2026-07-12
No permanent residence permits for former asylum seekers from 12 July
From the 12 July, people who have a permit in Sweden on the grounds of protection cannot be granted a permanent residence permit (PUT).
You are waiting for a decision Application card and LMA card
If you apply for international protection (asylum), you will receive an application card as proof that you are allowed to be in Sweden while you wait for a decision about your application. If you applied for asylum before 12 June 2026 you have received an LMA card.
An application card or LMA card shows that you have applied for international protection (asylum) and have the right to be in Sweden while you wait for a decision. The card is valid throughout the country and is issued by the Swedish Migration Agency. “LMA” stands for “Lagen om mottagande av asylsökande”, which translates to “the Act on Reception of Asylum Seekers”.
When you apply for international protection in Sweden, you will be photographed. Your photo will be used for the proof that the Swedish Migration Agency has registered your application, and for the application card. The application card replaces the proof of registration. The card is personal, so only you can use it, and you cannot use it as an identity document.
Zoom imageThe application card, front and back.
Zoom imageThe LMA card, front and back.
How to use your card
Keep your application card or LMA card with you at all times, so you can present it in contact with authorities, employers or health and medical care providers, for example.
Below the photo on your card is your case number at the Swedish Migration Agency. When you contact us, it is useful to have that number available. With the help of your case number, we can quickly produce the information we have about your application.
Present your card when your contact national authorities or when you need to show an employer that you have the right to work. If you have gotten a job and want to open a bank account, you must present your card to the bank.
In some cases, you may use the application card or LMA card as proof of your identity when collecting postal packages from abroad or registered mail from the Swedish Migration Agency.
If you present your card at the pharmacy, you will pay less for most medications prescribed by a physician. In some cases, you will also pay a lower patient fee if you present your card when you visit a health/medical care provider.
The card’s period of validity
You will have an application card or LMA card throughout the time you are waiting for a decision about your application.
The application card’s period of validity is one year. After that, you need to apply for a new card if you still have not had a decision about your application.
The LMA card’s period of validity can be extended by three months each time you visit the Swedish Migration Agency.
The card has a QR code
The application card and the LMA card have a QR code that allows anyone with access to a QR reader to easily check
- if the card is valid
- if you have the right to work (AT-UND status).
Scanning the QR code on an LMA card does not reveal any other personal information about you. The QR code on an application card, however, reveals a little more information about you, for example when you applied and which country you are a citizen of.
If you receive AT-UND status, this will be registered directly on your card, and your employer can verify your status by scanning the QR code.
If you lose your application card or LMA card
If your application card or LMA card is stolen or lost, you must report this to your Unit for Reception. The Swedish Migration Agency will then block your card and order a new one.
News
2026-07-12
Exemptions from the requirement for a permanent residence permit to obtain Swedish citizenship
From 12 July, as a general rule, permanent residence permits will no longer be granted. Consequently, some people with temporary residence permits may apply for Swedish citizenship without having a permanent residence permit.
2026-06-18
No permanent residence permits for former asylum seekers or their family members
Following changes to the law, it is no longer possible for people who have a permit on the grounds of protection to be granted a permanent residence permit (PUT).
2026-06-12
The migration pact is introduced on the 12 June
On 12 June 2026, the EU's Pact on migration and asylum is introduced. Among other things, this means that the EU will have common rules about how migrants will be controlled at the border, and what the procedure is when somebody applies for international protection (asylum).
2026-06-01
New levels of reintegration assistance from 1 June 2026
The EU Reintegration Programme (EURP) provides support for people returning to their country of origin after their application for asylum has been rejected or when they no longer have the right to remain in the EU. The levels of assistance available under the programme are now being revised.