Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 9, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 9, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleSweden plans to tighten citizenship rules, requiring an 8-year wait, income threshold, and cultural test, aiming to cut immigration.
STOCKHOLM, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Sweden will tighten citizenship rules with applicants facing a longer, eight-year wait before they can apply, a minimum wage threshold and a test of their understanding of Swedish society, the centre-right government said on Monday.
Successive governments have tightened immigration policies since 2015, when around 160,000 asylum seekers sought refuge in Sweden. But the minority coalition government is betting that an even more restrictive line on immigration will prove popular with voters in September's parliamentary election.
"These requirements are much tougher than the situation as it is today because currently there are basically no requirements (to become a citizen)," Migration Minister Johan Forssell told reporters.
The government said applicants for Swedish citizenship would have to live in the country for eight years, up from five, have a monthly income of more than 20,000 Swedish crowns ($2,225), and be able to pass a language and culture test.
"It seems reasonable that you should know whether Sweden is a monarchy or a republic, if you want to be a citizen," Forssell said.
Anyone with a criminal record, either in Sweden or abroad, will have to wait longer before they can apply. Someone who had served a four-year prison sentence, for example, would have to wait 15 years before being able to apply for citizenship.
The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, who back the minority coalition government, have blamed decades of what they say are failed immigration policies for a wave of gangland crime that has swept the country.
The new rules are expected to come into force on June 6.
Last week the government said it would tighten rules for asylum seekers.
($1 = 8.9936 Swedish crowns)
(Reporting by Simon Johnson)
Immigration is the process of moving to a foreign country with the intention of residing there permanently or temporarily.
A criminal record is an official record of a person's criminal history, including arrests, convictions, and sentences.
A language proficiency test assesses an individual's ability to understand and use a language effectively, often required for citizenship or employment.
A minimum wage threshold is the lowest amount that an employer is legally required to pay an employee for their work, often used in immigration and citizenship applications.
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