Sweden Explains How Long Special-Case Foreigners Must Wait Before Applying for Citizenship
- Sweden's Migration Agency published guidelines showing how long people with criminal records must wait before applying for citizenship
- The qualifying period varies based on the sentence received, ranging from two years for minor fines to 17 years for a six-year prison term
- People who have committed multiple crimes may face longer waiting periods than those listed in the official table
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Sweden's Migration Agency has published detailed guidelines showing how long foreigners with criminal records must wait before they can apply for Swedish citizenship.
According to the official guidance, the waiting period, referred to as a "qualifying period," is typically counted from the date the crime was committed.
Source: UGC
However, for individuals who served a long prison sentence, the clock starts only after the sentence has been completed.
Sweden citizenship: Conditions for special foreigners applying
Before any application can be considered, the agency requires that the applicant has fully served any prison sentence, that any probationary period following conditional release has ended, and that all court-ordered fines have been paid in full.
The qualifying periods set out by the Migration Agency are as follows:
- Day fines of 30 or more carry a minimum wait of two years after the crime, with 50 day-fines estimated at roughly 2.5 years
- Day fines of 60 or more require at least three years, and 100 or more require at least four years
- A suspended sentence requires at least four years from the date the judgment took effect
- A probation order requires at least five years from the start of the probation period
- One month in prison carries a minimum qualifying period of seven years after the crime
- One year in prison requires at least 10 years after the crime
- Four years in prison requires at least 15 years after completing the sentence
- Six years in prison requires at least 17 years after completing the sentence
- A restraining order requires at least two years after the most recent order expired
Where a suspended sentence or probation is handed down alongside a prison term or day-fines, the qualifying period will be extended beyond the standard guidelines.
People who have committed crimes on multiple occasions may also face a longer wait than the figures in the table suggest, as each application is assessed individually.
For those sentenced to special care rather than a conventional punishment, the Migration Agency looks at what sentence would ordinarily apply for the same offence and uses that as the basis for calculating the qualifying period.
Qatari citizenship: Years of continuous residence required
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Qatar's government has outlined the official requirements foreigners must meet before they can apply for Qatari citizenship.
Applicants must also meet strict conduct, language, and financial requirements, and face a significant trade-off regarding dual nationality.
Source: Legit.ng
