Number of individuals who received Swedish citizenship in June disclosed
The Swedish Migration Agency has begun contacting citizenship applicants in the second half of May 2021, inviting them to book in-person identity checks as part of enhanced security measures. These measures are aimed at preventing individuals who pose a threat to security or use a fake identity from being granted Swedish citizenship.
Applicants at the final stages of their application will receive a letter inviting them to book a time for a "personal appearance" at one of eight Migration Agency offices. This includes those applying through the standard process, known as naturalisation cases, which make up the majority of cases.
These stricter security checks are expected to cause delays in the citizenship application process. The checks include sending applicants an 11-page questionnaire with additional security questions. However, the Migration Agency is working to reduce the heavily criticised long waiting times for Swedish citizenship through increased staff and stricter rules in 2026.
The agency initially anticipated concluding 87,000 applications each year in 2025 and 2026. However, due to the new security checks, this number has been lowered to 64,000 in 2025 and 65,000 in 2026.
The global trend towards stricter compliance and security measures could further influence the scrutiny applied to citizenship applications. This could deter some applicants, potentially reducing the number of applications submitted. However, individuals who are committed to obtaining Swedish citizenship might still apply, knowing that the process is more rigorous.
In June 2021, the Swedish Migration Agency approved 759 citizenship applications through naturalisation, a significant increase from the 15 grants in both April and May 2021. The figure also includes applications granted by the Migration Agency itself and those granted on appeal in court, as well as 30 applications for retaining one’s citizenship and 34 citizenship declarations.
Despite the delays, the Migration Agency is striving to reduce waiting times. In October 2024, the agency stated that it would conclude 87,000 applications each year in 2025 and 2026, thanks to increased staff at the agency. Seventy-five percent of recently concluded cases involving adults received a decision within 25 months.
The government and its far-right Sweden Democrat allies issued an order in January for the Migration Agency to take "forceful measures" in the citizenship application process. The Migration Agency is implementing these measures, including the enhanced security checks, to ensure the integrity of the Swedish citizenship process.
Sources: [1] Swedish Migration Agency, Press Release, May 2021 [2] Swedish Migration Agency, Annual Report, 2021 [3] The Local, June 2021 [4] Privacy International, Report, 2021
The enhanced security checks and stricter rules in policy-and-legislation aim to prevent potential security threats and fake identities, as seen in the citizenship application process. These changes have led to an anticipated decrease in the number of citizenship applications completed annually, from 87,000 to 65,000, starting in 2026. The rigorous political scrutiny may deter some applicants, but those committed to obtaining Swedish citizenship are likely to persevere.
