Foreigners who want to obtain Swedish citizenship may soon be subject to stricter rules as Sweden wants to tighten some of the criteria.
In an interview with Sveriges Radio, the Migration Minister of Sweden, Maria Malmer Stenergard, said that the current requirements need to be strengthened so that foreigners are more motivated to get integrated into society, Schengen.News reports.
As the Minister revealed, one of the changes that the country plans to make is the extension of the residency period requirement in order to be eligible to apply for Swedish citizenship.
Instead of the current five-year residency period requirement, Sweden wants to require foreigners to legally reside in the country for a least eight years before being able to submit a citizenship application.
Swedish Language Test to Become Mandatory
In addition, during the same interview, Minister Stenergard said that the country is also considering introducing a Swedish language test for all those who want to become citizens of the country.
By making the Swedish language test mandatory, the Minister emphasised that the country wants to ensure that every new citizen is aware of their rights and responsibilities.
While the authorities have yet to share specific details about the language test requirement, it is believed that the test will be mandatory for those between the ages of 16 and 65.
Sweden Also Wants to Introduce a Culture Test & Financial Requirements
Apart from the language test, Sweden also plans to introduce a culture test.
This test will be in a digital format, and its main purpose is to evaluate if foreigners who want to become Swedish citizens have the needed knowledge to live in the country.
The Minister noted that a requirement for financial independence will also be introduced.
The aim of this requirement is to ensure that foreigners who want to obtain Swedish citizenship are able to support themselves financially.
The proposal made by the authorities will now be discussed, and a deadline has been set for September 30, 2024, to decide whether the citizenship requirements will be tightened or not.
If the proposal is approved, the new tightened citizenship rules are expected to become effective on January 1, 2025.
Source: https://schengen.news/sweden-to-make-it-more-difficult-for-foreigners-to-obtain-swedish-citizenship/
