How to apply for residence status
On this page, you can find information on how to apply for residence status.
If you have not applied for residence status before the end of the application period
Your right to stay in Sweden ended after 31 December 2021 if you did not apply for residence status before then. In some cases, the Swedish Migration Agency can accept an application for residence status that has come in after this date. This presupposes that there are reasonable grounds for why you did not apply in time. A review will be done of each individual case.
Some family members can apply afterwards. For them, it is important that their application has been received within three months of when they came to Sweden.
If you have been granted residence status, you can apply for permanent residence status once you have stayed in Sweden for at least five years with the right of residence. You must submit an application for proof of permanent residence status to the Swedish Migration Agency before your proof of residence status expires.
However, people with permanent residence permits have the right to continue to stay in Sweden as usual even after this date. People who have temporary residence permits in Sweden may, on the other hand, need to apply for a work permit to continue to have the possibility of working in Sweden after the end of the application period.
Read more about what applies to your family members
The Swedish Migration Agency’s online application makes it easier for you to complete the form correctly from the beginning. When you apply online, you are given clear instructions on how to complete your application and what you have to send in with it, which improves your chances of getting a decision faster.
You need to send in copies of the following with your application
What you need to enclose with your application depends on who you are. Choose the heading that applies to you.
When we have received your application
You will receive a certificate that you have submitted an application for residence status. During the time that you are waiting on a decision, you have the same rights as a European Union citizen and can continue to live, work and study in Sweden.
Follow your case in My page
You can use the My page e-service to see how your case is progressing and, for example, whether a decision has been made.
You must show your passport
The Swedish Migration Agency must check your passport or British national identity card before a decision can be made. You may therefore need to show your passport or ID card at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general if you are outside Sweden, or one of the Migration Agency's service centres if you are in Sweden.
In some cases, you will not be required to show your passport or national ID card, for example, if we have already checked your them during a previous visit.
If you need to show your passport or national ID card, we will contact you with information on how and when to do so.
Proof of residence status
If you are granted residence status, you will receive a card as proof that you have residence status. The card contains, among other things, your photograph along with your fingerprints. You will be photographed and have your fingerprints taken when the passport or British national ID card is checked.