Residence permits for children moving to a parent in Sweden

A child under 18 years of age may be granted a residence permit in order to move to a parent in Sweden. The parent in Sweden must have a residence permit.

Swedish (svenska)
Print

If the child is going to move to Sweden at the same time as his or her parent

If a child and a parent who do not have a residence permit will be moving to Sweden at the same time, the parent can apply for the child as part of their own application.

Read more about how you apply, as a parent, for a residence permit for your child in your own application

In order for the Swedish Migration Agency to be able to process the child’s residence permit application, the application must be submitted by an adult. This can be a parent or another adult. If an adult other than the child's parent is applying on behalf of the child, the person submitting the application must show that they have the right to represent the child in the child’s country of origin.

Resi­dence permit requi­re­ments

For a child of someone living in Sweden to be granted a residence permit

  • the child must be under 18 years of age and unmarried
  • the parent must have a residence permit, a permanent residence permit or Swedish citizenship
  • the parent must, in most cases, be able to support themselves and the child, and have a home of sufficient size and standard for them to live in.

Certain people may be exempted from the maintenance requirement.

Read more about the requirement for maintenance and housing, and who is exempted

How to apply for a child

If you are a parent with a temporary residence permit to study in Sweden, you should file your online application for a residence permit for your child via the e-service for family members of students.

Learn more about residence permits for the family members of students

If you are a parent with a temporary residence permit to work in Sweden, you should file your online application for a residence permit for your child via the e-service for family members of employees.

Learn more about permits for family members of a person with a work permit

To file an application for your child in the e-service, you must have a residence permit.

Continue to the application

Appli­ca­tion fees for resi­dence permits

In most cases, you have to pay a fee to apply for a residence permit.

Application fees for residence permits

The following has to be included with your child’s appli­ca­tion

  • copies of the child’s passport showing their personal data, photograph, signature, passport number, issuing country, validity period and whether the child has permission to live in countries other than their country of origin
  • birth certificate or proof of birth.

If the child is adopted, the adoption documents must be included with the application.

If you have sole custody of the child, the custody decision must be included with the application. If the other parent has died, you must include the death certificate.

Check that the information on the documents you submit is clearly visible. On copies of passports, make sure that the numbers and characters at the top and bottom of the passport pages are clear and legible.

If the child has two parents/legal guardians, but only the child will be moving to you in Sweden while the other parent/legal guardian remains in the country of origin, you must include a statement of consent from the other parent/legal guardian with the application. The statement of consent must be in the form of a signed letter from the parent who is the child’s legal guardian but will not be following along to Sweden, in which they state that they agree to your child being granted a residence permit to settle in Sweden. The statement of consent must clearly state that the child is allowed to move to Sweden. A copy of the passport or other identification document of the parent/legal guardian who signed the consent must also be included.

The statement of consent should contain

  • the name, date of birth and address of the parent providing their consent
  • the name and date of birth of the child the statement of consent regards
  • a statement indicating that the parent agrees to the child being granted a residence permit to settle in Sweden
  • the signature of the consenting parent, along with their name in printed form.

Consent for a child to settle in Sweden, form 216011 Pdf, 1.1 MB, opens in new window.

When we have received the child's appli­ca­tion

Once the Swedish Migration Agency has reviewed the child’s application, you (the person who submitted the application on behalf of the child) will be sent an email asking you to make an appointment with the relevant embassy or consulate-general for an interview with the child. The child must bring their passport to the interview. During the interview, the child will be asked questions about themselves and their relationship with the parent in Sweden. The child's passport will also be checked.

The parent in Sweden will also be asked a number of questions. This will be done either via a questionnaire or through a personal interview at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s offices.

After the deci­sion has been made

Once the Swedish Migration Agency has made a decision as to whether the child should be granted a residence permit or not, the decision is sent to the parent who applied for the child’s residence permit.

If the Swedish Migra­tion Agency refuses the child's appli­ca­tion

If the Swedish Migration Agency rejects the child’s application, the decision can be appealed within three weeks from the date the child’s parent, legal guardian or other authorised individual received the decision. Information on how to appeal is included in the decision.

If the child is granted a resi­dence permit

If the child is granted a residence permit, they will receive a residence permit card. The card contains the child's fingerprints and photo along with other information.

A child who does not require a visa to travel to Sweden can come here without the residence permit card. In such case, the parent in Sweden can make an appointment to bring the child to the Swedish Migration Agency in Sweden to provide a photo and fingerprints for the residence permit card.

Read more about scheduling an appointment at the Swedish Migration Agency for the child to be fingerprinted and photographed if the child is allowed to travel to Sweden without a visa

If the child needs a visa to travel to Sweden, they will need the residence permit card for the trip to Sweden. The child will therefore be photographed and fingerprinted in connection with the interview at the embassy or consulate-general.

Once the residence permit card is ready, the embassy or consulate-general will provide the card to the person entitled to represent the child in the country where the application was made. It can take up to four weeks to produce the card and deliver it to the embassy or consulate-general after you have received the residence permit decision. When the child enters Sweden, they must present the residence permit card together with a valid passport.

Read more about the residence permit card

Follow your case in My page

You can use the My page e-service to see how your case is progressing and, for example, whether a decision has been made.

Log in to My page

If you do not apply online

If you are not able to apply online, please fill in the form Application for a residence permit to settle in Sweden – for a child under the age of 18, 163011. The application must be submitted to the Swedish embassy or consulate-general in the country where the child is living. Contact the embassy or consulate-general before submitting the application to schedule an appointment for the child’s visit. If it is not possible for you to apply in the country where the child is living, you must apply at the embassy or consulate-general closest to the country where the child is living.

Find out which embassy or consulate-general you should contact on the page Embassies responsible for migration matters

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

The following must be submitted together with the child’s appli­ca­tion

  • copies of the child's passport showing their personal data, photo, signature (if possible), passport number, issuing country, validity period, and whether the child has permission to live in countries other than their country of origin
  • birth certificate or proof of birth
  • the form “Family details”
  • statement of consent indicating that the child is allowed to move with you to Sweden from the other parent/legal guardian who is not following along to Sweden
  • court order if you have sole custody or death certificate if the other parent is dead
  • adoption documents if the child is adopted.

Application for residence permit to settle in Sweden – for a child under the age of 18, form 163011 Pdf, 852.1 kB, opens in new window.

Questionnaire regarding minors with a parent in Sweden, form T87 (in Swedish) Pdf, 862 kB, opens in new window.

Questionnaire when a minor applies to move to a parent in Sweden and the parent is subject to the maintenance requirement, form T87F (in Swedish) Pdf, 885.2 kB, opens in new window.

Family details, form 239011 Pdf, 876.4 kB, opens in new window.

Consent for a child to settle in Sweden, form 217011 Pdf, 1.1 MB, opens in new window.

If a person wants to move to Sweden in order to reunite with their family or family members, they may, in exceptional cases, obtain a residence permit even if they do not have an approved passport. However, this only applies to families with children who have lived together outside of Sweden. This applies only to those who cannot obtain a passport, or if the Swedish Migration Agency deems that the passport from their country of origin does not prove their identity, as well as if they are one of the following:

  • A child who wants to move to a parent in Sweden.
  • A parent who wants to move to a child who already lives in Sweden.
  • A parent who wants to move to a partner in Sweden with whom they have a child.

In order to obtain a residence permit, a DNA analysis must prove that the child and parent are related.

DNA analysis

A DNA test means that the person applying for a residence permit provides a saliva sample during a visit to the embassy or consulate-general. The family member in Sweden (parent, child or partner) provides a DNA test during a visit to the Swedish Migration Agency. Using the DNA samples, a DNA analysis then shows whether the persons are related.

If an adult submits an application on behalf of a child who will move to a parent in Sweden alone, consent for a DNA sample to be taken from the child must be submitted alongside the application. The consent must be given in writing by the parent in Sweden.

The Swedish Migration Agency pays for the DNA analysis.

Alien's passport

Those who do not have a passport must also apply for an alien’s passport. You can do this at the embassy or consulate-general in connection with submitting the application or during the interview. Contact the embassy or consulate-general for more information on how to apply for an alien’s passport.

Last updated: