Medborgarskapskursen

Swedish citizenship requirements: all the rules from 6 June 2026

Shayan Parsai, kursansvarig och kursutvecklare
Written byLinkedIn

Published: · Reading time: about 6 min

Quick answers

What are the requirements for Swedish citizenship?
Proven identity, a permanent residence permit, 8 years of residence (hemvist), good conduct, self-support and knowledge of Swedish and Swedish society.
How long do I need to have lived in Sweden?
The main rule is 8 years. Nordic and former Swedish citizens 2 years, stateless people 5 years, refugees, spouses of Swedish citizens and people under 21 7 years.
How much do I need to earn?
At least three income base amounts (inkomstbasbelopp) per year, SEK 250,200 for 2026. That is SEK 20,850 a month before tax.
Do the new rules apply even if I applied before 6 June 2026?
Yes. There are no transitional rules. The Migration Agency assesses every case decided after 6 June under the new requirements.
What does the application cost?
SEK 2,900. The fee is not refunded if your application is rejected.

On 6 June 2026 the Swedish Citizenship Act (lagen om svenskt medborgarskap) changed. The requirements became more numerous and stricter. Here we go through all the requirements for adults who apply for Swedish citizenship, with references to the legal text. The requirements are in section 11 of the act, as worded in SFS 2026:447.

Medborgarskapskursen is an independent course that helps you with the knowledge requirement. We have no connection to the Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) or UHR. It is the Migration Agency that assesses your application.

What are the requirements for Swedish citizenship?

Under section 11, you can be granted Swedish citizenship by application if you have turned 18 and:

  1. have proven your identity
  2. have a permanent residence permit in Sweden
  3. have had residence (hemvist) in Sweden for eight years
  4. have had, and can be expected to have, good and honest conduct
  5. can support yourself
  6. have shown sufficient knowledge of Swedish and of Swedish society

All six requirements must be met. Below we explain one requirement at a time.

Requirement 1: proven identity

You must show who you are, normally with a passport or another original document from the authorities of your home country. The Migration Agency also requires you to visit them in person. This is called personal appearance (personlig inställelse).

If you cannot prove your identity, there is an exception in section 11 c. It requires that you have had residence in Sweden for at least ten years and make it likely that your identity is correct.

Requirement 2: permanent residence permit

The main rule is that you have a permanent residence permit (permanent uppehållstillstånd). On 12 July 2026 the Migration Agency introduced an exception for some people with temporary permits, for example refugees and people in need of protection with good prospects of getting a lasting permit. Read the Migration Agency’s news item if you have a temporary permit.

Requirement 3: eight years of residence

Previously five years was enough. Now the main rule is eight years. Under section 11 a, shorter periods apply to certain groups:

  • two years: Danish, Finnish, Icelandic and Norwegian citizens, and former Swedish citizens
  • five years: stateless people
  • seven years: refugees, people under 21 at the time of application, and anyone married to or cohabiting with a Swedish citizen

For spouses and cohabiting partners, seven years only applies if the relationship has lasted at least five years and the partner has been a Swedish citizen for at least five years.

The Migration Agency says that trips abroad longer than six weeks per year are deducted from the residence period. Time spent under a false identity does not count.

Requirement 4: good and honest conduct

You must not have unpaid taxes, fines or maintenance payments. If you have committed a crime, a waiting period (karenstid) applies before you can get citizenship. The waiting periods became longer on 6 June 2026. As an example, the Migration Agency states that one year in prison means a wait of at least ten years after the crime. The requirement now also covers how you have lived outside Sweden. The Migration Agency has a table of waiting periods on its website.

Requirement 5: self-support

The income requirement (försörjningskravet) is in section 11 b and, according to the Migration Agency, applies to you if you are 18 to 67 years old. This is how it works:

  • You must have salary or income from business.
  • The income must be at least three income base amounts (inkomstbasbelopp) per year. For 2026 that is SEK 250,200, or SEK 20,850 a month before tax.
  • You must not have received social assistance (försörjningsstöd) for more than six months in total during the last three years.
  • Your ability to support yourself must not be only temporary.

Income from nystartsjobb, etableringsjobb and särskilt anställningsstöd does not count. Nor does support for starting a business.

There are exceptions in section 11 c. You are exempt from the requirement if you are entitled to a retirement pension, if you study full time at a university, university college or higher vocational education with passing results, if you attend upper secondary school, or if it cannot reasonably be required that you meet the requirement.

Requirement 6: knowledge of Swedish and of society

This is the new requirement that Medborgarskapskursen is about. The requirement applies to you if you are 16 to 66 years old. The law says the requirement does not apply to anyone who has turned 67.

You show knowledge of society by passing UHR’s citizenship test in civics (medborgarskapsprov i samhällskunskap), or with a pass grade in civics (samhällskunskap) or basic social studies subjects from year 9, upper secondary school, a folk high school at upper secondary level or komvux (section 13 c).

You show knowledge of Swedish with a grade in Swedish or Swedish as a second language, a pass in the highest SFI course (course D), Tisus or another test at a functional level (section 13 a). A test in Swedish from UHR is coming later. Read more in our guides to the Swedish citizenship test and the language requirement.

Exception: anyone who, because of a disability or other personal circumstances, cannot reasonably show the knowledge (section 11 c).

Are there transitional rules?

No. The Migration Agency says the new rules apply from 6 June 2026 without transitional provisions. Every case decided after 6 June is assessed under the new requirements, even if you submitted your application earlier. Several sites claim that older applications are assessed under the old rules. That is not correct.

The Migration Agency also says you do not need to do anything right now. They will contact you if your case needs to be supplemented.

What does the application cost and how long does it take?

The application fee is SEK 2,900. It is not refunded if your application is rejected. Stateless people with refugee status are exempt from the fee.

The processing time varies. The Migration Agency says it cannot say exactly how long it takes. On 19 September 2026 their website showed that 75 percent of recently decided cases had been decided within 53 months.

The test fee to UHR is a separate fee. It is SEK 2,000 for tests held from 2027. Tests during 2026 are free.

What applies to children?

Children have their own rules in section 12. The residence period is shorter, for example three years for children under 15. Children do not need to support themselves. The knowledge requirement applies to children who have turned 16, and the requirement of good conduct applies from age 15. Children who have turned 12 must give their own consent. Since 6 June 2026, children submit their own application, signed by their guardian.

What should you do now?

Check the requirements one at a time against your own situation. If the only thing missing is the knowledge requirement: start reading Sverige i fokus and wait for the referral letter (anvisningsbrev) from the Migration Agency. How the test works is explained in our guide to the Swedish citizenship test, and our chapter pages explain the study material in English.

Difficult words in this chapter

hemvist
residence: that you live in Sweden and have your home here
naturalisation
getting citizenship by application
inkomstbasbelopp
income base amount, a figure the state sets every year and uses to calculate thresholds
karenstid
waiting period, for example after a crime, before you can get citizenship
skötsamt levnadssätt
good conduct: that you follow the law and pay your debts

Frequently asked questions

Where are the requirements stated in the law?

In section 11 of the Swedish Citizenship Act, as worded in SFS 2026:447. The exceptions are in sections 11 a, 11 b and 11 c. The knowledge requirements are in sections 13 to 13 c.

Do I need a permanent residence permit?

That is the main rule. Since 12 July 2026 there are exceptions for some people with temporary permits, for example refugees with good prospects of a lasting permit.

Does unemployment benefit or a subsidised job count as income?

No. The income must be salary or income from business. Nystartsjobb, etableringsjobb and särskilt anställningsstöd do not count.

Who is exempt from the income requirement?

Anyone entitled to a retirement pension, full-time students at university or higher vocational education with passing results, upper secondary pupils and anyone who cannot reasonably meet the requirement.

Who is exempt from the knowledge requirement?

Anyone who has turned 67. Children under 16. Anyone who, because of a disability or other personal circumstances, cannot reasonably show the knowledge.

How long is the processing time?

The Migration Agency cannot say exactly. The statistics on their website on 19 September 2026 showed that 75 percent of recently decided cases were decided within 53 months.

What applies to children?

Children have their own rules in section 12. Shorter residence, no income requirement and the knowledge requirement only from age 16. Since 6 June, children submit their own application, signed by the guardian.

The course

The full course, all 13 chapters

99SEK per month

or 499 SEK for a full year

  • Lessons for every chapter of Sverige i fokus
  • 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