In order to get a residence permit in Sweden, it is important that you cannot be assumed to commit a crime in the future. For this reason, it is a requirement that you can be expected to live a well-behaved life. To be able to assess this, the Swedish Migration Agency needs to look at how you have lived so far, for example if you have been convicted or suspected of any crime in Sweden or abroad, or if there are circumstances showing that you have not complied with current rules.

There are no detailed rules on the types of crimes or the length of the penalty that may prevent you from being granted a residence permit. It is not only serious crimes that are taken into account. Even less serious crimes or other forms of misconduct may be an obstacle.

If there is reason to suspect that you will not live a well-behaved life in the future, the Swedish Migration Agency will weigh these concerns against the reasons for granting you a residence permit. We take into account how you have misbehaved and how long ago the events took place.

Exemptions to this so-called “good conduct qualification” are made only for children under the age of 15.