How the Swedish Migration Agency works with the revocation of residence permits
When and why does the Swedish Migration Agency investigate whether a residence permit should be revoked? You can read here how we work with revocations and what it means for you if we review your residence permit.
If you have a residence permit in Sweden, you cannot have your permit revoked unless there is a special reason for this. If the Swedish Migration Agency receives information or a tip that requires us to address the issue of revocation, we will inform you of this before we make a decision on whether or not the permit is to be revoked. In some cases, the permit can be revoked without the Migration Agency contacting you first, for example if you no longer live in Sweden. The fact that the Swedish Migration Agency is investigating whether or not your residence permit should be revoked does not automatically mean that you will have to leave Sweden.
When can a residence permit be revoked?
Your residence permit can be revoked for several different reasons, determined in the Swedish Aliens Act. Your permit can generally be revoked if you provided incorrect information in your application or failed to mention something that was significant for your residence permit. The permit can also be revoked if the requirements for the permit are no longer met – for example, if you have a residence permit for studies but you are no longer studying. Other examples for when a permit can be revoked are because of special grounds or because you have moved away from Sweden. Below we describe some of the examples in a little more detail.
Revocation due to incorrect information
The Swedish Migration Agency may revoke your residence permit if you have deliberately lied or withheld something that was important for your residence permit. It may be, for example, that you have provided incorrect information about your identity or your relationships to close relatives and family members.
Revocation on special grounds
In some cases, the Swedish Migration Agency may revoke your residence permit on special grounds. This may only happen if you have not yet entered Sweden. It may be that the conditions for your residence permit are no longer met, for example that the connection to the person you are moving to live with in Sweden has ceased, or that you have lost the educational place that formed the basis of your being granted a residence permit.
Revocation because you have moved away from Sweden
If you have a permanent residence permit in Sweden but are no longer resident here, or have been abroad for a long time for some other reason, the Swedish Migration Agency will revoke your permit. As a rule, it is required that you have been abroad for more than a year or have settled in another country, for a residence permit to be revoked.
In some cases, you can retain your residence permit, even though you have moved away from Sweden or are abroad for more than a year; in such cases, you must notify the Swedish Migration Agency that you wish to retain the permit. Such notification must be submitted to us no later than one week before you leave Sweden. In this case you may be away from Sweden for a maximum of two years – after that, the Swedish Migration Agency will revoke the residence permit if you have not returned.
Which residence permits can be revoked?
The issue of revocation may be raised in connection with:
- Permanent residence permits
- Temporary residence permits on the grounds of asylum
- Temporary residence permits on the grounds of connection
- Temporary residence permits for work
- Temporary residence permits for studies
A status declaration may be revoked without the residence permit being affected
If you have been granted a residence permit in Sweden on the grounds of asylum, you will also have received a status declaration: a refugee status declaration or a subsidiary protection status declaration. If the Swedish Migration Agency decides to revoke your status declaration, this does not automatically mean that your residence permit will be revoked. A status declaration may thus be revoked without your residence permit being affected.