From 12 July 2026, Sweden stopped granting permanent uppehållstillstånd (a permanent residence permit, often called PUT) to some groups. It no longer gives a PUT when your permit is based on protection, on humanitarian grounds, or on long-term resident status, or when you are a family member of one of those people.
If you already hold a permanent permit granted before 12 July 2026, this does not change it. Migrationsverket (the Swedish Migration Agency) says that if you already have a permanent permit, you are not affected.
Who this affects
The change applies when your residence permit is based on one of these grounds:
- Refugee status or subsidiary protection (alternativ skyddsstatus).
- Exceptionally distressing circumstances (synnerligen ömmande omständigheter).
- Certain lasting impediments to enforcing an expulsion (verkställighetshinder).
- Long-term resident status (varaktigt bosatt).
- Family members of the people above.
This is not the end of permanent residence for everyone. Migrationsverket has not announced the same change for work, study, or ordinary family permits. It is these protection, humanitarian, and long-term-resident grounds that lose the permanent option.
What you get instead
If you apply on one of these grounds now, Migrationsverket checks whether you meet the rules for a förlängt uppehållstillstånd (an extended, time-limited permit) instead of a permanent one.
What it means for citizenship
A permanent permit used to be one common step toward citizenship. Without it, Migrationsverket names two other bases: you have well-founded prospects of being granted a long-term residence permit, or you have lived in Sweden for ten years, which removes the prospects requirement.
For the full citizenship rules, see our guide to the requirements.
What to do now
If your permit is based on protection, humanitarian grounds, or long-term residence, expect an extended permit rather than a permanent one from now on. A permanent permit you already hold still stands.
This article describes the change. Only Migrationsverket can tell you which permit, and which path to citizenship, applies in your case.
Sources
Official details can change. Always confirm what applies to your own case directly with the responsible authority.
