Swedish Citizenship Language Requirement

Since 6 June 2026, most adults who apply for Swedish citizenship have to show that they know Swedish and something about Swedish society. Migrationsverket describes this as a new knowledge requirement. The rules are new and parts of them are still being rolled out, so this guide sets out what applies today and links to the official pages you should check before you apply.

What changed on 6 June 2026

An amended Citizenship Act took effect on 6 June 2026. According to Migrationsverket, the agency assesses every application under the new rules, including applications submitted before 6 June that hadn't been decided by then. So if your application was pending when the law changed, the language requirement applies to you too.

The same reform also brought in a longer residence period (eight years as the main rule), a self-support requirement and stricter conduct rules. Migrationsverket summarises them in How do you become a Swedish citizen?. This guide is about the language part.

The level you need

Migrationsverket measures Swedish against the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR, in Swedish GERS). The requirement is split by skill (source):

• Reading and listening comprehension: B1
• Speaking and writing: A2

On the CEFR global scale, B1 means understanding the main points of clear, standard language on familiar matters, and A2 means handling simple, routine exchanges and describing your background and immediate needs in simple terms. Understanding is set one level higher than producing.

There is a separate requirement to know about Swedish society, which you can meet with a pass in social studies (samhällskunskap) from Swedish school or Komvux, or by taking the civics part of the citizenship test.

Who has to meet it

The knowledge requirement applies to applicants aged 16 to 66 (Migrationsverket). The same page lists these exceptions:

• Stateless people born in Sweden who are under 21.
• Nordic citizens who become Swedish by notification (anmälan). This applies only to the notification route: a Nordic citizen who files an ordinary application (ansökan) must meet the requirement (Migrationsverket).
• People who can't meet the requirement because of a disability or other circumstances can be exempted, fully or partly. This is assessed case by case.

How to prove your Swedish today

The plan is for a state citizenship test (medborgarskapsprov) to cover both Swedish and civics. The Swedish part doesn't exist yet, so for now you show your level with documents. Migrationsverket's list of accepted qualifications includes a pass grade in Swedish or Swedish as a second language (svenska som andraspråk) from:

• compulsory school, year 9 (including adapted compulsory school and special school),
• upper secondary school (gymnasiet) or studies at a folk high school (folkhögskola),
• municipal adult education (Komvux).

It also accepts:

• a pass in the highest SFI course (course D; from 2027 the SFI courses are renamed, and the highest is 1D, 2D or 3D depending on study path, see our SFI guide),
• a pass in Swedish from compulsory or upper secondary school in another Nordic country,
• a pass (godkänt resultat) on Tisus, Stockholm University's test of the Swedish needed for university studies,
• another Swedish test that shows functional-level Swedish with a high degree of certainty.

During the transitional period, Migrationsverket names Swedex as an example of such a test (source). The page doesn't say which Swedex result counts or how long this transitional acceptance will last. Note also that Folkuniversitetet, which runs Swedex, says the test can no longer be taken from 31 December 2026. If you plan to rely on a Swedex certificate, check with Migrationsverket first. Our Swedex vs TISUS guide compares the two tests.

The citizenship test: where things stand

The test is run by the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) and is being introduced in stages:

• Civics test: the first one was held in August 2026, and UHR plans the next for April–May 2027. You can only register after you get a letter from Migrationsverket, and registration is currently closed (UHR).
• Swedish test: this is where the timeline is moving. Migrationsverket first said the language test would come no earlier than autumn 2027. On 30 September 2026 it reported that the test may be postponed: UHR's final report recommends introducing the reading and listening part in autumn 2029, and estimates speaking and writing at 2030 at the earliest. The government will decide the start date.

The important point is that the requirement already applies, even though the test doesn't exist yet. A postponed test doesn't mean you can skip the requirement. You just prove your Swedish with other documents in the meantime.

Practical next steps

1. Check your age and route. If you're between 16 and 66 and not in an exempt group, plan for the requirement.
2. Gather what you already have: SFI, Komvux or Swedish school certificates, or a pass on Tisus.
3. No proof yet? Pick a route. If you live in Sweden, SFI (up to course D) and Komvux Swedish both end in grades Migrationsverket accepts (see our SFI guide). Tisus is accepted too, but it's designed to show you can study at a Swedish university, and Stockholm University describes it as an advanced-level exam, so it's a demanding route if citizenship is your only goal.
4. Re-check before you apply. The fee, the documents and the test timeline are on Migrationsverket's citizenship page, and they may change while the test is being introduced.

Not sure what B1 and A2 mean for your own Swedish? See What Swedish level do I need?

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