How do crimes affect a citizenship application?
Crimes can entail a waiting period (qualifying period) before citizenship can be granted. How long depends on the sanction – from about a year for fines to considerably longer for prison sentences. Information is retrieved automatically from the criminal record.
How are crimes assessed?
Migrationsverket retrieves information directly from the Police criminal record. The sanction determines the qualifying period: fines give shorter waiting time, prison, probation and suspended sentences longer. Time is normally counted from when the crime was committed or from served sentence.
Should I state crimes in the application?
Yes, always – even though information is retrieved from registers anyway. Omitting information can itself be seen as dishonesty and complicate the assessment of your way of life.
Suspected and ongoing investigations
Ongoing criminal investigations can also cause the case to be suspended until the investigation is complete. The application is not automatically refused – but the decision may be delayed.
Common situations
You received fines several years ago
Minor fine offences have a relatively short qualifying period. If sufficient time has passed since the offence it usually does not prevent citizenship – state the information honestly in the application.
You have a conviction from another country
Foreign convictions should also be stated. Attach the judgment with translation so it can be assessed correctly.
Common mistakes
- •Omitting crimes in the application – the register check will reveal them anyway.
- •Applying too early, before the qualifying period has likely expired.
- •Forgetting foreign convictions.
Related questions
How long is the qualifying period?
It depends on the sanction – from roughly a couple of years for fines to many years for longer prison sentences. Check current guidelines with Migrationsverket.
Are records cleared automatically?
Information is purged from the criminal record after a certain time, but Migrationsverket's assessment is based on when the crime was committed and the sanction – not only the register.
Can I get citizenship with an ongoing investigation?
The case is often suspended until the investigation is complete. A decision will therefore come later than otherwise.
Always check current rules with Migrationsverket as rules may change.
Important to know
- • Migrationsguiden is a private service and is not affiliated with Migrationsverket (the Swedish Migration Agency) or any other authority.
- • The information is for guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. We make no decisions and do not determine whether an application will be approved.
- • Always check the current rules with Migrationsverket before submitting your application.