Sweden will introduce stricter requirements for people applying for Swedish citizenship, including a longer residency period, income thresholds, and language and culture tests, according to Reuters.
The changes will be relevant for Swedish citizens living in Asia with family members who are not Swedish citizens.
Applicants will in future be required to have lived in Sweden for eight years before applying for citizenship, an increase from the current five-year requirement.
Under the new rules, applicants must also earn more than 20,000 Swedish crowns ($2,225) per month and pass tests assessing their knowledge of the Swedish language and society.
Sweden has gradually tightened its immigration rules since 2015, when about 160,000 asylum seekers arrived in the country.
Under the current rules, applicants can apply for Swedish citizenship after five years of residence, without formal requirements related to income, language skills, or knowledge of Swedish society.
Forssell calls it reasonable
Migration Minister Johan Forssell said the new rules represent a significant tightening compared with the current system.
“These requirements are much tougher than the situation as it is today because currently there are basically no requirements,” Forssell says to Reuters.
Applicants with criminal records in Sweden or abroad will be required to wait even longer before they become eligible to apply for citizenship.
“It seems reasonable that you should know whether Sweden is a monarchy or a republic, if you want to be a citizen,” Forssell told Reuters.
The government said the new citizenship rules are expected to come into force on 6 June.
