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On 6 June 2026 the rules for becoming a Swedish citizen changed. The biggest change for most people: you now need eight years of residence in Sweden, not five. If you came on a work permit and were counting down to year five, your date has moved. Here is what changed and how to find your own date.
No transitional rules
The new rules apply from 6 June 2026 with no transitional arrangements. If you applied before 6 June 2026 and your application had not been decided by then, it is judged under the new rules.
So it does not help that you applied under the old rules. What counts is the law on the day Migrationsverket decides.
How many years you need
Residence time (hemvisttid) is the number of years you have lived in Sweden. The requirement depends on your situation:
| Your situation | Years needed |
|---|---|
| Most adults (general rule) | 8 (was 5) |
| Married, registered partner or cohabiting with a Swedish citizen | 7, with 5 years living together (was 3) |
| Refugee | 7 (was 4) |
| Under 21 | 7 |
| Stateless | 5 (was 4) |
| Nordic citizen | 2 |
| Former Swedish citizen | 2 |
| Cannot prove your identity | 10 |
Children apply separately. A child under 15 needs 3 years (2 if stateless). A child aged 15 or over needs 5 years.
When your clock started
Your residence time starts on one of two days:
- The day you entered Sweden, if you arrived with a permanent residence permit or another permit that counts toward settlement (bosättningsgrundande). The decision on your permit says whether it does.
- The day you applied for a settlement permit, in all other cases. For example if you were already here and applied from inside Sweden.
If a final decision that you must leave Sweden applies to you, time before it usually doesn't count. Your residence time then starts when you are granted a settlement permit.
What about years on a study permit?
They don't count. Migrationsverket says time on a temporary permit that doesn't count toward settlement, such as a permit for visits, studies or au pair work, is not residence time. Doctoral studies are the exception: in some cases that time can count, if it is clear you meant to stay in Sweden after your studies.
Time abroad comes off
If you are abroad for more than six weeks in a year, the whole time abroad that year is deducted. That includes work trips. Read the six-week rule before you book a long summer.
Two stops for work-permit holders
If you came on a work permit, the road has two stops. First permanent residence, which you can get after four years on work permits within the last seven years. Then citizenship, once you have eight years of residence. The whole road, with dates, is in from work permit to permanent residence to citizenship.
Your residence time for citizenship counts from when it started, not from the day you got permanent residence. The years on your work permits count if those permits counted toward settlement, which your permit decision states.
The other requirements, in brief
Time is only one part. From 6 June 2026 you also need to show:
- That you support yourself (ages 18 to 67). Your own income from lasting, unsubsidised work of at least three income base amounts a year: SEK 250,200 in 2026, about SEK 20,850 a month before tax. More in the income requirement.
- Swedish and knowledge of Swedish society (ages 16 to 66). Swedish at B1 for reading and listening and A2 for speaking and writing. More in the language and society test.
- An orderly life (skötsamhet). No significant debts, crimes or security concerns. After a conviction you wait longer.
- Your identity, with an original passport or ID card from your home country (it can have expired), and a personal visit to Migrationsverket.
- Age 18 for an adult application. The fee is SEK 2,900 and is not refunded if you are refused.
What to do now
- Find your start date: the day you entered, or the day you applied from inside Sweden.
- List every trip abroad since then.
- Put both in the Citizenship Countdown to see your earliest date to apply.
- Check the income and language requirements well before that date, so they are not what holds you up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many years do I need to live in Sweden to become a citizen?
From 6 June 2026 the general rule is eight years. Some people need fewer: two years for Nordic citizens and former Swedish citizens, five for stateless people, seven for refugees, people under 21 and partners of Swedish citizens.
I applied before 6 June 2026. Do the old rules apply to me?
No. There are no transitional rules. An application filed before 6 June 2026 that had not been decided by then is judged under the new rules.
When does my residence time start if I came on a work permit?
If you arrived with a permit that counts toward settlement, granted before you came, your residence time starts on the day you entered Sweden. Otherwise it starts on the day you applied for a settlement permit. Your permit decision says whether it counts toward settlement.
Do my years on a work permit count toward citizenship?
Yes, if your work permits counted toward settlement. Residence time counts from when your clock started, not only from when you got permanent residence. Time abroad over six weeks in a year is deducted.
How Settio helps
Find your own date with our free Citizenship Countdown: it counts your years and your days abroad, privately, on your phone.
For employers and agencies, Settio keeps every employee's permit on track from the first application, through the move and each renewal, until they no longer need one: plans for every case, an employee portal and permit and salary monitoring. See how it works.
Sources
4 official sources
Settio is a platform HR teams and immigration agencies use to keep work permits on track. The Citizenship Countdown is free and runs in your browser.
More in our guide toSwedish immigration news
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