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The Swedish government, in agreement with the Sweden Democrats, has announced plans to overhaul citizenship requirements, arguing that current standards are too lax and undermine the value of Swedish citizenship.
The move follows an inquiry launched by the Tidö parties into numerous questionable decisions taken to grant citizenship where it would not normally be given. Stricter rules, it is hoped, will bring the numbers down again, including extending the residency requirement from five to at least eight years and mandating an ‘honest and responsible lifestyle.’
The government is now reviewing these suggestions, with further fine-tuning in progress, including new tests for Swedish language and knowledge of culture and all things Swedishness. One of the key focuses will be introducing a self-sufficiency requirement for citizenship applicants, raising the previous government’s threshold of just SEK 6,186 plus (€562) housing costs, the equivalent to the ‘subsistence minimum’ used in wage complement benefit cases, and hiking it to a gross monthly salary of SEK 20,000 (€1815).
Convicted criminals and dependents on benefits not to be granted citizenship
The push follows other reforms, including one from late 2024 which blocks convicted criminals and other security risks from applying for citizenship.
Officials argue that self-sufficiency boosts integration, incentivises work, and reduces socio-economic exclusion. ‘Being granted Swedish citizenship should be the result of one’s own effort and the end of the integration process,’ the government stated. The alternative proposal will soon go to consultation, marking a significant shift in Sweden’s migration policy.
