Sweden granted citizenship to just 98 people in July, the first full month under tougher eligibility rules that have sharply changed how the country's Migration Agency processes applications.
Sweden's Migration Agency, Migrationsverket, received 2,369 new citizenship applications during the month and decided 2,825 cases, according to official figures. The agency has not said how many of those decisions resulted in rejections, according to the Brussels Signal.
The low number of grants comes after Sweden introduced stricter citizenship rules on June 6. The new law, adopted by the country's right-wing parliamentary majority, increased the standard residency requirement from five years to eight and added requirements covering self-sufficiency, conduct, Swedish language ability and knowledge of Swedish society.
The agency said the numbers should be read with caution. Sweden held its first citizenship test on August 15, and while awaiting results, Migrationsverket said it is mainly processing cases that end in refusal.
The majority of the 98 people granted citizenship in July were citizens of Finland, Norway or Denmark. Since June 6, only adult Nordic citizens, stateless children and young adults born in Sweden can still use the simplified notification process. Other applicants must apply under the new system and take the required tests.
The rules apply to all cases that were still open when the law took effect, even applications filed years earlier. Migrationsverket has said many cases now require additional documentation related to the new testing requirements.
By comparison, Sweden granted 1,602 citizenships in June and 18,332 during the first seven months of 2026.
Syrian nationals, who were once among the largest groups receiving Swedish citizenship, were largely absent from the July grants. In 2021, more than one-third of all new Swedish citizens were Syrian. Statistics Sweden recorded 100,761 Syrian nationals receiving citizenship between 2015 and 2021.
There were 103,598 open citizenship cases at the end of July. SVT reported in May that courts had ordered the agency to decide roughly 13,000 of those cases without further delay.
Sweden's Migration Agency, Migrationsverket, received 2,369 new citizenship applications during the month and decided 2,825 cases, according to official figures. The agency has not said how many of those decisions resulted in rejections, according to the Brussels Signal.
The low number of grants comes after Sweden introduced stricter citizenship rules on June 6. The new law, adopted by the country's right-wing parliamentary majority, increased the standard residency requirement from five years to eight and added requirements covering self-sufficiency, conduct, Swedish language ability and knowledge of Swedish society.
The agency said the numbers should be read with caution. Sweden held its first citizenship test on August 15, and while awaiting results, Migrationsverket said it is mainly processing cases that end in refusal.
The majority of the 98 people granted citizenship in July were citizens of Finland, Norway or Denmark. Since June 6, only adult Nordic citizens, stateless children and young adults born in Sweden can still use the simplified notification process. Other applicants must apply under the new system and take the required tests.
The rules apply to all cases that were still open when the law took effect, even applications filed years earlier. Migrationsverket has said many cases now require additional documentation related to the new testing requirements.
By comparison, Sweden granted 1,602 citizenships in June and 18,332 during the first seven months of 2026.
Syrian nationals, who were once among the largest groups receiving Swedish citizenship, were largely absent from the July grants. In 2021, more than one-third of all new Swedish citizens were Syrian. Statistics Sweden recorded 100,761 Syrian nationals receiving citizenship between 2015 and 2021.
There were 103,598 open citizenship cases at the end of July. SVT reported in May that courts had ordered the agency to decide roughly 13,000 of those cases without further delay.
