When Joel was in Sweden in the fall to renew his passport, he encountered problems and was denied by the police, as first reported by Expressen.
Joel Kinnaman's nationality
Joel Kinnaman was born in Sweden to an American father and a Swedish mother, and has been eligible for dual citizenship, Swedish and American, since birth. Since 2014, Joel has lived in the USA and returned to Sweden in the fall to renew his passport. However, he encountered problems with the police, who initiated a citizenship investigation, questioning whether he had actively sought or been granted American citizenship. This is a significant distinction, as a Swedish citizenship can be revoked if one actively seeks and obtains citizenship in another country. However, this was not the case with Joel Kinnaman.
Back and forth with authorities
There were many back-and-forth interactions with the authorities and police, and Joel became frustrated.
Kinnaman wrote in an email on October 8:
"This is completely unacceptable. I was born in Sweden, I am a Swedish citizen, and I only need a new passport. This has now gone too far, and you are not exercising common sense,"
The next day, he apologized:
"I'm sorry I wrote angrily earlier. It's just very unpleasant to have my citizenship questioned in this way."
Happy ending for Joel Kinnaman
However, he was again denied by the Stockholm passport office. But Joel Kinnaman appealed the decision, and on November 18, he visited the Swedish consulate in New York, where he submitted the American documents that were requested. It was then established that Joel Kinnaman had obtained his American citizenship at birth, and the passport office could subsequently issue a new passport to Joel.
Lesson learned
The case of Joel Kinnaman is important for Swedes who live mostly abroad but still want to retain their Swedish citizenship and passport. According to the Swedish Migration Agency, there are few reasons to lose one's Swedish citizenship:
- You were born outside Sweden.
- You have never lived in Sweden.
- You have not been in Sweden under circumstances that demonstrate ties to Sweden.
The reason mentioned in Joel Kinnaman's case is not among the reasons to lose your Swedish citizenship, reading the official documents online.
