Permits for family members of a person with a resi­dence permit for studies

If you are a family member of someone who has already applied for a residence permit for studies in Sweden in higher education, you can make your own application for a residence permit for the same period. If the permit is valid for more than six months, you can get a work permit. If you are a family member of someone who has been granted a permanent residence permit in Sweden after four years of doctoral studies, you can get a permanent residence permit if you meet the requirements for one.

If you are a British citizen

British citizens who want to work, study or move to someone in Sweden after January 1 2021 must apply for a residence and/or work permit.

British citizens who lived in Sweden with a right of residence until 31 December 2020, and who want to stay, must apply for a residence status.

Read more about residence status and how to apply

Read more about residence status for family members

This e-service should only be used by you as a family member who wants to make an application after the student has already made their application. If you want to apply together with the student, you must do so in the student's e-service when he or she makes their application.

Read more about residence permits for higher education

Requi­re­ments for resi­dence permits

You can apply for a residence permit if

  • the person that you are moving to in Sweden has a residence permit for studies in higher education
  • you have a valid passport
  • you have your support arranged for the period you are applying for a residence permit. The maintenance requirement for the whole time you are in Sweden is SEK 3,570 per month for adults and SEK 2,142 per month for each child
  • you are planning to live in Sweden with the person moving to Sweden to study.

Requi­re­ments to use the e-service

In order to use the e-service, you need

    • copies of the pages in your passport which show your personal information, photograph, signature, passport number, passport issuing country, the period of the passport's validity and whether you have permission to live in countries other than your country of origin. If your passport is about to expire, you should renew it as you cannot obtain a permit for longer than the validity of your passport
    • documents such as bank statement, to prove that your maintenance is arranged (in English)
    • a copy of a marriage certificate or the equivalent (applies to married couples and registered partners)
    • documents that show that you have lived together in your country of origin, such as a population registry certificate, joint rental contract or proof of joint purchase of your home
    • a short letter from the person in Sweden in which they confirm that you are going to live together in Sweden, if you are not applying for a permit at the same time.

    If you have children under the age of 18 who are moving to Sweden with you, you must also attach

    • copies of the pages in the child’s passport which show their personal information, photograph, signature (if applicable), passport number, passport-issuing country, the passport’s period of validity and whether they have permission to live in countries other than their country of origin. If the child’s passport is about to expire, you should renew it as the child cannot obtain a permit for longer than the validity of their passport
    • documents such as bank statements that prove that there are arrangements to support the child
    • a birth certificate or other proof of birth for the child showing the names of the parents
    • consent from the other guardian, if they are not also coming to Sweden, or proof that a family member is the sole guardian. This could be a court order, or a death certificate if the other parent has died. If there is joint guardianship, a copy of the other guardian’s passport or another form of identification must also be provided. This applies to children under 18
    • adoption papers if the child is adopted.

    The documents should be translated into Swedish or English by an authorised translator. You must always send us a copy of the original document. Check that the information on the documents you send is clearly visible. On passport copies, the figures and characters at the top and bottom of the passport pages must also be clearly visible and legible.

    Read more about the requirements for an online application

    The following are counted as family members: wife, husband, cohabiting partner, registered partner and unmarried children under the age of 18. Cohabiting partner refers to couples who are not married but live together as if married.

    If you are a family member of someone who has been granted a permanent residence permit in Sweden after four years of doctoral studies, you can also apply for a permanent residence permit, although only after three years. You cannot be granted a permanent residence permit before your family member has been granted one. You must meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit yourself, and will not automatically be granted one just because your family member has one.

    The Swedish Migration Agency will first of all examine whether you meet the requirements for being granted a permanent residence permit as a close relative of a person with a permanent residence permit. Your family member must meet a maintenance requirement in most cases.

    Read more about the doctoral student requirements for maintenance and housing

    Your application for a permanent residence permit will not be examined until the requirements for an extended residence permit have been met. You must meet the following requirements:

    • you must have held a residence permit for at least three years
    • if you are aged 18 or over, you must be able to support yourself financially
    • if you are aged 15 or over, you must be living an orderly life.

    If the whole family is applying at the same time, you can apply online together in the e-service for doctoral students.

    If the doctoral student already has a permanent residence permit, family members can apply in the e-service separately at a later date.

    Read more about applications for permanent residence permits for doctoral students

    You must attach this to your application:

    • documents showing that your family member’s income is sufficient to support the whole family financially and that he or she has a home of sufficient size and standard for all of you to live in
    • copies of the pages in your passport that show your personal information, photograph, signature, passport number, passport-issuing country, the validity period of the passport, entry stamps, and whether you have permission to live in countries other than your country of origin
    • copies of marriage certificates or the equivalent (applies to married couples and registered partners)
    • documents that show that you have lived together, such as a population registry certificate, joint rental contract or proof of joint purchase of your home if you have lived together outside Sweden
    • the forms Assurance of Cohabitation, 243011B, and Family details, 239011, which you should complete together
    • consent from the other guardian, if they are not also coming to Sweden, or proof that a family member is the sole guardian. This could be a court order, or a death certificate if the other parent has died. If there is joint guardianship, a copy of the other guardian’s passport or another form of identification must also be provided. This applies to children under 18
    • adoption papers if the child is adopted.

    If you are aged 18 or over, you must be able to support yourself financially in order to be granted a permanent residence permit. You must therefore also attach:

    • If you are an employee: a copy of the certificate of employment and your most recent payslip (if the employment has started).
    • If you are self-employed: a copy of the registration certificate from the Swedish Companies Registration Office and a copy of the F-tax card.
    • If you are entitled to a pension: a decision from the Swedish Pensions Agency stating that you are entitled to income-based retirement pension, guarantee pension or financial support for the elderly.
    • If you are unable to support yourself financially but have special grounds, e.g. permanent impairment of working capacity: documents showing this, e.g. an investigation by the Swedish Public Employment Service, a decision on entitlement to sickness benefit or activity compensation from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, or a medical certificate.

    The docu­ments should be trans­lated into Swedish or English by an autho­rised trans­lator. You must always submit both a copy of the original docu­ment and a copy of the trans­lated docu­ment.

    Family details – Appendix to your application, form 239011PDF

    Assurance of cohabitation – appendix to application for extended residence permit, form 243011BPDF

    If your children are over the age of 18, they can in certain cases apply for residence permits to live with someone with a permanent residence permit in Sweden. This requires that you are living together and that you are socially and emotionally dependent on each other, and that it is therefore difficult for you to live apart.

    Read more about what applies for the children over the age of 18

    Impor­tant infor­ma­tion about insu­rance

    If you need to seek medical care in Sweden, you may need to pay for the care yourself if you are not registered in Sweden in the Population Register, and do not have a Swedish Personal Identity Number. If you register in the Swedish Population Register, you can also be registered with the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, and covered by the country’s social insurance.

    To be registered in the Swedish Population Register and receive a Swedish Personal Identity Number, you generally need to have been granted at least a one-year residence permit in Sweden, and you generally need to be planning to live here for one year or longer. Therefore, you should register in the Population Register as soon as possible after moving to Sweden.

    Information about how to register at the Swedish Tax Agencyexternal link, opens in new window

    A first-time application for a residence permit must be made while you are outside Sweden, otherwise your application may be rejected. In some cases, you may be able to apply for a residence permit while you are in Sweden with another valid residence permit. In the test, you can find out what applies to you.

    Can I apply for a residence permit without leaving Sweden?

    You should apply for the residence permit from your country of origin or other country outside Sweden where you have permission to live. The permit must have been issued before you travel to Sweden.

    If the whole family is applying at the same time, you can apply online together with the person who will be studying.

    Read more about applications for residence permits for students

    If the person with a residence permit for studies is already in Sweden, family members can apply separately online at a later date.

    When you submit an online application, the person in Sweden must have a residence permit for studies.

    The permit must have been issued before you travel to Sweden.

    You will probably be required to pay a fee.

    Application fees for residence permits for family members

    Shorter processing time for complete applications

    To enable the Migration Agency to make a decision on your case, all details must be complete and all the necessary documents must be enclosed. This means that the processing time is shorter if everything required is included from the start, rather than having to provide additional information afterwards.

    Please note that the Migration Agency may in some cases need to investigate your application further, even if all details are complete and all documents are provided.

    Time to a deci­sion

    To get an idea of how long you will need to wait for a decision, you can visit the page Time to a decision. Please note that the average time shown on the page is calculated on the basis of previous cases in the same category. The time may vary from one application to another.

    If you cannot apply online, you must fill out the form Application by co-applicant to students/doctoral students, number 135011, and submit it to a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in your country of residence. The application form specifies which documents to enclose. Every person who is going to move to Sweden has to make their own application. For children under 18, it is the parent or custodian who applies for the child. Contact the embassy or consulate-general before you submit your application.

    Application for a residence permit for family members of students and doctoral students, form 135011PDF

    Swedish embassies and consulates-generalexternal link, opens in new window

    If there is no possibility to submit an application in your country, you must apply at the embassy or consulate-general closest to your country of residence. Contact the embassy or consulate-general before you submit your application for further information.

    If you are applying at an embassy or consulate-general, you pay the fee when you hand in your application. For more information about the fee, contact the embassy or consulate-general where you are applying, as they do not have the same fees and terms of payment as the Migration Agency.

    After you have sent the application

    If you get a permit for more than three months, you are given a residence permit card. The card, which is proof that you have the right to be in Sweden, contains your photo and fingerprints.

    If you need a visa for travel to Sweden, you should go to the embassy or consulate-general as soon as possible to have your picture and your fingerprints taken. You will need to do this even if you have had a residence permit card before because your photo and fingerprints cannot be saved. Not all embassies or consulates-general have the possibility to take your picture and your fingerprints. Contact the embassy or the consulate-general before your visit for more information.

    If you do not need a visa for travel to Sweden, as soon as possible after your arrival in Sweden you should visit the Migration Agency to be photographed and provide your fingerprinted. However, you need to apply for and get your permits before you travel to Sweden.

    Read more about residence permit cards

    Swedish embassies and consulates-generalexternal link, opens in new window

    Countries whose citizens need a visa to enter Swedenexternal link, opens in new window

    The decision will be sent to the Embassy or consulate-general that you chose when you applied online. You must have your passport with you when you collect the decision.

    If you already live in Sweden and apply to extend your residence permit or apply for a permanent residence permit, the decision will be sent to your address in Sweden.

    When the residence permit card is ready, the embassy or consulate-general will hand over or send you the card. Please note that it can take up to four weeks from the date you get the decision to produce and deliver the card to the embassy or consulate-general. You must show your residence permit card together with a valid passport when you travel to Sweden.

    If you do not need a visa for travel to Sweden, you should be able to show a copy of the decision letter when you enter the country. As soon as you have arrived in Sweden, you must visit the Swedish Migration Agency to be fingerprinted and photographed. When your residence permit card is ready, it will be sent to your address in Sweden.

    Book an appointment at the Swedish Migration Agency to have your picture and fingerprints taken if you can travel without the residence permit card

    The residence permit can be withdrawn if, in your application, you provided incorrect information or did not mention something that was significant in regards to your residence permit. The permit can also be withdrawn if the requirements for the permit are no longer met.

    What is a power of attorney?

    A power of attorney can be a signed letter in which the person applying for a permit allows another person to represent him or her. A power of attorney can, for example, give someone the right to apply, be informed of the reasons for a decision, or lodge an appeal for someone else. The power of attorney must be signed by the person who gives their power of attorney to another person, and must be presented in the original if required by the Swedish Migration Agency.

    In order to give another person power of attorney, you will need to send a letter to the Swedish Migration Agency stating

    • that it is a power of attorney
    • the name, date of birth and address of the person giving someone else the power of attorney
    • what the person who has the power of attorney has to do
    • the name, personal identity number and address of the person who is given the power of attorney
    • the signature of the person giving someone else the power of attorney
    • the date and place where the power of attorney is signed.

    Power of Attorney, form 107011PDF

    Extending a permit

    You can apply for an extension while you are in Sweden. If the whole family applies for an extension at the same time, it is the student who applies for the family in their own web application.

    If the student has already been granted an extension, you can make your application in the e-service.

    Last updated: 2021-09-10