Medborgarskapskursen
From 6 June 2026, stricter requirements apply for Swedish citizenship, and they also apply to applications that have already been submitted.
Takeaways from this article4 points
Old applications too
There are no transition rules. If you applied before 6 June 2026 and are still waiting, the new requirements apply to you.
Eight years of residence
The requirement is eight years instead of five, with shorter times for some groups. Without proven identity, it is at least ten.
The income requirement
You need at least three income base amounts a year, SEK 250,200 for 2026. Subsidised employment does not count.
Applied? Wait to hear
The Migration Agency says you do not need to do anything now. It contacts you if you need to add a grade or a test result.
On 6 May 2026 the Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) published the news about the new rules for Swedish citizenship. The Riksdag passed the act on 29 April 2026, and it enters into force on 6 June 2026. The rules apply to everyone who applies for citizenship, including you if you have already submitted an application.
Updated 22 October 2026: Two things have happened since this news item was written. From 12 July 2026 the Migration Agency no longer grants permanent residence permits as a main rule, and on the same day it introduced an exception for people applying for citizenship (see below). The first test in civics was held on 15 August 2026 in Stockholm, and the results came on 22 October: about 80 per cent passed. The next test is planned for April–May 2027.
What has happened?
The Riksdag has adopted the government’s proposal in the bill Stricter requirements for Swedish citizenship (prop. 2025/26:175). The amendments are in SFS 2026:447 and were published on 6 May 2026. The ordinance on the citizenship test, SFS 2026:451, was published the same day.
The act enters into force on 6 June 2026. The Migration Agency says it applies the new rules to every case decided after that date.
The new requirements in brief
For adults who apply, the following applies from 6 June:
- Eight years of residence (hemvist) instead of five. Shorter periods apply to certain groups, from two years for Nordic citizens. Anyone who cannot prove their identity needs at least ten years.
- Income requirement. You must have salary or income from business of at least three income base amounts (inkomstbasbelopp) per year. For 2026 that is SEK 250,200, around SEK 20,850 a month before tax. Subsidised employment does not count.
- Knowledge requirement. If you are 16 to 66 years old you must show knowledge of Swedish and of Swedish society, with school grades or with the citizenship test.
- Stricter requirement of good conduct, with longer waiting periods after a crime.
The requirements of proven identity and a permanent residence permit remain.
The exception from the permanent permit requirement (12 July 2026)
From 12 July 2026, permanent residence permits are no longer granted as a main rule. A change in the law with an exception took effect the same day. You can apply for citizenship with a temporary permit if you hold it:
- as a refugee, or as a person in need of protection or eligible for subsidiary protection
- as a long-term resident in Sweden (varaktigt bosatt)
- on the grounds of exceptionally distressing circumstances (synnerligen ömmande omständigheter)
- because of certain lasting impediments to enforcement (verkställighetshinder)
- through ties to someone who holds a permit on one of the grounds above
To be covered, you must have well-founded prospects of being granted a lasting residence permit. If you have lived in Sweden for at least ten years and meet the other requirements, that condition does not apply. Your permit must be valid when you apply, and you cannot apply while you are waiting for a decision on an extension.
Who does it apply to?
Everyone who applies for Swedish citizenship by naturalisation. The most important thing to understand is that there are no transitional rules. The Migration Agency says it assesses every application under the new rules after 6 June 2026, including cases submitted earlier that have not yet been decided.
That means that if you submitted your application in, say, 2024 and are still waiting, you are assessed under the new requirements. If you have then lived in Sweden for six years, that is no longer enough.
Children are also affected. From 6 June, children submit their own application, signed by the guardian. Children do not need to support themselves. The knowledge requirement applies to children from age 16.
The citizenship test
The new act introduces a citizenship test (medborgarskapsprov). According to the Migration Agency’s news item, the first part, the test in civics (samhällskunskap), is held in August 2026 in Stockholm. UHR, the Swedish Council for Higher Education, is responsible for the test. The test in Swedish is coming later.
You only take the test if the Migration Agency refers you to it. They do that if you cannot show the knowledge in another way, for example with a grade in civics.
What should you do?
If you have already applied: the Migration Agency says you do not need to do anything right now. They will contact you if you need to supplement your case, for example with a grade or a test result.
If you are planning to apply: go through the requirements one at a time. We have collected them with references to the legal text in our guide to the requirements for Swedish citizenship. How the test works is explained in our guide to the Swedish citizenship test. The whole process in order, from the requirements to the ceremony and the passport, is in the checklist The path to Swedish citizenship.
Medborgarskapskursen is an independent course that prepares you for the test in civics. We have no connection to the Migration Agency or UHR.
