Swedish citizenship through a parent

Who qualifies

• Likely SwedishA parent who was Swedish when you were bornSince 2015 this applies whichever parent is Swedish, and whether or not your parents were married.
• Older rulesBorn abroad before April 1, 2015 to a Swedish father not married to your motherYou only became Swedish if your parents married, or your father registered you, before you turned 18.
• Not at birthBorn before July 1, 1979 to a Swedish mother married to a non-Swedish fatherYou weren’t Swedish at birth, and the chance to register closed in 1982.
• Usually notBorn after your Swedish parent became a US or Canadian citizen before July 1, 2001Your parent usually lost Swedish citizenship then, so you didn’t inherit it. The chance for them to get it back by notification ended in 2003.
• Usually notOnly a Swedish grandparent or earlier ancestorSwedish citizenship passes from parent to child. Unless a parent was Swedish, there’s no descent route.

The age 22 rule

If you were born outside Sweden, have never lived in Sweden and don’t have strong ties to it, you lose Swedish citizenship automatically when you turn 22. To keep it, apply to the Migration Agency after you turn 18 and before you turn 22. You don’t need to apply if you lived in Sweden before 22, had one longer stay there, or visited regularly. Applying is free.

If you lose it at 22, any children who are Swedish only through you lose it too.

Sweden tightened its rules for naturalizing in June 2026, but those changes don’t affect who is Swedish through a parent or the age 22 rule.

Apply through a Swedish embassy or consulate general (not an honorary consulate), either in person or by mail, sending certified copies. The form must be signed by hand.

How to apply

1. Check your parent was Swedish when you were bornTheir Swedish passport from around your birth is the easiest proof.
2. Get a Swedish coordination number firstIt’s free and takes about 8 weeks. You can’t book a passport appointment without a Swedish ID number.
3. Apply for a Swedish passport in personIn the US that means the embassy in Washington DC or the consulates general in New York or San Francisco. It costs US$172 (from July 1, 2026) and is usually ready in 2 to 4 weeks.
4. If you were born abroad, mind the age 22 deadlineApply to keep your citizenship between 18 and 22 unless you’ve lived in Sweden.

Documents

• Your full birth certificate, showing your parents’ names
• Proof your parent was Swedish when you were born, such as their Swedish passport
• Your parents’ marriage certificate, if relevant to your birth date
• Your current passport
• Proof of how you got your other citizenship, such as a naturalization certificate (a US passport alone isn’t enough)

For UK, Irish and US certificates, see where to order certificates.

Common questions

What a Swedish passport gives you

The right to live, work, study and retire across all 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. See what an EU passport lets you do.