proposed to take effect on 1 January 2027.

Can I be called up for military service in the other country?

It can happen. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs says you may have to do military service in a country where you are a citizen and where it is compulsory, even if you live in Sweden.

The course

The full course, all 13 chapters

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  • Practice questions with explanations and page references
  • A mock test in the same form as the August test
  • Difficult words explained in plain Swedish

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Sources