Swedish Migration Board - start page
Print

Residence permit in Sweden for long-term residents in the EU

If you have a residence permit in an EU member state but you are not an EU citizen, you can acquire the status of long-term resident in that country. If you have the status of long-term resident in another EU member state and you would like to spend more than three months in Sweden, you must apply for a residence permit.
NB! Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom are not covered by the rules for long-term residents.

Requirements to be granted a residence permit


You must show that you have been granted long-term resident status in the other EU country and that you received the special residence permit called EC residence permit for long-term residents. It is not enough that you lived for five years in an EU member state and have, for example, permanent residence there. Family members must submit their own application for a residence permit in Sweden.
 

Categories covered


The following groups may receive a residence permit as long-term resident in another EU country:
  • employees
  • self-employed persons
  • supplier of service/recipient of service
  • students
  • persons with sufficient funds for their support.

You are entitled to work during the time you are studying.

Family members


The following family members can obtain residence permits, together with the person who is a long-term resident:
  • husband/wife or common law spouse
  • children under the age of 21 or older children who are dependent on their parents for their support
  • parents who are financially dependent on children who live in Sweden.

Long-term resident status


If  you are a long-term resident this is written in the permit:

Povolení k pobytu pro dlouhodobě pobývajícího rezidenta — ES (Czech)

Fastboende udlænding - EF (danish)

Long term resident – EC (English)

Pikaajaline elanik — EL (Estonian)

Pitkään oleskelleen kolmannen maan kansalaisen EY-oleskelulupa (Finnish)

Résident de longue durée – CE (French)

επί μακρόν διαμένων - ΕΚ (Greek)

Soggiornante di lungo periodo – CE (Italian)

Pastāvīgais iedzīvotājs — ES (Latvian)

Ilgalaikis gyventojas — EB (Lithuanian)

Residenti għat-tul - KE (Maltese)

EG-langdurig ingezetene (Dutch)

Rezydent długoterminowy — WE (Polish)

Residente CE de longa dur (Portugese)

Rezident pe termen lung — CE (Romanian)

Osoba s dlhodobým pobytom — ES (Slovak)

Rezident za daljši čas — ES (Slovenian)

Residente de larga duración–CE (Spanish)

Daueraufenthalt – EG (German)

Huzamos tartózkodási engedéllyel rendelkező — EK (Hungarian)

Facts


Sweden is a member of the European Union. The EU countries are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom, Sweden, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Austria.

Through the EEA Agreement, citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are also covered by the principle of free movement within the EU. Switzerland is also covered by the principal of free movement through an agreement with the EU.

Page updated: 2011-12-21