Court applies Sweden's eight-year citizenship rule to older application

A man who met Sweden's five-year residence rule when he applied for citizenship has lost his appeal after the requirement was raised to eight years while his case was pending.

The man, from a country outside the EU, had lived in Sweden since 2019 and applied in June 2025. The Swedish Migration Agency rejected the application on 9 June 2026, three days after the new rule took effect, according to the case report.

The Malmö Migration Court said Parliament deliberately allowed the law to start on 6 June without transition provisions. In this case, that meant the older application was tested against the new eight-year threshold, according to the court account.

For pending applicants, the decision shows that filing before 6 June did not, by itself, preserve the old five-year test. DailySweden's readiness guide explains the wider rule changes. The reports do not say whether this judgment has been appealed or become final.

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