Apply for a residence permit for an adopted child

You want to apply for a residence permit for a child you have adopted or plan to adopt.

Citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA and EU citizens without the right of residence in most cases need a residence permit to live with someone in Sweden.

A child who lives in a country outside the EU and who has been or is going to be adopted may need a residence permit to move to Sweden. In some cases, the child will become a Swedish citizen through the adoption.

Swedish citizenship through adoption

A child can become a Swedish citizen through their adoption. In that case, they do not need a residence permit.

When does a child become a Swedish citizen through their adoption?

A child under age 12 who has been adopted by a Swedish citizen automatically gains Swedish citizenship upon their adoption, if

the child is adopted through a decision made in Sweden or another Nordic country
the child is adopted through a foreign adoption decision that is approved in Sweden by the Family Law and Parental Support Authority (MFoF)
the adoption is valid in Sweden on the basis of law.

A child who was 12 or older at the time of their adoption can become a Swedish citizen by application.

If a child does not become a Swedish citizen at the time of their adoption, they need a residence permit to move to Sweden.

Requirements to get a residence permit

These requirements must be met in order for your child to be granted a residence permit:

Requirements for adopting parents and their child

You must have a residence permit in Sweden or be a citizen of Sweden or another Nordic country

The child must have a valid passport
Your child must have a valid passport to be granted a residence permit, but you can start the application for their residence permit while you are still waiting for them to receive their passport.

Requirements for the adoption

The adoption must be valid in Sweden
The adoption must be valid in Sweden, per the laws that regulate adoption.

Prepare this before you apply

Translate documents
All submitted documents should be in Swedish or English. If you have translated your documents, the translation should be certified. You must also include a copy of the document in its original language.

Make sure that the information on the documents you include is clearly visible.

Adoption via an authorised adoption organisation and/or in accordance with the Hague Convention

For an adoption mediated by an authorised Swedish adoption organisation, you must include

Correctly made copies of the child's passport
Read more about what the passport copies must show

Certificate from an authorised adoption agency

The Social Welfare Board’s approval of the adoption

The investigation that forms the basis for the Social Welfare Board’s approval

Document showing that the adoption case is being handled, or that a decision has been made, in accordance with the Hague Convention
This document must state that the child may reside or settle in Sweden (if the adoption is mediated in accordance with the Hague Convention).

Approval of the adoption process
Approval from the Family Law and Parental Support Authority (MFoF), (if the application concerns an individual adoption mediated in accordance with the Hague Convention).

Possibly a separate paper documenting the child’s views on the adoption

Individual adoption not mediated by an authorised Swedish adoption organisation

For an adoption that is not mediated by an authorised Swedish adoption organisation, you must include

Adoption decision in original form, accompanied by a Swedish or English translation

The Social Welfare Board’s approval of the adoption

The investigation that forms the basis for the Social Welfare Board’s approval

Approval of the adoption process from the Family Law and Parental Support Authority (MFoF)

Adoption legislation in force in the country where the adoption was decided
Accompanied by a Swedish or English translation.

Document(s) proving dual citizenship
If the adoptive parents have dual citizenship.

Document(s) showing that the competent authority in the child’s country of origin has made a decision about their custody

Power of attorney from the child’s legal guardian(s)
Power of attorney giving the child’s adoptive parents the right to represent them in their application for a residence permit (if the adoptive parents do not have custody of the child).

Consent to the adoption of the child
Signed by the child’s biological parents or other legal guardians.

Consent for the child to settle in Sweden
Signed by the child’s biological parents or other legal guardians.

Possibly a separate paper documenting the child’s views on the adoption

Different ways to adopt

Foreign adoptions can take place in different ways. The method used depends, among other things, on the child’s country of origin.

Regardless of the way in which the adoption is carried out, the adopting parent(s) must first get their Social Welfare Board’s approval of the adoption. Without such an approval, a child living abroad may not be adopted by anyone in Sweden. If you bring a child to Sweden without such an approval, you can be fined.

The rules about how an adoption should take place exist to ensure that the best interests of the child are considered. If you do not follow the correct process when carrying out an adoption, there is a risk that it will not be valid in Sweden and that your adopted child will be unable to come here.

Adoption via an authorised adoption organisation

Once the Social Welfare Board has granted approval, the child will usually be adopted with the help of an authorised adoption organisation. The adoption organisation cooperates with the authorities and organisations in the child’s country of origin, mediates the application process, and provides the assistance necessary for the adoption to be carried out.

Individual adoption

In exceptional cases, you can adopt without the negotiation of an adoption organisation. This process is known as individual adoption, and special grounds are required in order for it to be allowed. It is the Family Law and Parental Support Authority (MFoF) that decides whether you can carry out an adoption without the help of an adoption organisation. In doing so, they examine whether there are special grounds to allow this and whether the adoption can still be carried out safely.

MFoF makes such an assessment only after the Social Welfare Board has approved the adoption.

Custody transfer (e.g., kafalah or korshasho)

In some countries, adoption does not exist. Instead, decisions are made regarding the transfer of custody (e.g., kafalah or korshasho). A custody transfer is not an adoption. Foreign custody decisions do not apply in Sweden unless they are supported by law. Such support is provided in the 2005 Brussels II Regulation and in the Act on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Custody Decisions, etc. and on the Transfer of Children (1989:14).

For how long can my adopted child be granted a residence permit?

Your child can be granted a residence permit for a maximum of two years, but never for longer than their passport is valid. Their residence permit can be extended.

What does it cost to apply?

Adults: SEK 2,000
Children under 18 years of age: SEK 1,000

The following people pay no fee to apply:

family members of EU/EEA citizens. In this context, Swedes do not count as EU citizens
EU/EEA citizens who are applying for a residence permit
Swiss citizens and their family members
Japanese citizens
husbands, wives, cohabiting partners, registered partners and unmarried children under the age of 18 who are applying for a residence permit to live with a family member who has been granted a residence permit in Sweden due to their need for protection or exceptionally distressing circumstances.

How long must I wait for a decision?

It is not possible to say exactly how long you will need to wait for a decision. There are many things that affect the waiting time, for example whether your application is complete to begin with or whether we need to request more information, or whether we need to check with other authorities when investigating your case.

Here we show statistics on how long it has taken for people who have applied for the same permit as you.

75% of applications receive a decision within:9 months

Illustration av en familj med en mamma, pappa och barn som gör en ansökan på en dator.

You apply

You fill in the child’s application and attach necessary documents. As their adoptive parent, it is you who must fill in the application for your child.

Illustration av en mamma och pappa som går med barnvagn och ska besöka Sveriges ambassad.

You book an appointment to present your child’s passport

Before we can make a decision about granting your child a residence permit, we need to check their passport. You will receive a letter asking you to make an appointment at an embassy or consulate-general to present your child’s passport.

Children over the age of five must always accompany their parent/legal guardian to the embassy. If your child is less than five years old, they do not need to accompany you on this visit; it is enough for their parent to bring the child’s passport. However, if your child needs an entry visa to travel to Sweden, they must accompany you to the appointment, regardless of their age. Your child will then be fingerprinted and photographed for a residence permit card.

Illustration av en man som jobbar som handläggare på Migrationsverket.

The Swedish Migration Agency processes the application

The Swedish Migration Agency will review all the information in your application and determine whether your child can be granted a residence permit.

We will contact you if we need more information.

Waiting time while we process your application

Now you must wait.

Log in to My Page

By logging in to My Page, you can access information about your application and use our services.

My Page

Illustration av en mamma och pappa som håller i ett beslut.

You receive our decision

Once we have made our decision, it will be sent to the embassy or consulate-general where you submitted the application. When you go to pick up the decision, you must bring both your own passport and your child’s passport. The decision will also be sent to the child’s adoptive parents’ address in Sweden.

You have received a decision – Live with someone

Have you assembled all documents?

Before you start your application, you must have assembled the documents you will need to attach.

See which documents you must attach under the Important to know tab

The application is made using a paper form. The form you should use depends on the type of adoption you plan to carry out.

Adoption mediated by an authorised Swedish adoption organisation and/or in accordance with the Hague Convention

Fill in the application

Fill in the form:

Ansökan om uppehållstillstånd för barn som har adopterats eller ska adopteras – Adoption som har förmedlats av en svensk adoptionsorganisation eller i enlighet med Haag-konventionen (1744) Pdf, 1.4 MB. (Application for a residence permit for a child who has been, or will be, adopted – Adoption mediated by a Swedish adoption organisation or in accordance with the Hague Convention; only in Swedish)

Send the form and the documents you need to attach to:

Migrationsverket
Permit Unit
601 70 Norrköping

Pay the application fee

If you are applying from Sweden, you pay the fee to bankgiro number 5223-7005. The IBAN for the account is SE6912000000012810106908 and the BIC/SWIFT code is DABASESX (Danske Bank).

In the box for messages to the recipient, you write the name and surname of the person the application fee is for, as well as their personal identity number and/or case number. If you are paying the fees of several people at the same time, write the personal identity number and/or case number for each of them. Also write on the application form when and how you paid the fee.

Individual adoption not mediated by an authorised Swedish adoption organisation

Fill in the application

Fill in the form:

Application for a residence permit for a child who has been/will be adopted – Adoption not mediated by a Swedish adoption organisation (171011) Pdf, 845.4 kB.

Submit your application

You must submit your application at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in the country where you live. Remember to bring the documents you need to attach.

Not all Swedish embassies and consulates-general handle migration cases, so it is important to check which one you should contact:

What country or territory do you live in?

More information to prepare for your visit, such as information about booking an appointment, can be found on the embassies’ website:

Swedish embassies and consulates-general External link.

You pay the application fee when you submit your application.

Once you have submitted your application, it will be sent to the Swedish Migration Agency.

What does it cost to apply?

Adults: SEK 2,000
Children under 18 years of age: SEK 1,000

The following people pay no fee to apply:

family members of EU/EEA citizens. In this context, Swedes do not count as EU citizens
EU/EEA citizens who are applying for a residence permit
Swiss citizens and their family members
Japanese citizens
husbands, wives, cohabiting partners, registered partners and unmarried children under the age of 18 who are applying for a residence permit to live with a family member who has been granted a residence permit in Sweden due to their need for protection or exceptionally distressing circumstances.

News

2025-03-06

Changes for those residing in Cyprus who wish to apply for residence and work permit

From 17 March 2025 the Swedish embassy in Nicosia will no longer handle migration matters. If you are a citizen of Cyprus, you should instead contact the Swedish embassy in Athens, Greece. The same applies for non-Cypriot legal residents of Cyprus.

2025-03-05

The Swedish Migration Agency's new website has now been launched

On 5 March, the Swedish Migration Agency launched a completely new version of migrationsverket.se, with a new structure and a more user-friendly navigation. The purpose of the new website is primarily to make it easier for visitors to find the information they need.

2025-02-07

Changes for residents of Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania or Moldova that wish to apply for residence and work permits or visas

Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania are now part of the Schengen area. Legal residents of these countries shall, from 24 February 2025 turn to one of the five Schengen hubs for migration related matters.

2025-02-07

Changes for those residing in Bosnia and Herzegovina who previously applied for residence and work permit in Sarajevo

As from 10 March, 2025, the embassy in Sarajevo will no longer handle migration related matters. Instead, you should turn to the Swedish embassy in Skopje, North Macedonia.

2024-12-20

Change for people residing in Serbia and Montenegro and want to apply for residence and work permit

As of 3 February 2025, residents of Serbia and Montenegro should contact the Embassy of Sweden in Skopje, North Macedonia for applications for residence and work permits.

2024-12-16

Now you can see your complete decision on My Page

If you are waiting for a decision from the Swedish Migration Agency, you can now see the complete decision on My page. Previously, you have only been able to see if the decision is positive or negative, and the justification has only been sent home to you in paper format.

2024-11-26

Citizens of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will from 2 December 2024 contact the Swedish Consulate General in Istanbul

Until now citizens of, or persons otherwise legally residing in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, have had their applications for residence- and work permit handled by the Swedish Embassy in Moscow. From December 2 2024 you will instead have your applications handled by the Swedish Consulate General in Istanbul.

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