The income requirement for Swedish citizenship 2026

From 6 June 2026, meeting the residence and knowledge requirements is no longer enough to become a Swedish citizen — you must also be able to support yourself. The new income requirement (försörjningskrav) is one of the sharpest changes in the legislative package, and it raises a lot of questions: how much must I earn, what counts as income, and what happens if I’ve received income support? This guide walks through the figures and the rules — and where they fit within the new requirements for citizenship in 2026.

Note: Bli Svensk is independent study material, not a government authority. Amounts and rules are decided and applied by the Swedish parliament, the government and Migrationsverket. The income base amount changes every year, so always check the current figure at migrationsverket.se before calculating your own situation.

How high is the income requirement?

Your income must equal at least three income base amounts (inkomstbasbelopp) per year. The income base amount for 2026 is SEK 83,400, which gives a requirement of roughly:

• SEK 250,200 per year, or
• about SEK 20,850 per month before tax.

Migrationsverket itself describes the requirement as “about SEK 20,000 per month before tax.” Because the amount is tied to the income base amount, it changes from year to year — so always calculate using the current figure for the year your case is assessed.

What counts as income

To meet the income requirement, you must:

• have a durable income from employment or self-employment (business) that is not subsidised (meaning your employer does not receive financial support for your employment),
• not have received income support (försörjningsstöd) for more than six months in total over the past three years, and
• be able to show that your means of support are stable over time.

So it is not only how much you earn right now that matters, but that the income is reliable and not temporary.

What you cannot count

Several common sources of money fall outside the income requirement. You cannot count:

• a partner’s income — the requirement is about supporting yourself,
• assets, such as savings or property,
• temporary employment without durability.

This is important to understand early: a large amount of savings or a well-paid partner will not help you meet the requirement. It is your own stable income from work or business that counts.

Who is exempt?

The income requirement does not apply to everyone. You may be exempt if, for example, you:

• have an old-age pension,
• have a lasting disability, or
• are studying at a particular level with passing results — for example full-time studies at a Swedish university or university college leading to a degree.

Migrationsverket decides whether an exemption applies in your case. Note too that children do not have to meet the income requirement — but from 6 June, a child must submit their own application.

Does the requirement apply if I have already applied?

Yes. The new rules take effect with no transitional provisions. This means Migrationsverket assesses every application not decided before 6 June 2026 under the new requirements — even if you submitted your application earlier. If you have a case in progress, the new rules, including the income requirement, apply to you.

Where the income requirement fits in the bigger picture

The income requirement is just one of several changes. To become a Swedish citizen as an adult from 6 June 2026, you generally need to meet:

1. The residence requirement — eight years of living in Sweden as the main rule (shorter for some groups).
2. The good-conduct requirement — an honest way of life, with a longer waiting period after crimes.
3. The income requirement — what we have covered here.
4. The knowledge requirement — Swedish and civics, for those aged 16 to 66.

Read the full picture in our pillar guide: Swedish citizenship 2026: all the new requirements.

What you can do now

The income requirement is about your finances, but the knowledge requirement takes preparation — and you can make real progress today:

1. Get an overview. Browse our practice material and sample questions to see what the civics test covers.
2. Find the right tool. See our comparison of the best app for the Swedish citizenship test.
3. Practise in the app. The Bli Svensk app has practice questions for all 13 chapters plus a simulated UHR test with 60 questions and a 90-minute countdown. Three chapters are free.

Frequently asked questions

How high is the income requirement for citizenship in 2026? Your income must equal at least three income base amounts per year. At 2026 levels that is around SEK 250,200 per year — which Migrationsverket describes as about SEK 20,000 per month before tax.

What income counts toward the requirement? A durable income from employment or self-employment (business) that is not subsidised. The income must be stable over time and not merely temporary.

What can’t I count? You cannot count a partner’s income, assets such as savings or property, or temporary employment without durability.

Does income support (försörjningsstöd) affect the requirement? Yes. You must not have received income support for more than six months in total over the past three years.

Who is exempt from the income requirement? Among others, people with an old-age pension or a lasting disability, and certain people studying at a particular level with passing results — for example full-time studies at a Swedish university leading to a degree.

Does the requirement apply if I have already applied? Yes. There are no transitional provisions. Migrationsverket assesses every case not decided before 6 June 2026 under the new rules.