Sweden Lists 5 Categories of Foreigners Who Can Get Citizenship Without Employment
- Sweden's migration authority has outlined specific groups of foreign nationals who are exempt from the country's strict self-sufficiency rule for citizenship
- The maintenance requirement normally applies to all applicants between the ages of 18 and 67, making steady income a core part of the citizenship process
- Several categories of people, including full-time university students and those with certain disabilities, may qualify without meeting the income condition
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Sweden has published the categories of foreign nationals who can apply for citizenship without needing to prove they are employed, according to guidelines from the country's Migration Agency.
Under Swedish law, anyone between the ages of 18 and 67 applying for citizenship must ordinarily meet what is called the maintenance requirement, meaning they must demonstrate a regular income from employment or self-employment.
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Capital gains and investment income do not count towards this threshold, and neither do various forms of state support such as unemployment benefit, activity support, development allowance, or establishment allowance. Income from subsidised employment schemes, including special employment support and new start jobs, is also excluded.
Swedish citizenship: Who's exempt from income requirement
However, the Migration Agency has outlined several groups who are not required to satisfy the maintenance condition.
1. Applicants who are entitled to an income-based old-age pension, a guaranteed pension, or income support for the elderly are exempt.
2. Full-time students enrolled at a Swedish university or university college pursuing an undergraduate, advanced, or postgraduate degree also qualify, provided they have maintained approved academic results and have not received income support for more than six months during the three years before a decision is made on their application.
3. A similar exemption applies to those studying full-time on a course leading to a higher vocational education qualification or its specialised equivalent, subject to the same six-month income support restriction within the three years before application.
4. Students attending upper secondary school are also covered.
5. Beyond students and pensioners, the Migration Agency acknowledges that certain personal circumstances may make it unreasonable to expect an applicant to meet the income requirement at all. Individuals with a disability that makes employment impractical fall into this category, and their cases are assessed on an individual basis.
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Sweden lists 5 categories of foreigners who can get citizenship without permanent residency
For all other applicants who do not fall into these exempt groups, demonstrating a stable, self-generated income remains a firm requirement before Swedish citizenship can be granted.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
