Sweden increases naturalisation from 5 to 8 years for foreign nationals

In Sweden, the standard residency requirement for naturalisation of foreign nationals will increase from five to eight years, with income threshold and language requirements and will take effect from June 6, 2026.

Applicants will also for the first time, be required to meet mandatory standards in language proficiency, civic knowledge and financial self-sufficiency, accoreding to Johan Forssell, migration minister, who passed the bill, making it the most significant overhaul of Sweden’s citizenship law in more than 50 years, following a vote on April 29.

Under the current framework, most foreign nationals can apply for Swedish citizenship after five years of continuous residence. This threshold will rise to eight years under the revised law.

However, certain categories will benefit from reduced requirements. Nordic citizens and former Swedish nationals will need just two years of residence, while stateless persons will require five years. Refugees, spouses or cohabiting partners of Swedish citizens, and young adults under 21 will face a seven-year requirement. In the case of partners, both the relationship and the Swedish partner’s citizenship must have lasted at least five years.

A financial self-sufficiency requirement will also apply immediately. According to analysis by EY, applicants must demonstrate a minimum annual gross income of three income base amounts. For 2026, this equates to 250,200 SEK (approximately $27,200).

Those who have relied on income support for more than six months in the three years before applying will be disqualified, and certain forms of subsidised employment will not count towards the income threshold.

While the legal requirement for language and civic knowledge will come into force in June 2026, the testing system is not yet fully operational. Civics tests are expected to begin in August 2026, while tests covering reading and listening comprehension in Swedish are unlikely to start before October 2027. Additional language assessments will be introduced at a later date.

The reforms also change how children are included in applications. Children will no longer be covered under a parent’s application; instead, a separate application must be submitted by a guardian. Behavioural requirements will apply from age 15, while knowledge requirements will begin at age 16.

In addition, the simplified notification process previously available to some groups, including young people raised in Sweden, will largely be removed.

The most controversial aspect of the reform is its retroactive application. Under Swedish law, citizenship applications are assessed based on the rules in force at the time a decision is made, rather than when the application is submitted.

As a result, individuals who applied under the previous five-year rule but are still awaiting a decision will now be assessed under the new eight-year requirement once the law takes effect. Many are therefore likely to see their applications rejected.

Swedish Migration Agency is currently handling a backlog of more than 100,000 citizenship applications, with processing times ranging from several months to nearly three years.

Applicants who have lived in Sweden for between five and seven years will now need to accumulate additional residence time before qualifying. Those who do not meet the income threshold or language requirements may face further delays even after reaching the required residency period.

Sweden’s move contrasts with developments elsewhere in Europe. Germany reduced its standard naturalisation period from eight years to five in 2024 and expanded dual citizenship rights. Portugal also revised its nationality rules, allowing residency periods to be counted from the date of application rather than approval, effectively shortening the pathway to citizenship.

On the same day as the citizenship vote, the parliament approved separate measures aimed at attracting international talent. Under the new rules, foreign doctoral students will be eligible to apply for permanent residence after three years and will be given up to 18 months to secure employment after completing their studies.