What has happened?
Since the beginning of April, applicants for Swedish citizenship have had to undertake an in-person identity check at Migration Agency offices in order to qualify for citizenship.
The agency told The Local in mid-May that approvals for citizenship by naturalisation ‒ the most common route ‒ had been on hold since April 1st awaiting a final decision on the routines regulating the system of in-person identification, a key part of new security checks the right-wing government coalition ordered in January.
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Mats Rosenqvist, section head for the Migration Agency, told The Local at the time that everything was ready in practical terms, and that his team was just waiting for the director general, Maria Mindhammar, to sign the directive enabling them to launch the new process.
The directive was necessary to give the Migration Agency the legal right to ask applicants to come to one of their offices in person to show their ID – and to give the agency the power to, for example, reject the application of a person who fails to show up.
Now these legal requirements are in place, the agency can invite applicants to "personal appearances".
Can I just turn up whenever?
It may be tempting to just turn up at the Migration Agency's offices and get your in-person ID check out of the way, but you'll most likely be turned away.
There are no drop-in times, rather you'll need to book an appointment in advance at one of eight different Migration Agency offices across the country. If you live outside of Sweden, you'll be able to visit a Swedish consulate or embassy abroad.
What will happen at the appointment?
According to Sara Sjudin, section head at the Migration Agency, the appointment primarily consists of checking that you and your ID match records in the Migration Agency’s system.
“It will partly consist of comparing images in the system with the physical person in front of them, and potentially asking some questions if needed. If it’s a simple case, then it should be enough to just check that it’s the same person,” she told The Local back in May, adding that the agency allots “around fifteen to twenty minutes” for each appointment.
How do I book an appointment?
You'll be sent a letter when it's your turn to book an appointment which will tell you how to book. You'll be able to choose a date, time and location that suits you, so you won't necessarily have to go to the closest office if another one has a time that works better.
The letter will also include information on any documents you'll need to take with you.
“When you get the letter, it will give you instructions for logging into Min Sida, where you’ll be able to go in and look at the available times and book one in a place and time which suits you,” Sjudin said.
You have eight weeks from the date your letter is sent to book an appointment.
When will they start sending out letters?
The Migration Agency started sending out letters at the end of May, and the earliest appointments were offered at the beginning of June.
“You’ll just get a letter in the post, nothing through your Min Sida page,” Sjudin said.
How can I speed up my application?
There’s not much you can do to speed up the process leading up to the personal ID check, other than making sure you submit all the relevant documentation at the point of application.
You should, however, book an appointment as soon as you can once you’re contacted by the agency to do so.
“The most important thing is that when you get a letter, go and book a time for your appointment straight away,” Sjudin said. “The faster you do that, the faster you can get a response.”
Will everyone get a letter at once?
No. The personal ID checks are essentially the final stage of a citizenship application, so they will be sent out to people who have reached this stage of their application.
“It’s those cases who are in the final stages and who only need a personal ID check before their application can be granted,” Sjudin said.
“You don’t need to be worried if you don’t get a letter, because letters are going to be sent out successively, all the time, every day.”
She added that once you’ve completed the personal ID check, a decision should be “pretty fast”.
What's in the letter?
The Local has seen a copy of the letter sent by the Migration Agency to a citizenship applicant, which detailed how exactly to book an appointment and the documents needed (passport or a Swedish form of ID if you don't have a passport).
We've translated it into English here.
Where can I go?
You'll be able to book an appointment in Malmö, Växjö, Gothenburg, Norrköping, Örebro, Sundbyberg, Sundsvall or Boden.
Applicants who are not resident in Sweden can instead present themselves at a Swedish embassy or consulate staffed by foreign ministry employees.
Are there any exceptions?
Generally speaking, no, although there are plans in the works to allow some applicants ‒ specifically those with a biometric chip in their passport ‒ to verify their identity digitally through the Freja app. It's not clear when this will be possible, so for now, everyone, no matter their country of origin, will need to turn up and verify their identity in person.
Having said that, the agency does say on its website that in some very specific cases you may be able to get citizenship without verifying your identity, "for example if you cannot move, not even with help, or if you have such a serious illness or disability that you cannot visit the Migration Agency in person".
In that case, it says, you will need to back this up with documentation, for example a doctors' note or documentation from the Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan).
What happens if I don't turn up?
The Migration Agency warns that if you don't carry out a personal visit then you could risk having your application rejected. A personal identity check is now a requirement for citizenship, so you would be unable to become a Swedish citizen without undertaking one.
“If someone doesn’t turn up, we will send them a reminder,” Sjudin said.
If you cannot attend an appointment within eight weeks of your letter being sent, then you must contact the agency and let them know.
If you don't have an accepted form of ID then other rules apply, including among other things an extended period of living in the country before you qualify.
Article by Becky Waterton, Migration Agency interview by Richard Orange.
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