This is incorrect. Sweden allows dual citizenship. I’ve never heard of any exceptions or complications surrounding this. The problem for all immigrants I’ve spoken to has been that their countries of origin do not allow dual citizenship. For example, a Thai I know had to renounce her Thai citizenship when she turned 18 since Thailand didn’t allow dual citizenship, while Sweden did, and, as far as I know, does.
Sure?
I know that the laws are about to change, but I distincly remember a case a few years ago, when a famous Swedish hockey player wasn’t allowed to play for Sweden anymore, as he had applied for a US passport.
I found the story here. Apparently it was in the 1998 olympics:
[sub](I know that a Canadian sports site is maybe not the ultimate reference in Swedish legal matters, but at least it supports my position…)[/sub]
After some research, I have found out that the Swedish laws have indeed changed. There was a new law in 2001 that effectively allows dual citizenship.
I’m really confused now.
Surfing the website of the Swedish Department of Migration I see that you can apply to lose your Swedish citizenship if and only if you are a citizen of another country. If you’ve been offered such citizenship or are planning to apply for such citizenship you can apply to lose your Swedish one, but it won’t come into effect until you have a new one. Sweden, apparently, will never turn anyone stateless.
However, you’re allowed to have dual citizenship. BUT, this changed with the adoption of the Citizenship Act of 2001; prior to this, it was not allowed. But my Thai acquaintance turned 18 in 1997, and was still told that Sweden allowed dual citizenship but Thailand did not. I suppose I have to trust the Department of Migration to know what it’s talking about, but something’s weird.
Anyway, we’ll call this dispute a draw. Dual citizenship is allowed now, but wasn’t two years ago.
You don’t say WHY you want to leave the States, except that you were discussing immigration. Is it because you think there is too much immigration into the US? If so, don’t bother. It’s worse in Europe!
You can - the sticky point is whether the country lets you. Barring automatic conditions (refugee, marriage, etc.) most countries have a point system. If you have enough points, they let you in.
So if I think that there’s too much immigration into my country, you think a reasonable course of action is for me to immigrate into another country? You do see the flaw of logic there, right?
Yes of course, that’s the point I was trying to make!
OK then. Sorry, I suppose it’s time to change the batteries in the old sarcasm detector again.
We have no plans to leave the US… at least, not anytime soon. It was more a daydream “boy that would be kinda cool” sort of thing.
Thank, everyone, for the info!
Popup
Switzerland … you just have to pay a small fee of … ~USD 10,000.
Clearly they don’t want you unless you move in circles where that’s considered a small fee. Still, could be worse; you can only get residence in Jersey (UK Channel Islands) if your capital assets exceed £12 million, your annual income exceeds £750,000, and you pay Jersey income tax of at least £150,000 pa.
Note to others: the last 2 are jokes by Priceguy. Tells you something about Swedish humor. Now, Norwegians actually know how to be funny.
Yes, the eskimoes aren’t really all that friendly and the polar bears only walk on the streets when bored. Otherwise they’re clever enough to use the sidewalks.
Note to others: the last sentence is a joke by ftg. Tells you something about Icelandic humor.
I am a Finnish citizen.
I have migrated to Sweden a couple of times. My hobby is to get involved with the authoroties in any country. I am a trouble-magnet.
I migrated to Russia.
I fixed a one year multi-time business visa.
It was year 1996. A tourist can take a car and 50 kg of bagage to Russia.
Well, I had a car + a trailer with 700 kg of books and furniture.
The Finnish customs just laughed.
The Russian customs went crazy. Looking at the Finnish register-plates, then at me, then at the trailer:
- “What the fuck are You trying to do?” (He spoke Russian which I understood only partly, but the Russian custom-guys speaks also Finnish, so we spoke partly both).
- “I come and live in Your country.”
- “You can’t! It’s forbidden!”
- “No it is not forbidden, You have a new Constitution and it says I can come!” (I was not sure what their Constitutions says, but I knew that neither were the customs).
- “No You can’t!”
- “Look at my visa. I have a visa for one year. How the fuck do You think I live in Russia one year?. Moving there of course!”
- “But You can’t move just like that!”
- “I can, I have a paper right here, a visa that is given by Your consulate in Helsinki, that works under the Russian Foreign ministery. If You have something to complain, complain to Moscow.”
- “No. You go back!”
- “I do not go back, there is no work for me there, but in Your country there is very much to do.”
- “You go back to Your country with that stuff. A tourist can only take 50 kilograms with him!”
- “But I am not a tourist. I do not have a tourist visa, I have a business visa.”
- “We go to the boss!”
We went. He said the same. I asked what law goes over their Foreign ministery and their Constitution?
We went to the next chief.
He said: “Technically this Finn can go where-ever, but he can’t take that load with him.”
I protested that I can migrate if I wish and if I do not do anything wrong, I go to the militzia in St petersburg after a year and re-new my visa.
I argued that I can not make business if I do not have my books with me and that they alone weighted about 200 kg.
We went to the Big Chief. We were seven curious officials plus me.
He saw everyone coming to his door and asked something like:
“What’s the matter?”
- “This Finn wants to emigrate.”
- “What…? Does he have all papers visa etc.?”
- “Yes.”
- "So what is the problem. If there is such a stupid “schusna” (Finn), let him migrate.
- “But he has very much stuff with him…”
- “What kind of stuff?”
- “Basically his home; furniture and books and such. 700 kg.”
- “This visa says that he can go to Murmansk, St Petersburg, Moscow and Jekatineburg (Siberia). Let him go where-ever fuck he wants, but he has to pay for overload.”
So we went to the customs and they begun to calculate how much I should pay. They looked in different books and come to the astonishing result; 27 rubles!
At that time it was about 4 USD!
I happily paid and migrated.
Later I wanted my stereos and TV etc. That was harder, “Your TV is very big” etc. arguments, but I had all register-papers that I had a flat etc.
Now there is a new law that I can have a dual citizenship. The law is active since 1.1. 2003! Has been 2 weeks.
It will be easier if I have both Finnish and Russian passport, but my wife has another problem:
- She is born in Russia but has lived in Latvia for 30 years and is still a Russian citizen but owns her flat, where she officially lives, in Latvia.
Now Latvia will be a part of EU within a year.
So she lives, officially in EU, but will not have an EU-passport.
Her daughter, born in Latvia, has an Latvian “internal passport”, but is marked in her mothers, my wifes foreign passpost.
I have not begun my fight yet with different authorities, but the easiest thing would be that we all had as many passports as James Bond.
Btw. I do not need, as I have a Finnish passport, a visa to Latvia, but Valja, my vife has to have one, each time she crosses the border.
To the original OP.
You do not have any problems to migrate to EU.
Just fix a job, or a paper that You have a job.
I can write one to You from my Finnish firm. And I can even fix a job for You both as programists for Nokia. They are looking for anyone that is even near a programmist.
The language in Nokia is English and everyone will understand Your lingua.
But one warning, or two:
The Finns has crazy humour, we love the Norwigians, because they are cleaver enough to keep out of EU, and as You can see from this text, all Finns are a little bit crazy. We have been that for some 1.636 years, (very approx., no cite available from that time, sorry for that), which means that we were that even before we joined EU.
The totally crazy Finns has all migrated to Sweden and I just try to help (depress) the other neighbour.
Henry
In the early 80’s, I was faced with needed to become an Italian citizen (I won’t bore you with why). Eventually, after almost 2 years of red tape, I was told some of the available options:
a. marry an Italian
b. renounce my existing citizenships
c. be a resident for 5 years or more
c. volunteer for the draft
At the time, Italy still had conscription, so (a) through © implied that I would be called up to serve in the army anyway, so I went for option (d). The day I entered the army, I was issued a document saying I was serving; I sent that to the town hall and got citizenship immediately - without having to give up the ones I already had. I did my year and that was that. As a result, I can now work easily in any country in the EU (I now live in the UK).
N.B. Italian laws may have changed since then.
Here’s another stupid question: How would Thailand find out she became a resident of Sweden? Does Sweden send out letters to the former homes of all their new citizens? (Not just Sweden, mind - anyplace.)
Oh great, now I have the crazy Finn wanting me to emigrate to Finland…
hehehehe, just kidding. But I have to say, I live in an area that was HEAVILY settled by Finns in the late 1800s. Part of my house is insulated with Finnish newspapers. There are Finnish language shows on the local television channel. “Maki” is as common as “Smith” in my town. You don’t have to tell my the Finns have crazy humor, I live it every day.
Anyone want to hear some Finlander jokes?
UDS, I am surprised that you did not mention that Ireland considers a citizen of Ireland anyone whose parent was born in Ireland. And anyone whose grandparent was born in Ireland can claim dual Irish citizenship.
"Anyone want to hear some Finlander jokes?"
Of course.
Are You living in Minnesota. There we sent the most craziest ones.
Henry