What is the Schengen visa?Read about the Schengen agreement.
How long is a visa valid?Schengen visas are granted for a maximum of 90 days at a time. Only in exceptional cases are applicants granted a visa for a visit of more than 90 days’ duration, but never for longer than a year.
Where is a visa valid?An entry visa is normally valid in all the Schengen countries.
Where do I apply for a visa?In Egypt, You application should be submitted to either the Embassy of Sweden in Cairo or the Consulate of Sweden in Alexandria.
Who decides my case?In most cases, the Embassy decides whether to grant a visa. If the Embassy is not sure what position to take on an application, it passes the case on to the Migration Board in Sweden for a decision.
How long is the visa processing time?Due to reasons beyond the Embassy’s control, processing time will not be less than 12 days for applications submitted by holders of Egyptian Standard Passports. Exceptions are made for holders of Diplomatic and Service passports.
What if my application is turned down?You cannot appeal in case your application for a visa has been refused. You can however re-apply.
Can I get the decision in Arabic?No, we never translate decisions. People who want the decision in a language other than Swedish have to arrange for a translation themselves.
How long does it take for the Migration Board’s decision to reach the embassy?The embassy is notified about the decision either electronically or by fax on the same day.
Why was my relative refused a visa?We can only grant someone a visa if we are convinced that the visit is a temporary one and that the person intends to leave Sweden before the visa has expired.
Should the letter of invitation be authenticated by the police?No, this is not a requirement.
Must I write a letter of invitation to my sister, who wants to visit us?Yes, use our special form that you can find as a PDF file. The form is also available from Swedish embassies or consulates.Link to our application forms
If you are given a visa for three months, can you renew it once you are in Sweden?You cannot count on getting a visa extension – although this is not impossible. If you know beforehand that you would like to stay for longer than three months, you should tell the embassy when applying. If you want to apply for an extension once you are here, you can do so at one of the Migration Board’s offices.