Last update: 2023-03-01
Let's get started
This application will take some serious time and effort, and a lot of preparation will be needed. But we will guide you through each step of the way. We will provide you with a list of all the documents that you will need to have during the application process. This application is mostly done online, a couple of years ago they started to remove applications handed in by paper to the Swedish embassies. Some countries will still have to do it offline and get to the nearest Swedish embassy. You need to call or enter your swedish embassy webpage in order to know if you can hand in the application online or by hand. It's good to be well prepared when starting the application, but don't worry if you have missed any documents there is a save option on the Migrationsverkets webpage so you can continue the application at a later time, just remember the password.
This page will look a little bit different compared to the other visa guides out there, due to the fact there's a lot more information that will be added and more explanations will be needed. There is no room for error during this process, if you miss anything and send in the application you will have a lot of explanation to do for the Swedish immigration and the processing time might take much longer time.
We will start by making a list of all documents that will or might be needed,
then further down we will explain why you might or might not need any of the documents.
There won't be a step-to-step guide on how to turn in the application,
but we will explain the whole process so you will be prepared and ready to start the application.
There will also be an interview at the embassy at a later stage that you will need to be prepared for,
everything will be explained further down on this page.
- List of documents required for person applying
- Copy of current Passport
- Copy of old Passport, if any
- Copy of financial papers
- Copy of registration in home country)
- Proof regarding your relation to your partner in Sweden.
- Write a document regarding your relationship from start to finish
- Marriage certificate & marriage registration (if married)
- If you ever have changed your name then you will need proof to show the immigration
- List of documents for inviting person (partner)
- Copy of current Passport
- Copy of old Passport, if any
- Marriage certificate & marriage registration (if married)
- Birth certificate (personbevis)
- Write a document regarding your relationship from start to finish
- Housing contract
- Employment contracts, if self employed reveal financial liquidity and personal income.
- Payslips
- Bank Statement
- Bills (rent, electricity, water, heating, etc…)
- Power of attorney (if needed)
Gather all the documents
Before starting the application we urge you to collect all the documents that are needed for a successful application. Me & my wife gathered all the information needed on a cloud drive so it was easy to access and add new information for both of us. But it's up to you how you gather the documents, whether you use email, post, or a cloud drive. You will have to scan all the documents or print them out depending on if you hand in the application digitally or by paper at an embassy.
The passport you will need to scan all pages with content from the current passport, if you have an old passport then you will have to scan that as well. You will need to scan all pages with information, id page, old stamps from previous travels etc.
Gather all the financial papers from both your partner and yourself. Financial papers could be, payslips, bank statements, contracts on a property, etc. Your partner in Sweden will have to scan or copy bills as well. The immigration is interested in the living cost, so scan rent, electricity, water, heating bills, etc. To be able to sponsor as a partner then you need to have at least 9,445 SEK after bills and tax.
For 2023 the standard amount after tax and bills
- SEK 5,717 for a single adult
- SEK 9,445 for cohabiting spouses or cohabiting partners
- SEK 3,005 for children 0–6 years of age
- SEK 3,667 for children 7–10 years of age
- SEK 4,279 for children 11–14 years of age
- SEK 4,889 for children 15 years of age or older.
You need to have a home of sufficient size and standard for all of you to live in. For two adults without children, a home is big enough if it has a kitchen or kitchenette and at least one room. Sponsors need to either own a house or an apartment and have a rent contract for at least 1 year into the future. If the sponsor lives with their parents then that wouldn't be sufficient and the application will most likely be denied.
If your partner in Sweden hands in the application online, then you will have to sign a power of attorney form, you will find the link here Power of attorney 10711. The document is quite easy to fill in and sign, after you have signed it, then send it to your partner in Sweden. You can also sign the documents digitally using adobe reader or any other application that supports signing. This document will have to be uploaded to the online application. This will not be needed if you can do it online yourself.
Regarding the document where you will explain your relationship, don't spare any details. You need a
timeline from the first day you met to where you are now.
Write down everything, where you have been together and have you lived together outside of Sweden then write
it down.
Upload everything that you think will improve your chances of getting the residence permit.
If you have been chatting a lot online, then download the chat logs and upload them as proof.
If you have pictures taken togheter it's crucial that you upload and send them in with the application!
It's always better to give more information than less.
Now you will have to wait for the interview, this process can take everything from 3 month to a year or more.
Interview
Congratulations, you have gotten the notice that you can book an appointment at the Swedish embassy. Now you will have to prepare for the questioning that will occur during the interview and you will have to be well prepared. Everything that you did put down in the application you need to remember, even the information that your partner put down on their side of the application. I have heard some extremely weird and frightening stories regarding the interview. Some people have had a very easy time, their interrogator has gone easy on them and just kept to the important information, but some interrogators have gone over the top. You could, if you are unlucky, get an interrogator that would ask the size of your partner's underwear, the name of a distant relative like your partner's sister's husband, or even what your partner's cousins' kids' names are, or even what address they live on. These questions are not relevant but they might ask.
During my wife's interview,
we brought all the documents related to the application plus new documents that had shown up during the
application process and showed it to the interrogator.
She asked my wife how we met and how our relationship had developed during the years we'd been together.
Remember your partner's lifestyle and where they work and it's good to know his or her closest relatives and
friends.
Explain the relationship from the first day until the present day (important) including exact dates and the
location where you met.
If you have been to Sweden then explain the exact dates and what you did in Sweden during that time and
where you lived during the visit,
location, city, etc. Explain every visa that you have applied for, even the ones that were rejected. The
embassy is testing you to the limit.
After the interview, your partner will most likely get a call from immigration in Sweden.
If the interview went well and they don't have too many question marks, then that call will go fast.
If they on the other hand have doubts, then your partner might have to go through an interview as well,
either on the phone or at the immigration.
After the interview, you will have to wait once more for the verdict, if you are lucky it will only take a couple of days or a month. But if immigration is slow or they have doubts it might take a long time. By long I mean anything from 1 month to a year or more. Swedish immigration is a slow agency and they don't work very efficiently.
Processing time
Applying for a residence permit to Sweden can be a time-consuming process, and the waiting time for approval can vary greatly. My wife and I had a relatively quick experience, as we waited for 9 months for the interview, and received approval one week after. However, we still had to wait for the UT-card from the immigration office to be sent to the embassy in Thailand, which took another 3-4 weeks.
It is important to note that waiting times can vary greatly, with some applicants receiving approval in as little as 3-4 months, while others may wait for several years. The majority of applications take 9-12 months to be processed. It is also important to note that applications can take longer than a couple of years.
You can visit Migrationsverket.se to find the average processing time for the permit.