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Sweden, one of Europe’s most developed countries, will tighten citizenship rules. Applicants will face long waiting times, a minimum wage cap, and tests on their understanding of Swedish society, the center-right government said on Monday (February 9), according to Reuters News.
What do applicants need to do to apply for Swedish citizenship? According to the government, applicants must have lived in the country for five to eight years, have a monthly income of more than 20,000 Swedish Krona ($2,241), and pass a Swedish language and culture exam.
Since 2015, nearly 160,000 asylum seekers have sought refuge in Sweden, a country known for its high standard of living, advanced education system, technological advancements, and natural beauty, but successive governments have tightened immigration policies. Reuters reported that the coalition government of the Moderate Party, Christian Democrats, and Liberals is betting that a more restrictive line on immigration will prove popular with voters in September’s parliamentary elections.
Additionally, someone who has served a four-year prison sentence will have to wait 15 years to apply for Swedish citizenship. Notably, if you have a criminal record or have lived abroad, you will have to wait even longer to apply for Swedish citizenship.
“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 Carl Johan Henrik Forssell told reporters, according to Reuters.
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