At midnight on 31 October, the UK can leave the EU without a withdrawal agreement. The risk of this happening is, according to the government, clear. There are approximately 25,000 British citizens living in Sweden. Therefore, the Ministry of Justice has today submitted a memorandum with proposals for special rules on residence permits for British citizens and their families.

In plain language, the rules, which will only apply in the case of a contractless Brexit, should make it easier for British citizens who want to apply for a permanent residence permit in Sweden.

- The starting point is that the exemption should apply for at least one year from the date of departure, says Justice and Migration Minister Morgan Johansson.

To be sent on referral

The changes mean, among other things, that British citizens who have a permanent residence permit in Sweden receive a permanent residence permit and that British citizens who fulfill the conditions for residence rights receive a fixed-term residence permit that is valid for five years. As an EU citizen, you automatically have a permanent right of residence in another EU country if you have lived there for five years in a row.

The memorandum should now be sent for referral. If the proposals pass through, the change will start to apply from 1 January next year.