Rights of Foreigners: Sweden
Gunilla Edelstam
Assoc. Prof., Dr. (public law)
Third-country citizens are referred to as foreigners that are not citizens of a Member State, any other EEA-state or Switzerland. A third-country citizen with permanent residence permit in Sweden has the rights and duties that Swedish citizens have but there are certain exceptions concerning employment in the public service and they are of course not allowed to vote in parliamentary elections. EC legislation concerning third-country nationals has been implemented in the national legal order but it has not implied any major changes as far as the possibilities for third-country nationals to have the right to permanent residence permit is concerned. Sweden had, on the whole, a rather similar legislation concerning immigration before implementing EC-law. It is not very difficult for a third country national, that has permanent residence permit in Sweden, to obtain citizenship. After five years (four years for refugees) it is possible for him or her to become a Swedish citizen.
