A Quick Guide on Acquiring Swedish Citizenship for Indians

It has become a common trend to move across the globe and relocate from one place to another. In this regard, Indians often take an interest in moving to European countries like Sweden. It enables them to work and live across Sweden free of restrictions. Moreover, Swedish citizens are also free to work in any EU country.

Are you willing to find out more about Swedish citizenship for Indians? This article will give you a comprehensive guide.

Before knowing how to get citizenship in Sweden for Indians, it is essential to know the eligibility criteria for applying for it. These are as follows.

• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
• They must be permanent residents of Sweden for the past five years.
• Having valid proof as evidence of identity is a mandatory requirement.
• They must not have any ongoing prison sentence or criminal conviction.
• Applicants must live an orderly life. In addition, they must show financial stability, with zero outstanding payments during their stay in Sweden. 

There are different forms of getting citizenship in Sweden. For example, children can get citizenship by birth through legitimisation based on the citizenship of their parents. On the other hand, if you are married to a Swedish spouse, you will be able to apply for citizenship after living together in Sweden for three years. 

Apart from that, individuals can also acquire Swedish citizenship by notification. However, this applies to applicants aged at least 18 years who hold permanent residence permits for at least three years in Sweden. Therefore, it is a more straightforward way of naturalisation. On the other hand, the naturalisation process is for individuals from different nationalities to apply for Swedish citizenship once eligible for it.

Applying for Swedish citizenship can be a complicated process for Indian students. However, you can do it through both online and offline forms. The following steps can help fill out the form online.

Step 1: Go to the official website of the Swedish Migration Agency. Click on the "Apply for" icon on the Home page.

Step 2: Click on "Swedish Citizenship" from the drop-down list. On the new page, click on "Apply for Swedish Citizenship".

Step 3: Next, options will be based on the age group. Click on "Adults” and then on "Apply".

Step 4: Start filling in the application with accurate information. Finally, upload all the necessary documents and pay the fees.

Step 5: Submit your form. Wait for the Swedish Migration Agency to approve your application. 

If you cannot go through the online process, the following steps will guide you through the offline mode of application.

Step 1: Procure Form 316011 from the official website of the Swedish Migration Agency. It is available only in the Swedish language.

Step 2: Fill in this form carefully. Gather all the required documents.

Step 3: Submit the form with all the documents and application fees. You can mail it to Migrationsverket, Medborgarskapsenheten, 601 70 Norrköping.

Step 4: Wait for the Swedish Migration Agency to approve your application.

Once your application is approved, the Swedish Migration Agency will send the decision to your officially registered residence. Once you become a citizen, your residence permit card will freeze. After that, you can apply for a Swedish passport with the Swedish Police.

While completing the application process for Swedish citizenship from India, applicants must submit several documents to validate the application. The application can be rejected if these documents are not presented. These are listed below.

• Copy of passport
• Birth certificate
• Proof of residence in Sweden
• Documents to prove employment and stable livelihood

Previously, Sweden did not permit dual citizens. However, an amendment made to the Swedish constitution in July 2001 has made it legal for Swedish citizens to hold another nationality. This makes it easier for the Indian applicants to avoid losing their Indian citizenship after becoming a citizen of Sweden.

If you live in Sweden on a residence permit, you can bring your entire family here. However, there are no specific means of getting citizenship for the whole family. If you are married to a Swedish spouse, you can apply for Swedish citizenship after three years. On the other hand, children can get citizenship after turning about 12.

If you have a residence permit or citizenship, your relatives can easily apply for a residence permit. First, however, you will need to show that you can support them financially. 

A child born in Sweden can get Swedish citizenship by birth if at least one of the parents is a Swedish citizen. On the other hand, if Swedish parents adopt a child under 12 years, he or she receives Swedish citizenship automatically. However, if the child is 12 or more, he or she can sign the application stating his or her interest to become a Swedish citizen.

Now that you know how to apply for Swedish citizenship from India, you need to make sure that the application is approved. For this, you must avoid commonly made mistakes, as listed below.

1. Financial instability

The Swedish Migration Agency is likely to investigate the history of your stay in Sweden. You must demonstrate your financial stability with a steady job, livelihood and paid bills. Your application might be rejected if you have outstanding payments, including tax and utility bills.

2. Criminal convictions

The applicants must maintain a clean criminal record. Applicants must submit any criminal history while submitting the citizenship application. In most cases, having a serious criminal offence is likely to reject your application. Hence, it is advisable to comply with Swedish law.

3. Document fraud

The Swedish Migration Agency is likely to verify all the submitted documents and analyse these closely. In this regard, if they find forgery of documents, they will fail to confirm these. As a result, your application will be rejected. Thus, make sure to present authentic documents.