The Swedish government is proposing to impose stricter requirements on the acquisition of citizenship in Sweden. An extensive and detailed report was published in January 2025, in accordance with the Inquiry’s remit. The new policies are proposed to enter into legal force in Sweden on June 1st, 2026.
Key policy suggestions from the report
Increase in required period of residence in Sweden. The Inquiry suggests increasing the required period of residence for acquiring Swedish citizenship from five to eight years. Some exemptions may apply.
Stronger emphasis put on good conduct and an honest lifestyle. The Inquiry proposes stricter requirements for an applicant’s lifestyle to acquire Swedish citizenship, emphasizing good conduct and an honest lifestyle. The waiting period for applicants with criminal offenses should be extended, and non-contact orders should prevent the obtaining of citizenship until a certain time has passed. Offenses committed outside Sweden should also be considered when evaluating conduct. The requirement for a clean criminal record should be more stringent, disqualifying applicants reasonably suspected or convicted of serious offenses (with a penalty of two years or more).
Introduction of civic and language tests. The Inquiry suggests expanding the citizenship test on Swedish society and language. Additionally, they propose that a section of the test should include knowledge on human rights, specifically on children’s rights as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Introduction of a maintenance requirement. The Inquiry proposes a new requirement for applicants to demonstrate self-sufficiency. This means that they must demonstrate proof of a steady income from salary or business activities that meets a specified minimum after tax deductions. This will follow the line of requirements for other grounds of residence permits in Sweden. The applicant must also not have received income support under the Social Services Act for a period totalling more than six months in the three years prior to application. Exceptions to the maintenance requirement will apply, but only in a very limited manner.
Withdrawal of the notification procedure for citizenship. The Inquiry proposes phasing out the notification process for acquiring Swedish citizenship, redirecting children, young adults aged 18–20, and former Swedish citizens to the regular application process instead. The remaining notification procedure would apply only to stateless children and young adults aged 18–20 born in Sweden, Nordic citizens, and children born before April 1, 2015, outside Sweden to an unmarried Swedish father at the time of birth.
Increase in application fees. Paragraph header. To fund the examination of the new requirements, the Inquiry proposes that the fee for applications under Section 11 of the Citizenship Act be increased from SEK 1 500 to SEK 2 900. Furthermore, the Inquiry proposes the introduction of a fee of SEK 475 for applications concerning children.
Policy implications
The policy suggestions in the Inquiry’s report are in line with the political philosophy of the Swedish right-led government, in which immigration legislation is becoming more stringent and protectionist. The Swedish government argues that the proposed policies mark a paradigm shift when compared to today’s requirements for obtaining Swedish citizenship.
The results of the Inquiry’s report will be reviewed by the government and potential adjustments may take place before the proposed implementation date on June 1st, 2026.
The full report is available at the Swedish Department of Justice.
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Patrik Nyström
Senior Manager – Immigration
Ida Eriksson
Senior Associate – Immigration
Simply follow our Vialto Alerts page on LinkedIn and posts will be displayed on your feed. To ensure you don’t miss one, once you’re on our LinkedIn page, click on the bell icon under the banner image to manage your notifications.
Further information on Vialto Partners can be found here: www.vialtopartners.com
Vialto Partners (“Vialto”) refers to wholly owned subsidiaries of CD&R Galaxy UK OpCo Limited as well as the other members of the Vialto Partners global network. The information contained in this document is for general guidance on matters of interest only. Vialto is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Vialto, its related entities, or the agents or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this document or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
© 2025 Vialto Partners. All rights reserved.