Sweden Citizenship Test Study Guide 2026

Who can become a Swedish citizen

New rules for Swedish citizenship apply from 6 June 2026. The Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) decides on applications. You apply after you turn 18, and you must prove your identity, usually at an in-person visit.

Time abroad matters. Short trips do not count against you, but if you are away for more than six weeks in a year, the whole absence is deducted from your residence time.

The society test and the Swedish requirement

You can show knowledge of Swedish society with passing grades in social studies (samhällskunskap) from year 9, upper secondary school or municipal adult education (Komvux). If you cannot, you may need to take the society test (medborgarskapsprov om det svenska samhället). The first test was held in August 2026.

• The questions are multiple choice, with four options and one correct answer.
• The test is in Swedish and is written on paper.
• The Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) publishes test dates and registration. Only people who have received a letter from Migrationsverket can register.
• UHR has not yet published the number of questions, the time limit, the pass mark or the fee for the next test.

Swedish language

You need Swedish at level B1 for reading and listening and A2 for speaking and writing. A new Swedish language test is planned, but it may start later than planned. Until then you can show your Swedish in other ways, for example with grades from school or Komvux, the highest course of Swedish for immigrants (SFI), or the Tisus test.

The country of Sweden

Sweden has nearly 11 million people, and about 85% live in towns and cities. The capital, Stockholm, is the largest city; Gothenburg (Göteborg) and Malmö are next. The country is about 1,600 km long, from Treriksröset in the north to Smygehuk in the south.

• Sweden is one of five Nordic countries, with Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway.
• It has three main parts (landsdelar): Götaland, Svealand and Norrland. Norrland covers more than half of the country.
• There are 25 historic provinces (landskap), 21 counties (län) and 290 municipalities (kommuner).
• More than half of the land is forest. The largest lakes are Vänern, Vättern and Mälaren.
• The highest mountain is Kebnekaise, about 2,000 metres. The mountain range along the border with Norway is called Skanderna.
• The largest islands are Gotland and Öland. The Baltic Sea is to the east; Skagerrak and Kattegat are to the west.
• The largest mines are in Norrbotten, for example in Kiruna and Malmberget.

How Sweden is governed

Sweden is a parliamentary democracy. Democracy means rule by the people. Sweden is also a constitutional monarchy: the king or queen is head of state but has no political power.

The four fundamental laws (grundlagar)

State, regions and municipalities

• The Riksdag has 349 members. It makes laws and decides the state budget.
• The Riksdag elects the prime minister (statsminister), who chooses the ministers. The government presents a budget proposal every autumn.
• Several hundred public authorities do the daily work, such as the Tax Agency (Skatteverket) and the Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan). The Parliamentary Ombudsmen (JO) and the Chancellor of Justice (JK) check that authorities follow the law.
• The 21 regions are responsible for health care and public transport.
• The 290 municipalities run preschools, schools, elder care and social services, and set their own tax rate.

Elections and parties

Elections to the Riksdag, the regions and the municipalities are held on the same day every four years. Elections to the European Parliament are held every five years. You must be 18 to vote, and voting is secret.

Seats are shared in proportion to the votes, but a party needs at least 4% of the national vote to enter the Riksdag. Referendums (folkomröstningar) are advisory. In the 2003 referendum, voters chose to keep the krona instead of adopting the euro.

Law, media and human rights

Legal certainty (rättssäkerhet) means everyone is equal before the law, courts are independent, and you are innocent until a court finds you guilty. The police investigate crimes, a prosecutor (åklagare) decides whether to charge someone, and the courts decide guilt and punishment. The age of criminal responsibility is 15.

1. District court (tingsrätt): most cases start here. Lay judges (nämndemän), appointed by the political parties, sit with the judge.
2. Court of appeal (hovrätt): hears appeals from the district court.
3. Supreme Court (Högsta domstolen): hears only certain important cases.

Free media

The state may not decide what the media says. Under the principle of public access (offentlighetsprincipen), documents from authorities are open to everyone unless they are secret. Sources may stay anonymous. The public service companies SVT, Sveriges Radio and UR carry no advertising and are funded by a fee collected through taxes.

Rights and equality

• The UN was founded in 1945, and its Universal Declaration of Human Rights was presented in 1948.
• Discrimination is banned, and the Equality Ombudsman (DO) makes sure the law is followed. Crimes with a hate motive get a stricter sentence.
• Women and men have equal rights, and equal pay for equal work is required by law. Both parents can take paid parental leave.
• Sex must be voluntary for both people, also within marriage (the consent law). Buying sex is a crime for the buyer.
• Sweden was the first country to ban physical punishment of children, in 1979. The Convention on the Rights of the Child became Swedish law in 2020. Marriage under 18 is banned.
• Since 2000 there are five national minorities: Jews, Roma, Sami, Sweden Finns and Tornedalians. Their languages are Yiddish, Romani Chib, Sami, Finnish and Meänkieli. The Sami are also an Indigenous people with an elected Sami Parliament (Sametinget).

Work, money and the welfare state

About 30% of workers are in the public sector and about 70% in private companies. Wages are not set by the state. Trade unions (such as LO, TCO and SACO) and employers' organisations negotiate collective agreements (kollektivavtal). This is called the Swedish model.

• Everyone who works pays income tax and must declare their income to the Tax Agency. Working without paying tax is illegal.
• An unemployment insurance fund (a-kassa) pays members who have worked enough and are looking for work.
• The Enforcement Authority (Kronofogden) collects unpaid debts and can help people with large debts.
• Taxes pay for welfare: the state pays for pensions, sickness and parental insurance, study support and child benefit; the regions pay for health care; the municipalities pay for schools and elder care.
• Compulsory school (grundskola) is for children aged 6 to 16.

Modern history and Sweden in the world

During the Second World War, about 7,000 Danish Jews fled to Sweden, and the diplomat Raoul Wallenberg gave Jews protective passports. Sweden works with its neighbours in the Nordic Council, and is a member of the UN, the EU and the Council of Europe.

Everyone who lives in Sweden and is 16 to 70 has a duty to help in total defence. Military service (värnplikt) covers both women and men from 18.

Religion and traditions

Sweden is a secular state with freedom of religion. A law of 1951 gave everyone the right to choose their religion or have none, and in 2000 the state and the Church of Sweden were separated. The Church of Sweden, a Lutheran church, is still the largest faith community, and Islam is the second-largest religion.