Swedish Citizenship: Debunking Myths

Emigration is always a difficult topic. Some people never feel at home in a foreign country, while others assimilate to the extent that they start considering applying for new citizenship. Swedish citizenship is a popular topic surrounded by several myths, some more true than others. In this article, I aim to clarify the most common ones.

MYTH 1: Swedish citizenship is granted instantly

Indeed, this used to be the case! In the second half of the 20th century, when Swedish authorities, concerned about the country's low population, began inviting immigrants from southern Europe, citizenship was practically granted upon crossing the border. This was done as an incentive, which led many people, for example, from the Balkans, to come to Sweden for work and never return. Nowadays, the most common way for adults to acquire Swedish citizenship is through naturalization.

To obtain Swedish citizenship, you must meet the following conditions:

• Be able to prove your identity (i.e., have a passport or ID confirming your identity and citizenship).
• Be over 18 years old.
• Have a permanent residence permit in Sweden (EU citizens have an automatic right of residence if they legally work, run a business, study, or have sufficient means to support themselves).
• Meet the conditions for the period of permanent residence in Sweden (generally five years, but this varies depending on the situation—for example, for an EU citizen who has been in a cohabiting relationship with a Swedish citizen for at least two years, the period is three years).
• Have good conduct in Sweden (no legal issues, tax debts, etc.).

Of course, you need to precisely prove all these circumstances by providing the appropriate documents and statements. To obtain Swedish citizenship, knowledge of the language, culture, or history of the country is not required.

You can take a test on the Swedish Migration Agency's website (in Swedish) to see if you qualify for Swedish citizenship.

MYTH 2: The Swedish passport is the best passport in the world

MYTH 3: Marrying a Swedish citizen grants you Swedish citizenship

The legal significance of marriage in Sweden is minimal, especially when it comes to applying for Swedish citizenship. Moreover, marrying a Swedish citizen does not even help in obtaining a Swedish personal number. However, cohabiting (living together or being sambo) with a Swedish citizen for at least two years reduces the period of permanent residence required to apply for Swedish citizenship to three years.

This provision likely aims to mitigate the phenomenon of "visa marriages," where two people sometimes marry solely to grant one person a specific status.

MYTH 4: A child born in Sweden will have Swedish citizenship

In Sweden citizenship follows the principle of ius sanguinis (right of blood). This means citizenship is inherited and not dependent on the place of birth (as it is in the USA, where it is called the right of soil). Therefore, a child born in Sweden to exclusively foreign parents can only have foreign citizenship. If at least one parent has Swedish citizenship (whether exclusively Swedish or dual), the child may automatically receive Swedish citizenship.

MYTH 5: Lack of a passport means lack of citizenship

Many foreigners living in Sweden for a long time and holding only Swedish passports (because their other documents have expired) believe they have lost their other citizenship. This is completely incorrect. Citizenship is a legal status resulting from specific conditions (e.g., being the child of a citizen of a given country), confirmed by documents (passport or ID card and registration as a citizen) that verify the person's identity and citizenship. The lack of a document does not mean the absence of citizenship—we only lose the immediate ability to prove it. Unproven and unregistered citizenship has no legal consequences. The only way to "get rid of" citizenship of most of countries is to actively renounce it. Sweden allows their citizens to hold dual citizenships without having to renounce any of them.

MYTH 6: It doesn’t matter which passport I use when traveling

It is crucial to use the correct passport when traveling, especially when dealing with authorities in your country of citizenship. For example, according to Polish law, a Polish citizen must present a valid Polish identity document when entering Poland. If a Polish citizen presents a foreign document, they will be required to show their Polish document or face being treated as a foreigner. This could limit their stay and legal rights within the country. For instance, exceeding the permitted stay of 90 days within a 180-day period could result in legal consequences.

Remember to check the specific rules and requirements for your country to avoid complications when traveling.

Fun fact!

A Swedish temporary passport is... pink! You can get it on the spot in just 15 minutes at a police station, and it is valid only for a specific foreign trip.

The only comprehensive and reliable source of information on the rules for obtaining Swedish citizenship is the Swedish Migration Agency’s website (Migrationsverket).