Live in Sweden

Application for residence and work permit

Application for a residence and work permit must be submitted to the Embassy in person. Application can not be sent by e-mail, fax or regular mail. This also means that the application can not be submitted by anyone else but the applicant him- or herself.
There is no need to have an appointment in order to submit an application.
Applicants are welcome during the Embassy's visiting hours.

Requirements for a residence permit:

Make sure you fill in all the particulars on the form. You should also ensure that you supply the correct address to your relative(s) in Sweden.

Please note that two application forms must be submitted for each person and that the Embassy will not give an appointment for an interview until the application is complete.

Documents to be enclosed to the application:

• copy of national passport or other travel document
• copy of identity card for each person, translated into English
• copy of marriage certificate, translated into English
• death certificate where relevant concerning husband/wife and children
• population registration certificate (not more than three months old) for the reference person in Sweden (note that citizenship, civil status and address must be stated)
• when an application concerns family reunification the decision of the Swedish Migration Board concerning the reference person showing the grounds for granting the residence permit must be enclosed.
  
  All documents enclosed with the application must be in A4 format.
  The Embassy will only accept translations made by authorized translators.
  

If you are married or cohabiting or intend to marry or cohabit with someone who is permanently resident in Sweden
When you have presented your application, you will be summoned to an interview at the Embassy. The waiting time is approximately 5 months. You will need to bring some form of documentation proving your relationship to the person in Sweden, such as letters, photographs and the marriage certificate. You should also bring your passport and ID-card.

If you are a parent or some other close relative of a person who is now resident in Sweden
In exceptional cases, other relatives may qualify for residence permits by reason of family ties. You must be able to show that you lived together with your relative immediately prior to his/her move to Sweden and that you are dependent on that person in such a way that it is difficult for you to live apart. This means that you must be financially, socially or emotionally dependent on the relative who lives in Sweden.

A relative of a refugee or of a person who has been granted asylum for some other reason can, in exceptional cases, be granted a Swedish residence permit if the two have had a very close relationship, even if they have not lived together in their former country of domicile.

What does it cost to apply?
You may be required to pay an application fee. If your application is denied, the fee will not be refunded. The application fee is currently 52 JD for adults and 26 JD for children under 18 years.

Who decides my case?
The Embassy sends your application to the Migration Board in Sweden for decision.

The residence permit must be entered in your passport before your arrival in Sweden. You cannot travel to Sweden and wait for a decision there.

How long will I have to wait for a decision?
It can take a long time for a decision to be reached.

When the interview has taken place, the Embassy forwards your application to the Migration Board in Sweden for a decision. The Migration Board then makes additional enquiries, either by inviting the relative in Sweden to a personal interview or by sending him/her a questionnaire by post. The questions must be answered in writing and sent back to the Migration Board.

How long is the permit valid?
If you can show that you have lived together with your relative in your country of origin/domicile, the Migration Board will normally grant you a permanent residence permit (PUT). This entitles you to live in Sweden for as long as you like.

If you did not live with your relative in your country of origin/domicile but intend to set up home together on your arrival to Sweden, the Migration Board will normally grant you a permit for 2 years (in some cases for 12 or six months). You then have to apply for an extension to your permit before it expires. If you are still living together, your permit will be extended for a further 12 months (or six months).

If you are of working age, you will automatically be granted a work permit as well.

Asylum
Only asylum seekers who are physically present in Sweden may have their grounds considered by the Swedish Migration Board. Sweden's missions abroad are obliged to accept asylum applications, but it should be emphasized that such applications are always rejected by the Swedish Migration Board since the applicant is not physically present in Sweden.
People who are not physically present in Sweden and who would like to apply for asylum should contact the nearest UNHCR office.