- Rights of a Swedish citizen
- Methods for obtaining citizenship of the Kingdom of Sweden
- How to obtain Swedish citizenship for a resident
At the moment, the Kingdom of Sweden is one of the most attractive in the world, thanks to a socially oriented policy, the absence of conflicts on national, confessional grounds. Therefore, many dream of moving to a permanent place of residence in this country, and over time they begin to figure out how to obtain Swedish citizenship.
As in many other countries of the world, Sweden has conditions that are mandatory for those who are going to achieve rights on an equal basis with the indigenous people. And the very first condition is that the immigrant must obtain a permit for the right of permanent residence in the territory of this Scandinavian state. This material will highlight the issue of obtaining Swedish citizenship, the conditions necessary to achieve the goal, mechanisms and methods.
Rights of a Swedish citizen
Of course, obtaining a permanent residence permit in the country gives you the opportunity to work, study, and not worry about the future. Many residents of Sweden stop at this, while others strive to reach the end, as they understand that citizenship will bring certain advantages. For example, the right to take part in parliamentary elections, both in the role of a voter and an elected one.
There are a number of professions and positions to which only persons who are Swedish citizens can be appointed, the list includes professional military and police officers. Citizenship gives advantages when crossing borders, traveling in the Schengen countries. In addition, a citizen will be under the protection of the state not only on the territory of the country itself, but also outside it, including during military conflicts and natural disasters.
A welcome moment that distinguishes tolerant Sweden from its geographic neighbor, Norway. Swedish law allows dual citizenship, which means that a person has the right to choose: to remain a resident of Sweden and a citizen of another country; give up your previous citizenship in favor of Swedish; have dual citizenship. The choice of status remains with the person himself.
Methods for obtaining citizenship of the Kingdom of Sweden
You can become a citizen of Sweden automatically, for example, by birthright, through the adoption process, through the marriage of your parents (if one of them was not a Swedish citizen).
Also, the following are considered popular ways to acquire the rights of a Swedish citizen:
- registration of citizenship after obtaining the status of a political refugee;
- childbirth in Sweden, when the child automatically becomes a citizen of this country;
- naturalization through petition is the most common method;
- marriage with a person who has or acquired Swedish citizenship.
The last point is interesting in terms of timing: to apply for citizenship, it is enough to live in the country for three years and be married to a Swedish citizen for two years, or live in an unregistered relationship for two years. Moreover, special services will check whether a legally married couple really lives together, and not just issued marriage documents.
How to obtain Swedish citizenship for a resident
The main regulation in the Kingdom of Sweden is considered to be the Citizenship Act, adopted in 2001. According to it, foreign citizens can apply for citizenship if they: have reached the age of majority (eighteen years old); legally permanently live in Sweden on the basis of a permit; are law abiding.
The law stipulates that each resident must live a certain time in the kingdom before he can raise the issue of accepting citizenship. Moreover, the period differs for different categories of persons: only two years of stay in Swedish territory will be required for former residents of Norway, Iceland, Denmark (the so-called countries of Scandinavia). Twice more, four years, will be required for residents who have received the status of refugees or stateless persons (stateless persons). All other categories of persons will have to wait five years for their right, and this period can be extended for various reasons. For example, inaccurate information in certificates and documents, committing offenses, revealing a debt to the state or citizens.
Compliance will be checked by the authorities through inquiries to the debt collection service, the security service, the police, which will be able to answer the question whether a person is suspected of committing a crime, whether he has committed crimes in Sweden before. Evidence of a crime in the country is not a reason to deny citizenship to a resident, the period is simply shifted, and the more serious the offense, the longer the waiting time. The same applies to debts, if a person is convicted of any non-payment, then the waiting time will increase, and even after the debt has been paid in full, you will have to wait.
