Swedish Migration Board - start page
Print

Family member of someone who is not an EU citizen or someone who is a Swedish citizen

If a member of your family is an EU citizen, you are the citizen of a country outside the EU or a Swedish citizen, and you plan to live together in Sweden, they must apply for a residence permit.
If the member of your family is working, studying or has sufficient assets to support themselves, they can register their right of residence instead of applying for a residence permit. Read more under the various headings in the menu to the left.

Family members include your:

  • spouse, common-law spouse or registered partner
  • future spouse, common-law spouse or registered partner
  • children under 18.

Other close relatives
In exceptional cases, other close relatives of yours may obtain a residence permit if you have lived together in your country of origin. Children over 18 or parents may fall into that category. You must be able to prove that you were living together just before you moved to Sweden and that the member of your family was financially, socially or emotionally dependent on you in your country of origin such that it is difficult for you to live apart. The application must be submitted as soon as possible after you move to Sweden or after you receive a permanent residence permit. Generally speaking, a member of your family cannot obtain a residence permit if they apply long afterwards or if they become dependent on you after you move to Sweden.

How to apply


Each member of the family, including children, must fill out an application of their own. They must use the forms Application for residence permit to settle in Sweden, no. 161011, Family detail, no 239011 and EU/EEA Appendix A — First Application, no. 223021. Children under 18 must use the form Application for residence permit to settle in Sweden —  for a child under the age of 18, no. 163011. The application must be sent or turned in to one of the Migration Board's permit units.

An EU citizen does not pay a fee to apply for a residence permit.

The following documents must be enclosed with the application


A member of your family must enclose:
  • copies of the pages of their passport that show personal data and period of validity
  • a civic registration (family) certificate for you from the Swedish Tax Agency
  • a copy of a marriage certificate or the equivalent if you are married
  • proof of national registration, a lease or proof of sale for your residence, or another document showing that you share a household if you are common-law spouses
  • copies of birth certificates of accompanying children showing the names of the parents
  • consent from the child´s other guardian if they are not coming to Sweden. Applies to children under 18.

Other close relatives must also enclose:

  • documents showing how you are related to each other
  • proof that they are dependent on you and that you would have difficulty living apart
  • documents showing that you were living together just before you moved to Sweden.

Faster decision if complete information has been submitted


The Migration Board first processes applications that have been filled out completely and for which all necessary documents have been submitted. In other words, a faster decision will be made if everything we need is sent at the beginning than if information is added afterwards. 
Keep in mind that the Migration Board might have to investigate the application further even if all the information and documents that we asked for are submitted.

Once we have received the application


If a member of your family receives a permit for more than three months, they will also receive a residence card. The card, which is proof that they have the right to be in Sweden, contains a photo and their fingerprints. They must go to the Migration Board as soon as possible to have their picture and fingerprints taken. Because photos and fingerprints are not saved, the member of your family must go through the process again even if they have had a residence card before.

After the decision has been made


The decision will be sent to your address in Sweden. Once the residence card is ready, it will be sent to you within approximately one week.
If you lived together in your country of origin for at least two years, the member of your family will generally receive a permanent residence permit. If you have not lived together before, a residence permit is normally issued for two years. If you plan to continue living together in Sweden after the permit expires, the member of your family must apply for an extension of their residence permit.

Children who apply together with one of their parents usually receive a permit for the same period as the parent. Other close relatives usually receive a permanent residence permit.

A passport that is about to expire should be renewed because a permit cannot be obtained for longer than the passport´s period of validity.

Page updated: 2013-04-22