Instructions for online application for applicants who are planning to marry someone or become a cohabiting partner in Sweden

Docu­ments to be atta­ched

• copies of the pages in your passport that show your personal details, period of validity, country of issue, signature, and whether you have permission to live in countries other than your country of origin.

If your passport is about to expire, you should renew it as you cannot obtain a residence permit for a period longer than the validity of your passport.

If you are unmarried, you will also need to attach

• certificate of population registration or similar, showing that you are unmarried.

If you are expecting a child, you should also attach

• certificate of pregnancy.

If you have children under 18 who will be moving with you to Sweden, you should also attach

• copies of the child’s passport that show personal details, photo, signature if applicable, passport number, country of issue, period of validity, and whether the child has permission to live in countries other than their country of origin
• their birth certificate or a birth certificate showing the parents’ names
• consent from the other parent/legal guardian that the child may move to Sweden with you, if this person is not accompanying you to Sweden
• a court decision if you have sole custody, or death certificate if the other parent is deceased
• adoption papers if the child is adopted.

Consent for children under 18 years of age

In Sweden both parents/legal guardians have the right to participate in decisions that concern their child. Therefore, if the other parent/legal guardian is not accompanying you to Sweden, they must give their consent for the child to move to Sweden. Their consent can be given in a letter signed by the other parent/legal guardian, who states that they give permission for the child to move.

The letter of consent should contain

• the name, date of birth and address of the parent giving their consent
• the name and date of birth of the child the consent relates to
• the parent’s agreement for the child to be granted a residence permit to take up residence in Sweden
• signature and name in clear script of the parent giving their consent.
  

In most cases, you will pay a fee for this. You pay the application fee with a credit card or a debit card. The application will know whether or not you need to pay, depending on the information you give about yourself and your family member.

Application fees for residence permits

When the Swedish Migration Agency has received your application, your family member will get an email. The email contains instructions on how to log in to a questionnaire containing questions about his or her income, accommodation and your relationship. Your family member should answer the questions within 14 days. If no email has been received, it is a good idea to check that it has not ended up in the folder for junk mail.

Read more about the maintenance requirement

Once the Swedish Migration Agency has reviewed the application and questionnaire, you will receive an email in which we ask you to book a time for an interview at the embassy or consulate-general.

Swedish embassies and consulates-general External link, opens in new window.

Take along your passport and the originals of the documents you submitted with your application. Children applying will also need to attend. During the interview you will need to answer questions about your relationship with the person in Sweden. The passport and the original documents will be checked at the embassy or consulate-general.

If you receive a residence permit, you will also receive a residence permit card. The card contains your fingerprints and photograph. Your fingerprints and photograph are only stored on the card’s chip.

If you need a visa to travel to Sweden, you will need the residence permit card when travelling to Sweden. You will therefore be photographed and asked to leave your fingerprints when you have your interview.

If you do not need a visa to travel to Sweden, you may travel without the residence permit card and leave your documents for the residence permit card with the Swedish Migration Agency after you arrive in Sweden.

Read more about residence permit cards

To enable the Swedish Migration Agency to make a decision on your case, all information must be given, and all necessary documentation must be attached to your application. This means the processing time will be shorter if you include everything that is required from the start than if additional information is given at a later stage.

Please note that the Migration Agency may in some cases need to investigate your application further, even if all details are complete and all documents are provided.

If the Migration Agency needs more information from you

The Swedish Migration Agency will contact you if we need further information or documentation from you. You do not need to contact the Swedish Migration Agency. If you have applied online and the Swedish Migration Agency asks you to provide additional information, you should do so by email. You should not send documents to the Swedish Migration Agency by regular post. You can read more about providing additional information in support of your case in the email the Swedish Migration Agency sends if you need to submit further information.

Waiting for a decision

The decision must already have been taken before you travel to Sweden. While you are waiting for the decision, you are able to apply for a visa for a temporary visit to Sweden. It is the embassy in the country where you live who will examine your application for a visa and each application is always assessed individually. One condition for being granted a visa is that the embassy assesses that you intend to leave Sweden after your visa has expired. If you are granted a visa for a visit, it is important that you return home after it has expired and that you wait there for the decision on your application for a residence permit. A residence permit cannot normally be granted if you are in Sweden.

You must apply for a visa at the Swedish embassy or consulate-general in the country where you are staying. In the countries where Sweden does not have its own embassy or consulate-general, Sweden cooperates with other member states. When other member states represent Sweden, that country’s regulations apply. Other countries may have different practices which will not allow you to get a visa during your waiting period.

People who do not require a visa for Sweden and who are waiting for a decision on a residence permit are also able to go to Sweden for a temporary visit.

Given that you cannot hold two residence permits at the same time, the Migration Agency recommends that you not apply for one to visit longer than 90 days. We will make our decision concerning the matter that is most favourable to you. Your application for a residence permit to move in with someone may be denied if you also request one to visit while in Sweden. You will need to await a decision concerning the application that is most favourable to you if you are not in Sweden. As a result, the period during which you would like to visit may have passed by time we make a decision. Our recommendation is not to apply for a permit to visit under such circumstances.

You may request withdrawal of your application for a residence permit to move in with a member of your family if your extended stay is urgent. You will need to reapply for a permit to move in with someone after having returned to your country of origin.