The government has ordered the Swedish Council for Higher Education (Universitets- och högskolerådet, UHR) to carry out a feasibility study into the introduction of a Swedish citizenship test, with the help of the National Agency for Education and the Migration Agency.
In a statement, the government writes that in order to fast track the introduction of the test, it should be rolled out in two steps: first, a test which will quiz citizenship applicants on their knowledge of Swedish society as well as their Swedish reading and listening abilities.
It writes that the second step, which will take longer to prepare, will test applicants on their written and oral Swedish.
The first step of the citizenship test should be introduced "as soon as possible, but by August 17th 2026 at the latest".
UHR has until April 7th 2025 to report back to the government on examination fees, the economic impact for the government agencies and other organisations involved in introducing the test, as well as a plan for how their work on introducing the test is expected to proceed.
THE LOCAL'S QUIZ:
By June 15th 2026 it has to present the final draft of the Swedish language test.
It is not yet clear how the test will affect those who apply for citizenship before it comes into force. The original inquiry recommended that only those who apply after it is rolled out should have to sit the test, but the government has indicated it may try to overrule this.
The inquiry, which was commissioned by the previous centre-left government, presented its report in 2021.
Becky Waterton, Editor, The Local Denmark
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