The Swedish government has announced that foreigners applying for citizenship in 2026 must earn at least SEK 20,850 (roughly ₦3,900,000) per month before tax to meet the country's maintenance requirement. This new threshold applies to all citizenship applicants aged between 18 and 67, according to the Swedish Migration Agency.
Annual Income Threshold and Qualifying Sources
To satisfy the requirement, an applicant's annual income must reach at least three income base amounts, which translates to SEK 250,200 (about ₦46,800,000) before tax for 2026. However, not every source of money counts towards this threshold. The government specified that only income from employment or self-employment is acceptable. Capital gains, investment returns, and dividends do not qualify.
Several forms of subsidised employment are also excluded, including special employment support, new start jobs, and establishment jobs. Additionally, payments such as unemployment benefit, activity support, development allowance, and establishment allowance cannot be used to meet the income requirement. The income must be the applicant's own, earned directly through work.
Social Assistance Rule and Maintenance Requirement
Beyond the income threshold, Sweden also requires that applicants have not relied on social assistance for longer than six months during the three years immediately before a citizenship decision is made. This condition runs alongside the income requirement and is independently assessed. Together, both conditions form the maintenance requirement that Sweden uses to evaluate whether a citizenship applicant can financially support themselves without depending on public funds.
The maintenance requirement is one of several criteria foreigners must meet when applying for Swedish citizenship as adults. Other conditions include a minimum period of legal residence in Sweden and a clean record with the authorities.
Related Changes for International Students
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Sweden had announced fresh residence permit requirements for foreign students in 2026. International students with unlimited work hours were also covered in previous reports. The Swedish Parliament approved changes that place restrictions on how much students can work during their studies, raise academic performance requirements, and require students to report their home address to the Swedish Migration Agency. Under the new framework, international students are no longer free to work unlimited hours during their studies.
