Indicator history

Section 11

An alien can apply for and be granted Swedish citizenship (be naturalised) if he or she

1. has provided proof of his or her identity,

2. has reached the age of eighteen,

3. holds a permanent Swedish residence permit,

4. has been domiciled in Sweden

a) for the previous two years in the case of Danish, Finnish, Icelandic or Norwegian citizens,

b) for the previous four years in the case of a stateless person or a person who is considered to be a refugee under Chapter 4, Section 1 of the Aliens Act (2005:716),

c) for the previous five years for other aliens, and

5. has led and can be expected to lead a respectable life. Act (2005:722).

Section 12

If the requirements in Section 11 are not met, and unless paragraph 2 provides

otherwise, the applicant may still be naturalised if

1. the applicant has formerly held Swedish citizenship,

2. the applicant is married to or living in conditions resembling marriage with a Swedish

citizen, or

3. there are other special reasons for granting citizenship.

An applicant who cannot provide proof of identity in accordance with Section 11, subsection

1 may be naturalised only if he or she has been domiciled in Sweden for at least the

previous eight years and can give the authorities reason to believe that the stated identity is

correct.

Section 13

In a decision concerning naturalisation it shall also be decided whether the

applicant's unmarried children under the age of eighteen shall acquire Swedish citizenship.

The Act on Swedish Citizenship (Lag om svenskt medborgarskap) Swedish Code of Statutes: SFS 2001:82, with amendments up to and including SFS 2006:222.  http://www.sweden.gov.se/content/1/c6/02/91/91/dcdd4a24.pdf (accessed 2012-03-10).