Sweden’s Path to NATO: From Neutrality to Alliance
More than 200 years without alliances, then everything moved fast: how Sweden joined NATO after Russia's attack on Ukraine, why Turkey held things up and what role the new anti-terror law played.
Since 7 March 2024, Sweden has been NATO’s 32nd member. This ended a security policy tradition that had lasted more than two centuries. The road there took almost two years and led through difficult negotiations with Turkey, a tougher anti-terror law and a long wait for Hungary. This article summarises the developments and replaces our earlier reports from 2023.
Last updated: October 2026
More than 200 years without alliances
Sweden has not fought a war since 1814. During the Cold War the country saw itself as neutral, while quietly working closely with the West. After joining the EU in 1995, Stockholm no longer spoke of neutrality but of military non-alignment. Sweden cooperated with NATO as a partner country from the 1990s onwards, but for a long time there was no majority for membership, above all not among the governing Social Democrats.
The turning point in 2022
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 changed the mood almost overnight. Within a few weeks, polls showed clearly more Swedes in favour of joining than against for the first time. In May 2022, Sweden and Finland submitted their applications together. Finland became a member in April 2023; Sweden had to wait longer.
Why Turkey held things up
Every NATO country has to approve a new member. Turkey demanded that Sweden take tougher action against people Ankara classifies as terrorists, above all supporters of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and that it carry out extraditions. Relations were further strained by Quran burnings at demonstrations in Stockholm in early 2023, including one outside the Turkish embassy. President Erdoğan then declared that Sweden should not expect support for its NATO bid. The Swedish government condemned the acts but pointed to the country’s broad freedom of expression and assembly.
The 2023 anti-terror law
On 1 June 2023, a tougher anti-terror law came into force in Sweden. Since then it has been a crime to take part in a terrorist organisation or to support one, for example by arranging meetings or providing logistics or money. Previously, a conviction generally required a link to a specific act of terrorism. According to the government, one impetus for the reform was the lorry attack on Drottninggatan in Stockholm in April 2017, in which five people died. For Turkey, the law was a key point in the negotiations.
Membership in 2024
After further talks, the Turkish parliament approved Sweden’s membership in January 2024. Hungary was the last country to ratify, on 26 February 2024. On 7 March 2024, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson deposited the instrument of accession in Washington, making Sweden an official member. A few days later, the Swedish flag was raised outside NATO headquarters in Brussels.
What has changed since
Sweden brings above all its air force with Gripen fighter jets, submarines for the Baltic Sea and a capable defence industry to the alliance. Defence spending is rising sharply, and conscription had already been reintroduced in 2017. Swedish troops now take part in NATO missions, for example in Latvia and with air defence in Poland. More in our report on Sweden’s Patriot air defence in Poland.
What this means for travellers and people in Sweden
In everyday life, NATO membership is barely noticeable. What stands out more is the stronger emphasis on civil preparedness: in November 2024, Sweden’s civil protection authorities sent a new edition of the brochure “If crisis or war comes” to every household, explaining how to prepare for emergencies. If you are moving to Sweden, you can find it online in English and other languages. For holidaymakers, nothing changes regarding entry or freedom of travel. How the government and the Riksdag work in Sweden is explained in our article on Sweden’s political system.