Residence permit for people who have their own business
If you are going to be in Sweden for longer than three months running your own business you must have a residence permit. The residence permit must already have been granted before you travel to Sweden. You can apply online from your home country or any other country outside Sweden where you live.
Residence permit requirements
To apply for a residence permit to run your own business, you must
- have a valid passport (if your passport is about to expire, you should extend it because you cannot get a permit for longer than your passport if valid)
- show that you have considerable experience in the industry and previous experience of running your own business
- show you have relevant knowledge in Swedish or English. If you have contact with, for example, many suppliers or customers in Sweden, you must have very good knowledge in Swedish.
- prove that you are the person who is running the company and has executive responsibility for the business
- show that you have enough money of your own to provide for yourself and any family members, the equivalent of SEK 200,000 for you, SEK 100,000 for your accompanying wife/husband and SEK 50,000 for each accompanying child for a permit period of two years
- present plausible supporting documentation for your budget
- show that you have created customer contacts or a network
- in most cases pay a fee (application fees for residence permits).
The Swedish Migration Agency will do a financial assessment of your business plans.
To be registered as living in Sweden, you must have a permit that is valid for at least one year and you must be planning to live in Sweden for at least one year.
Self-employed persons who are going to work for less than three months in Sweden do not need a residence permit. The citizens of some countries must have a visa even for work lasting less than three months. Read more about visas under Visit Sweden.
Countries whose citizens need a visa to enter Sweden
External link, opens in new window.
Read more about applying for a visa
Requirements for using the e-service
In order to use the e-service, you need
- copies of the pages in your passport that show your personal data, photo, signature, passport number, issuing country, validity period and if you have permission to live in countries other than your home country
- bank certificates showing that you have sufficient funds to support you and your family for two years, the equivalent of SEK 200,000 for you, SEK 100,000 for your accompanying spouse and SEK 50,000 for each accompanying child
- bank certificates showing that you have enough money to buy the company and for the costs and investments you have reckoned on in order to run your business
- a purchase contract if you have purchased or are intending to buy the company or business
- a registration certificate for your company in Sweden
- copies of a trading company agreement or share register
- a document showing that you have paid the purchase price if you have purchased the company or business
- copies of contracts with customers, suppliers and premises
- the two most recent annual accounts or financial statements if the company has been in operation
- a balance sheet and profit and loss statement for the current financial year up to the previous month
- copy of a course certificate or other proof that you know Swedish or English on a relevant level
- copies of qualification certificates from your studies
- copies of employer’s certificates from previous employers
- a registration certificate for companies that you have had or have outside Sweden.
The documents should be translated into Swedish or English by an authorised translator.
You must show your passport
The Swedish Migration Agency must check your passport before a decision can be made. You may therefore need to show your passport at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general if you are outside Sweden, or one of the Migration Agency's service centres if you are in Sweden.
In some cases, you can have your passport checked digitally, instead of showing it in person.
Read more about the digital passport check e-service
In some cases, you will not be required to show your passport, for example, if we have already checked your passport during a previous visit.
If you need to show your passport, we will contact you with information on how and when to do so.
If you need an entry visa or residence permit card to travel to Sweden, you will in most cases have your fingerprints taken and be photographed when you show your passport at an embassy or consulate-general.
If your family also applies for a residence permit, the Swedish Migration Agency must check their passports as well. The requirement to show your passport in person does not apply to children under the age of five, it is sufficient that the parent brings the child's passport to the visit. However, if the child needs a residence permit card, they must come along to be photographed for it.
Have your fingerprints and photograph taken
If you receive a permit, you will receive a residence permit card. The card is a proof that you have permission to be in Sweden and contains, among other things, a photo of you along with your fingerprints.
If you need an entry visa to travel to Sweden and you were not photographed and had your fingerprints taken in connection with showing your passport, you must visit the embassy or consulate-general so that a residence permit card can be made for you. You will be photographed and have your fingerprints taken even if you previously have had a residence permit card, because the Swedish Migration Agency cannot save this information.
Swedish embassies and consulates-general External link, opens in new window.
If you do not need a visa to travel to Sweden, you must make an appointment at the Swedish Migration Agency so you can provide the information needed for a residence permit card after you have arrived in Sweden.
The decision will be sent to the embassy or consulate-general you selected in your online application. You must take your passport with you when you go to get your decision.
You can get a residence permit for two years but never for longer than your passport is valid.
If you are granted a residence permit for more than three months, you will be given a residence permit card. The card is proof that you have permission to be in Sweden and contains, among other things, your fingerprints and photograph. The residence permit card will be manufactured once the decision has been taken, but no earlier than three months before the residence permit takes effect.
It is not possible to speed up the manufacture or delivery of the card.
When the residence permit card is ready, the embassy or consulate-general will either send it or hand it over to you. It may take up to four weeks to manufacture and deliver the card to the embassy or consulate-general after you have received your decision. When you enter Sweden, you must present the residence permit card along with a valid passport.
If you can travel to Sweden without a visa, you should be able to present a copy of the decision when you enter the country. As soon as possible after coming to Sweden, you must make an appointment at the Swedish Migration Agency to have your fingerprints and photograph taken. Once your residence permit card is ready, it will be sent to your address in Sweden.
The Swedish Institute's website about Sweden External link, opens in new window.
Information for people with a residence permit who have just moved to Sweden
If the Swedish Migration Agency rejects your application
If the Swedish Migration Agency rejects your application, it means you are not entitled to a residence permit for Sweden. You may lodge an appeal against the decision within three weeks of the date when you received notification of the decision. Information on how to lodge an appeal can be found in your decision. If you have given someone a power of attorney document that authorises him/her to represent you, this person is able to lodge an appeal on your behalf.
If you are still in Sweden when your application is rejected, you must leave the country within the timescale given in the decision.
If you are going to continue to live in Sweden, you must apply to extend your permit. Once you have had a residence permit for two years, you can get a permanent residence permit if you meet both the requirements for an extension of the residence permit as a self-employed person and the requirements for a permanent residence permit.
Requirements for an extended residence permit as a self-employed person
You must
- be able to support yourself and your family equivalent to SEK 200,000 for you, SEK 100,000 for you spouse and SEK 50,000 for each child, for a permit period of two years
- be able to show that you are running the company and still have decisive influence over the business
- comply with good accounting practice and have the necessary permits for the business
The Swedish Migration Agency will check that you are running the company in the way described in the plans. This means, among other things, that we will check
- that you are paying your company's taxes and fees
- that you are complying book-keeping obligations in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
- that you have the necessary permits and meet the legal requirements for your business
- whether you have debts registered with the Swedish Enforcement Authority and/or payment defaults
- that you can support yourself and your family on the income you are making out of the company
- that your company is profitable, the business is long-term and is able to continue successfully over time
- that you and your accompanying family members are living in reasonable housing conditions
- that you and your accompanying family members have been living in Sweden for more than half the time of your residence permit.
When you apply to extend your permit, you may need to send
- copies of the pages in your passport that show your personal data, photo, signature, passport number, issuing country, validity period, travel stamps and if you have a permit to live in countries other than your home country
- annual report or annual financial statement from your company for the years in which you have had a residence permit as a self-employed person
- balance sheet and income statement from the current financial year up until and including the previous month
- income tax return documents for the most recent income year for yourself, including specifications (also enclose the NE attachment if you are a sole trader or the N3A attachment if you are a partner of a trading company)
- income tax return documents for your company (attach Income Tax Return 4 if you run a partnership and Income Tax Return 2 if you run a limited liability company)
- tax account statement from your company for the period in which you have conducting business in Sweden
- a registration certificate for a cash register (if your company has sales for cash or payment by credit card)
- a copy of the staff ledger (for those who operate in the construction, restaurant, hairdresser or laundry industry)
- bank account statement with all transactions from your personal account and business account for the past six months
- payslips for yourself for the past six months if you run a limited liability company
- contracts or agreements with customers, suppliers and business premises
- a brief description of how you conduct the business and pictures of the company's products and premises
- a share register or a trading company agreement that shows ownership of the company and regulates the distribution of results between the shareholders (if you have purchased a new company, you must present the purchase contract and receipts for the payment)
- a certificate showing that the company has no debts (if you have or have had a debt with the Swedish Enforcement Agency linked to the company)
- a certificate proving your housing situation, such as a purchase contract, rental contract or approved subletting contract. The document must state the size of the accommodation, the number of rooms, cost and rental period.
Requirements for a permanent residence permit as a self-employed person
To be able to receive a permanent residence permit you must have held a permit as a self-employed person for a minimum of two years. You must hand in your application before your current permit expires. Apply for a permanent residence permit at the same time as you apply for an extended work permit. In addition to the requirements for an extended residence permit, you must also
- show that you are running the company and still have decisive influence over the business
- be able to support yourself financially through your company
- be living an orderly life.
Read about the special requirements in order to obtain a permanent residence permit
If you do not meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit, you may still be able to receive a continued residence permit as a self-employed person for two years if you meet the requirements. You can apply to extend your permit online. Apply before your current permit expires.
In most cases, you will pay a fee.
Application fees for residence permits
Extending permits for your family
If you have family members living with you in Sweden who also need to extend their permits, you apply for them in the same online application.
If your family is applying at the same time, you must enclose
- copies of the pages in your family members’ passports showing personal details, photo, signature, passport number, country of issue, period of validity, the machine-readable code on the identity page and whether they have permits to live in countries other than their country of origin.
If you are granted a permanent residence permit, different requirements apply for your co-applicant family. In most cases it is a requirement that you meet a maintenance requirement. This means that in addition to a sufficiently large income you also need to have a home that is of an adequate size and standard for all of you to live in.
If you are applying for a permanent residence permit and your family is applying for residence permits at the same time, you must also enclose
- documents showing that your income is sufficient to support yourself and your family financially and that you have a home of sufficient size and standard for all of you to live in.
Read more about the maintenance requirement when you apply for a permanent residence permit
The earliest that your family can apply for a permanent residence permit is after three years with a residence permit in Sweden.
Once we have received your application
If you submit an application for extension before your permit expires, you have the right to stay in Sweden until the Swedish Migration Agency has taken its decision. You also have the right to continue running your company.
If you travel abroad at the time when your permit is going to expire, it may be difficult for you to enter Sweden before you have received your new permit. You may then have to wait for your new permit outside of Sweden.
If you are granted a residence permit you will be given a residence permit card. The card is proof that you have permission to be in Sweden and contains, among other things, your fingerprints and photograph. You must therefore make an appointment at the Swedish Migration Agency to have your fingerprints and photograph taken as soon as possible. You will need to do this even if you have had a residence permit card before because your photograph and fingerprints cannot be saved.
Read more about a residence permit card
Book an appointment at the Swedish Migration Agency to have your photograph and fingerprints taken
After a decision has been made
The decision will be sent to your home address in Sweden. Once the residence permit card is ready, it will be sent to your home within about one week.
If you are in Sweden and your application is rejected
If the Swedish Migration Agency rejects your application for a residence permit, it means that you are not entitled to a residence permit in Sweden. You can choose to either accept or appeal against the decision. Even if you choose to appeal, you must start to make plans for returning to your home country or the country where you have the right to stay.
Appealing a decision regarding a residence permit
If the Swedish Migration Agency rejects your application you can appeal against the decision within three weeks from the date you were informed about the decision. For information on how to do this, see your decision.
Read more about what happens when a negative decision is taken
If you cannot apply for an extension online
If you cannot apply online, you fill in the form Application for a residence permit for self-employed persons – Extension, number 125011B. The application form shows which documents you must enclose.
Send the application to:
Migrationsverket
Box 3100
903 03 Umeå
In most cases, you will pay a fee.
If you are unable to apply online, fill in the form Application for a Swedish residence permit for self-employed persons, 124011, and submit it to a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in the country where you live. The application form shows which documents you must enclose. Contact the embassy or consulate-general before submitting your application.
If it is not possible for you to apply in your home country, you must apply to the embassy or consulate-general that is closest to the country where you live. Before submitting your application, you must contact the embassy or consulate-general for more information.
If you apply at an embassy or consulate-general, you pay the fee when you submit your application. For information about the fee, please contact the embassy or consulate in question since they do not follow the same fee regulations as the Swedish Migration Agency.
Swedish embassies and consulates-general External link, opens in new window.
If you apply online
If you apply online, you will get clear instructions on how to fill in your application and what documents you need to enclose. This makes it easier to do things correctly right from the start which increases your chances of getting a decision faster.
