Sweden May End Permanent Residence for Asylum-Based PR Holders: What the SOU 2025:99 Proposal Says

What was proposed

On 26 September 2025, the government inquiry known as Miniminivåutredningen (the Minimum Level Inquiry) presented its final report, SOU 2025:99. The proposal would let Migrationsverket revoke permanent residence permits that had been granted on asylum-related grounds, and automatically replace them with temporary residence permits.

The proposed entry-into-force date is 1 January 2027. According to the inquiry's own proposal, on revocation "the issue of a temporary residence permit would be automatically considered, without the affected individual applying for it." In other words: the holder doesn't have to take action to receive the temporary permit — it would be issued in connection with the revocation.

Who is in scope

The proposal targets permanent residence permits granted on asylum-related grounds:

• Refugees;
• People with subsidiary protection (alternativt skyddsbehövande);
• Quota refugees;
• Long-term residents whose status traces back to protection grounds.

The proposal is not aimed at permanent residence permits granted on work or family grounds.

The Swedish Migration Agency estimates 118,700 to 185,000 people could fall within scope. Migrationsverket has warned that the administrative cost of converting permits and processing the citizenship applications that would follow could reach SEK 3.6 billion and take up to eight years to work through.

The citizenship exemption — and why it matters

This is the part that ties the proposal directly to the citizenship queue. The inquiry sets out the exemption in plain terms: "If the foreigner applies for citizenship by 31 December 2026, they will be covered by an exemption, and will not have their permanent residence permit revoked."

For people in scope, that creates a clear incentive: a granted Swedish citizenship cannot be revoked under this proposal (Swedish citizenship today can only be lost in very limited circumstances under current law). A permanent residence permit, by contrast, could in future become revocable. So for many readers, the obvious response is: get a citizenship application filed before the year ends.

Two caveats here:

• From 6 June 2026, the new citizenship rules apply — 8 years' residence as the general rule, plus income, conduct, and knowledge requirements. See our 2026 rules breakdown and the decision-date cutoff.
• There are no transitional arrangements for the citizenship reform — your decision date governs, not your application date. Applying does not lock in the old rules.

The repatriation grant — the other route the government is offering

Running in parallel to the permanent-residence proposal is a separate policy: a sharply increased repatriation grant (återetableringsstöd) for people with protection-based permits who choose to leave Sweden. Since 1 January 2026, a single adult can receive up to SEK 350,000, a couple up to SEK 500,000, and a family up to SEK 600,000. See our deep-dive on the SEK 350,000 grant versus the citizenship path.

Status as of May 2026

It is important to be precise about where this proposal actually is:

• It is a SOU — a government inquiry's report. It is not a government bill (proposition), and it is not a law.
• It went out for consultation (remiss) after publication on 26 September 2025.
• Migration Minister Johan Forssell stated the proposal would go through consultation before any government action. Political observers have suggested the government may delay action until after the next election.
• The proposed 1 January 2027 entry-into-force date in the inquiry is therefore not a sure thing — it depends on a future government bill, Riksdag vote, and political decision.

So: take the proposal seriously enough to plan around it, but don't treat it as a settled deadline.

What you can do right now

1. Check whether your permanent residence is asylum-based. If it was granted on refugee, subsidiary protection, quota refugee, or related protection grounds, you are in the potentially affected group. PR granted on work or family grounds is not targeted by the proposal.
2. If you are close to citizenship eligibility, plan around the new rules, not the old ones. From 6 June 2026, the 8-year residence rule, income requirement, and knowledge requirement all apply.
3. Document your residence, identity, and conduct carefully. The 2025 identity-check reform means every citizenship case is run past the Swedish Security Service and many applicants must appear in person. See our identity check guide.
4. Use Mina sidor to track any messages from Migrationsverket — both for your own case and for any future communication about your permanent residence permit.
5. Don't act on rumours. The "permanent residence is being revoked from January 2027" claim is, at best, a description of a proposal. Treat it as a planning input, not a current rule.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sweden actually ending permanent residence permits?

A government inquiry (SOU 2025:99) has proposed revoking permanent residence permits granted on asylum-related grounds and replacing them with temporary permits. The proposed entry-into-force date is 1 January 2027. As of May 2026, this is a proposal under consultation — not a law in force. Reporting indicates the decision on revocation has been postponed to the next electoral term.

Who would be affected by the proposal?

According to the inquiry, the proposal would target permanent residence permits granted on asylum-related grounds — refugees, those with subsidiary protection, quota refugees, and long-term residents with a protection background. The Swedish Migration Agency estimates 118,700–185,000 people could fall within scope. The proposal is not aimed at permanent residence permits granted on work or family grounds.

What happens if my permit is revoked?

Under the proposal, a revoked permanent residence permit would be automatically replaced by a temporary residence permit — you would not have to apply for the temporary permit. From then, the route to long-term security in Sweden would be either renewing the temporary permit, qualifying for a new permit, becoming a Swedish citizen, or leaving the country.

Is there an exemption for people applying for citizenship?

The inquiry includes a proposed exemption for people who have a citizenship application pending by 31 December 2026. That is a key reason the proposal interacts with the citizenship queue — for people in scope, citizenship is one of the clearest routes to permanent legal security.

When was the proposal published, and what is its current status?

The inquiry — the so-called Miniminivåutredningen — presented its final report on 26 September 2025 as SOU 2025:99. It was sent out for consultation (remiss). The proposed entry-into-force date is 1 January 2027, but as of May 2026 the proposal is non-binding: it requires a government bill and a Riksdag vote. Reporting indicates the government may delay action.

Does this affect my citizenship application?

It does not change the new citizenship rules that take effect on 6 June 2026 — those are a separate reform. But for people in scope of the permanent-residence proposal, citizenship becomes more strategically important: a granted citizenship is unaffected, while a permanent residence permit could in future become revocable under the proposal.

A note on these rules

This article summarises the SOU 2025:99 inquiry proposal and related coverage as of May 2026. The proposal is not law. Numbers, exemptions, and entry-into-force dates can change as the proposal progresses (or is dropped). For your specific case, always consult Migrationsverket directly or a qualified immigration advisor. This is general information, not legal advice.