By Guest Contributors, Cecilia Wachtmeister and Anna-Therese
Melén at Wachtmeister
Advokatbyrå AB.
Under Swedish law, a person can acquire Swedish citizenship
through birth, adoption, legitimization (if under 18), or
naturalization.
Citizenship by Birth
Swedish citizenship law primarily follows the principle
ofjus sanguinis, meaning citizenship is derived
from a parent rather than place of birth (jus
soli). Historically, Sweden's nationality laws have
evolved significantly. Before 1979, the Swedish Citizenship Act of
1950 distinguished between children born in and out of wedlock. A
child born out of wedlock automatically received Swedish
citizenship only if the mother was Swedish, whereas a child born to
a married couple received Swedish citizenship if the father was
Swedish. This changed on July 1, 1979, when the law was amended to
grant Swedish citizenship to any child born to a Swedish mother,
regardless of her marital status or the child's place of
