Those chosen to take the test will be contacted by the Swedish Migration Agency in advance and will be able to apply from the start of June,according to the council's website. There will be no fee.
The council on May 6th released a 48-page PDF booklet, called Sverige i fokus, to help applicants prepare for the test, which will be offered in a multiple choice format.
"There will only be one test in 2026, and it is specifically on Saturday, August 15th," Dani Backteg, press spokesperson for the Council told The Local. "The government has set a maximum limit of 1,000 people, so it will be just 1,000 people this first time."
Backteg said that the study materials and background information had been ready for some time, but that the agency had been able to release it after the government issued a new regulation on the citizenship test last Thursday, which came into force on May 6th.
Although the council has decided that the test will take place in Stockholm, the exact location only be shared with those taking it.
"The individuals taking the test will receive that information, but we choose not to go out with it publicly," Backteg said. "It is a security issue because some of those taking the test will be people granted political asylum."
The topics covered in the booklet include Swedish history, geography, labour market, place in the world, and cultural traditions and holidays.
But the emphasis, judging from what takes up the most space, is on the Swedish democratic system, with chapters on law and government, the rights of citizens and people in Sweden (including the rights of children and minority groups), the role of the media, and religious freedom, among others.
The knowledge requirements will apply as a general rule to anyone aged between 18 and 67, and applicants will be able to show proof of this knowledge through the official citizenship test.
Mandy Pipher contributed to this article.
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