Residence permit cards

Once you have received your residence permit card, check that the name on your residence permit card is the same as the name on your passport. If your card has the wrong name, you must contact the Swedish Migration Agency via My page, email or telephone. If you are outside of Sweden you must contact the embassy or consulate-general. Bring your passport when you come.

Your residence permit card states, among other things, what type of residence permit you have and how long the residence permit card is valid. It also states your date of birth and nationality.

On the back of some cards, it says “får arbeta” [may work]. This text is included if you have the right to work but this is not directly stated in your permit (as it is if, for example, you have a work permit or a permanent residence permit). For children, the text “får arbeta” is included on the card from the age of 16.

A residence permit card is valid for the same period as your residence permit is valid, but for a maximum of three years. If you have a residence permit in Sweden as a long-term resident in another EU country, or if your residence permit card was issued before 2022, the card is valid for five years.

If you are granted a new or extended residence permit, you will always get a new residence permit card. This means you will need to be photographed and fingerprinted again. You must return your old residence permit card when you get a new one. You can send the card to the Swedish Migration Agency, or return it to the National Government Service Centre.

If your residence permit expires, you cannot extend your permit by applying for a new residence permit card; you must apply for an extended residence permit.

If you have a permanent residence permit, you do not need to re-apply for a permanent residence permit. Apply for a new residence permit card when your card expires through My page, email or telephone. If you have a permanent residence permit, you can be photographed and fingerprinted no more than three months before your current residence permit card expires. However, the order to the supplier who produces the card will be sent no more than six weeks before the card expires.

When you travel, you must present your residence permit card together with your valid passport. Your residence permit card cannot be used instead of a passport.

With your passport and residence permit card, you can enter Sweden and move freely within the Schengen area for 90 days within a 180-day period. If you are travelling to a non-Schengen country, you may need an entry visa.

If you change your name, you will need a new residence permit card. You must first contact the Swedish Tax Agency to register your new name,before applying for a new residence permit card.

If you have lost your residence permit card or if it has been stolen, you must first report this to the police before you apply for a new card. You must send a copy of the police report to the Swedish Migration Agency.

Have you been waiting a long time to receive your residence permit card? This may be because your card has been sent back to the Swedish Migration Agency. This can happen if the Swedish Migration Agency has the wrong address for you. Contact the Swedish Migration Agency if you have questions about this.

Contact the Swedish Migration Agency