You want to apply Family of a British citizen with residence status

You are a family member of a British citizen who has residence status in Sweden and would like to apply for residence status to move here to live with them.

  • Important to know
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If you are a citizen of a non-EU country (for example the UK) and are a family member of a British citizen living in Sweden with residence status or permanent residence status, you can apply to receive residence status yourself.

Who is considered a family member?

Family members are considered to include spouses, cohabiting partners, registered partners, and unmarried children under the age of 21. In some cases, children over the age of 21 and other close relatives may be granted residence status. For this to occur, they must be dependent on the British citizen or their partner for their financial maintenance. If you are not a British citizen yourself, but support your British child financially, you do not need to show that you are dependent on the British citizen (i.e. your child). Parents/legal guardians of children studying in Sweden are also considered family members.

If you want to move to Sweden

If you currently live outside Sweden but want to move here to live with your family member who has residence status in Sweden, you must be able to show that you were family members before 31 December 2020. Your relationship must be the same as it was then, and your family member must continue to meet the conditions for right of residence or have a certificate of permanent residence status. You must apply for residence status within three months after you have arrived in Sweden.

If your family relationship with each other was established after 31 December 2020, you cannot be granted residence status. If you want to live in Sweden, you need instead to apply for a residence permit. The type of residence permit for which you should apply depends on what you plan to do in Sweden.

Read more about different types of permits on the page You want to apply

Residence status for children

Biological or adopted children can also apply for residence status. To do so, at least one parent must be a British citizen with residence status or permanent residence status. The parent must apply for their child’s residence status within three months of their birth or adoption. Therefore, submit your application on time even if any documents that must be attached are missing, such as a passport.

These requirements must be met in order for you to be granted residence status:

Your family member is a British citizen with residence status or permanent residence status

You must have been family members already before 31 December 2020

You must intend to live in Sweden

You must show that your British family member meets the conditions for right of residence
Your British family member must continue to meet the conditions for right of residence, as an employee, self-employed person, student or person with sufficient funds. However, this does not apply if your family member has received a certificate of permanent residence status.

Translate documents
All submitted documents should be in Swedish or English. If you have translated your documents, the translation should be certified. You must also submit a copy of the document in its original language.

Information about where you are
In the field Other information in the e-service or on the form, you must write whether you are in Sweden and when you entered the country.

You must attach copies of these documents to your application

Make sure that the information on your submitted documents is clearly visible.

Correctly made copies of your passport or national ID card
If you are a citizen of the UK or EU/EEA, you must attach copies of your national ID card or passport; otherwise, please attach copies of your passport.

Read more about what the passport copies must show

Correctly made copies of your family member’s passport or national ID card
You must attach copies of their passport or national ID card.

Read more about what the passport copies must show

Documents about your relationship with the family member

Select the heading that describes you:

Documents showing the family relationship, such as a marriage certificate.

Documents showing that you have lived together, either in Sweden or abroad; for example,

  • extracts from personal registers or other certificates showing that you have been registered at the same address
  • documents showing that you have had joint accounts or insurance policies
  • bills that have been issued to you jointly, or bills that have been issued to you separately but which show that they have been sent to your shared address (for example telephone bills).

Documents showing your relationship, for example

  • birth certificate or other document stating the names of your parents
  • adoption papers, if you are adopted
  • a separate paper in which you state your views on the matter, if you are under the age of 18.

You must submit

  • documents (such as birth certificates) showing that you are related to the British citizen or their spouse/cohabiting partner
  • documents showing how you depend on your family member to meet your basic needs.

You must submit

  • documents (such as birth certificates) showing that you are related to the British citizen
  • documents showing that your assets are sufficient to support both your child and your family
  • documents showing information about your accommodation and what housing costs you have in Sweden, for example a rental contract stating the rental cost or proof of purchase of a tenant-owner’s flat or property. If you own your home, you need to report the monthly costs associated with the property
  • documents showing that all family members are covered by comprehensive health insurance and have had such coverage throughout their stay in Sweden. If you are listed in the Swedish Population Register, no health insurance is required.

You must submit

  • documents (such as birth certificates) showing that you are related to the British citizen or their spouse/cohabiting partner
  • documents showing how you depend on your family member to meet your basic needs.

You must submit

  • documents (such as birth certificates) showing that you are the parent/legal guardian of the child who is studying in Sweden
  • documents showing that the child is studying in Sweden.

Documents showing that the family member met the requirements for residence status in Sweden on 31 December 2020

You will also need to submit documents showing that your family member met the requirements for residence status in Sweden on 31 December 2020 and continues to do so today (does not apply if your family member has a certificate of permanent residence status). The documents you must submit depend on the occupation or livelihood of your family member. If your family member had a different occupation in December 2020 than they do today, you will therefore need to submit various documents showing each occupation.

If your family member applies at the same time as you, it is sufficient for them to submit the documents in their application.

You must submit

  • proof of employment, with information about the employer’s name, contact details, and company registration number, your family member’s wages/salary, the duration and scope of their employment (the latter calculated in hours per week), and when the employment commenced. If the proof of employment is more than three months old, you need to attach their payslip for the past month.
  • payslips for the past three months, showing the number of hours worked and whether your family member is a part-time or on demand employee.

You must submit

  • documents showing that your family member is self-employed, such as their F-tax certificate and accounting certificate, their latest VAT report to the Swedish Tax Agency or tax account statements, or evidence that they run the business, such as invoices issued to customers, receipts or a rental contract.

If your family member is starting up their own business in Sweden but does not yet have a business, you must submit

  • documents showing what planning is in place for the company and what preparations have been made
  • service contract, customer contact details, or rental contract
  • copies of transfer agreement and the latest annual report.

You must submit

  • their certificate of admission to a course or programme at least at upper secondary level
  • European Health Insurance Cards for you and your family member. If you do not have such a card, you will need to attach a copy of your family member’s insurance certificate showing that they have had comprehensive health insurance for the duration of their stay in Sweden. It must be clear what the insurance covers.

You must submit

  • information about your accommodation and what housing costs you have in Sweden, for example a rental contract stating the rental cost or proof of purchase of a tenant-owner’s flat or property. If you own your home, you need to report the monthly costs associated with the property.

If you are not listed in the Swedish Population Register, you must also submit

  • a certificate showing that you are covered by the social security system of your country of origin. The certificate must have been issued by the national authorities there. If you are unable to obtain such a certificate, you will need to attach a copy of your insurance certificate showing that you have had comprehensive health insurance for the duration of your stay in Sweden. It must be clear what the insurance covers.

If your family member has supported themselves financially based on salary/wages or other compensation from abroad, you must submit

  • retirement notice, if they are retired
  • copy of their current employment contract and payslips for the past three months from their employer, if they work
  • receipts for the costs of commuting abroad. Attach a copy of the monthly/commuting card or similar proof of purchase
  • certificates regarding any allowances, grants, or other income from abroad.

If you plan to support yourselves with your family member’s assets, please submit

  • bank statement showing how much money you have
  • information about other disposable income.

If someone else has been responsible for your financial maintenance in Sweden, you need to submit

  • a copy of the ID card of the person who has been supporting you financially
  • a letter in which the person who is supporting you certifies that they have been responsible for your financial maintenance, and which also states your relationship
  • documents proving that they have supported you financially, such as bank account statements.

A representative can apply for you if you give them power of attorney. In that case, the person who applies for you must attach a copy of the power of attorney to your application.

Power of attorney (107011) pdf, 535.3 kB.

Read more about power of attorney

British citizens are visa-free. If you are a citizen of another country, you may need to apply for an entry visa before you travel to Sweden.

Countries whose citizens need an entry visa for travel to Sweden External link.

Every family member who is not a British citizen, an EU citizen, or from a visa-free country needs to submit their own application for an entry visa. This includes children. You submit your application at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in the country where you live.

You want to apply – Visiting Sweden for up to 90 days (entry visa)

If you currently live in Sweden with a British citizen but without your own residence status, in exceptional cases you can apply for residence status even though the application period has expired (on 31 December 2021).

When you do so, please submit a written explanation of why you were prevented from applying on time together with your application. It is then the Swedish Migration Agency that assesses whether your explanation provides reasonable reasons for why you are applying too late. The fact that you had a residence card or were registered in Sweden with a civic registration certificate that showed that you had a right of residence is not an adequate explanation. It is also not enough that it is stated in your civic registration certificate from the Swedish Tax Agency that you had the right of residence, or to claim that as a British citizen, you did not know that you needed to apply for residence status.

You must also have lived in Sweden with your family member before the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020.

How to submit your explanation
Write your explanation for your late application in the Other information field or in a separate document.

<h4>Requirements to be granted residence status</h4>

Your family member is a British citizen with residence status or permanent residence status

You must have stayed in Sweden in accordance with Union law before the end of the transition period
The transition period ended on 31 December 2020.

You must continue to live in Sweden

You must show that your British family member meets the conditions for right of residence
Your British family member must continue to meet the conditions for right of residence, as an employee, self-employed person, student or person with sufficient funds. However, this does not apply if your family member has received a certificate of permanent residence status.

You must provide reasonable reasons for a delayed application

For British citizens and their family members, it costs nothing to apply for residence status.

News

2026-09-24

New look – same agency

The Swedish Migration Agency has a new logo. On 24 September, the new logo will replace the old logo on the Agency’s website. The new logo will be rolled out gradually across all digital services and communications.

2026-04-13

Easier to renew your permanent residence permit card

It will now be easier to renew your permanent residence permit card. You will automatically receive information and a request to book an appointment via My page well in advance of your current card expiring.

The Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for considering applications from people who want to live in Sweden, seek protection or become Swedish citizens. Our work is based on Swedish laws and international conventions, with a focus on legal certainty and effective reception and return.