Accommodation
Information about accommodation for those who have applied for international protection (asylum).
You are waiting for a decision You have applied for international protection (asylum)You are waiting for a decision You have applied for international protection (asylum)
You have applied for international protection (asylum) in Sweden and are waiting for a decision. Here you will find information about what applies while you wait.
- Important to know
- How it works
When you have applied for international protection (asylum) in Sweden, you have rights and obligations which it is important that you know about. On these pages you will find information about matters such as accommodation, medical care, school and work. You will also find answers to questions about waiting times and decisions.
Important to know while you wait
When will I receive a decision?
We cannot say exactly how long it will take for you to receive a decision. All applications are handled individually, and the waiting times can therefore be different in length. After you have attended a personal interview, you may be summoned to several meetings before you receive a decision.
It is important that you come to the meetings to which the Swedish Migration Agency summons you. You may have to wait longer for your decision if we need to reschedule your appointment. Failure to show up for meetings to which you are summoned may also lead the Swedish Migration Agency to consider you uncooperative, and as a result we may decide to write off your application.
If you want to withdraw your application
You can withdraw (take back) your application at any time during the processing period. Notify your case officer at the Swedish Migration Agency if you have changed your mind. Once you have withdrawn your application, you will receive a decision informing you that your application has been dismissed. In connection with this, you will also receive a return decision, if you are still in Sweden. In most cases, this means that you must leave Sweden and the Schengen area.
Depending on which country you come from, you may be able to receive support when you withdraw your application and return to your home country.
Let us know if anything has changed since you applied
If you have new information that may affect your application, please contact the Swedish Migration Agency. For example, new information may include new grounds for your application, information you have not provided before, or identity documents you have not shown us.
If you move, you must notify the Swedish Migration Agency of your new address, so that we can reach you when it is time for your investigation interview or other meetings.
Read your post regularly, so you don’t miss out on information from us.
How to fill in the form Adressanmälan eller adressändring (Notification of address or change of address) (Mot93)
1. Personal details
Fill in the names, phone numbers, and case numbers of all the people who are moving to the new address, including children.
2. Registered/New address
c/o:
Enter the name of the person whose name is on the door of the residence/postbox. If your own name is on the door/postbox, you do not need to provide a c/o.
Street address:
Enter the name of the street on which the residence is located.
Apartment number:
If you live in an apartment, please specify the apartment number of the apartment, which consists of four digits. You can find the apartment number in the entrance of the building, on the door to your residence, on the postbox, or on your contract.
Postal code and town/city:
Postal code and town/city.
The address is valid from (enter the year, month and day):
Please indicate the date from which your new address applies; enter the year, month, and day.
3. Other information
Here you can provide information of which you think the Swedish Migration Agency should be aware.
4. Signature
If the change of address applies to more than one adult, the form must be signed by all persons over 18 years of age.
Submit or send the form to your Unit for Reception.
You can find the addresses of the Swedish Migration Agency’s Units for Reception on the contact details page:
Can I travel out of Sweden while I am waiting for a decision?
Your right to international protection may be affected if you leave the country. You must be available while your application is being processed, for example so that you can come to the meetings to which you are summoned. If you are unavailable or have left the country, the Swedish Migration Agency may write off your application. If we do that, you may need to reapply.
How will I receive the decision?
Once the Swedish Migration Agency has made a decision about your application, we will inform you of the decision with the help of an interpreter at a meeting with us. During this meeting, you will also have the opportunity to ask questions.
Organisations that can support those who have applied for international protection
Amnesty International External link.
Flyktinggruppernas och asylkommittéernas riksråd External link.
Asylrättscentrum External link.
Save the Children Sweden External link.
The Swedish Red Cross External link.
The Swedish Red Cross Treatment Centres for Persons Affected by War and Torture External link.
Application 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.
Work
Information for those who have applied for international protection (asylum) about working in Sweden and how AT-UND works.
Financial aid
Information about financial aid opportunities for those who have applied for international protection (asylum).
Payment card
Information about payment cards for people receiving financial assistance.
Health and medical care
Information about health and medical care for those who have applied for international protection (asylum).
School
Information about schooling for children who have applied for international protection (asylum).
Activities
As an asylum seeker, you can participate in various activities to help you start learning the Swedish language, learn about Swedish society, or improve your health.
You say that you want to apply for international protection
You can tell the border police at the Swedish border that you want international protection. In Sweden, you can also tell the police, the Swedish Migration Agency or the Swedish Prison and Probation Service. Then, this happens:
The police or the Swedish Migration Agency do a first check of your identity
You submit your passport or other identity documents
To show who you are and where you come from, you must submit a passport or identity card from your country of origin. We will register you with the name and gender specified in your identity documents. If you have a different gender identity than what is stated there, or if you want us to use a different name or pronoun, please tell us. Also let us know if you have special grounds for wanting an interpreter or case officer of a particular gender, or if you do not want to share a room with persons of a particular gender.
You are fingerprinted
Your fingerprints are used to see who you are and if you have applied for international protection in any other EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland, or if you have a permit or are subject to a travel ban in any of these countries. If you have already applied for international protection in one of these countries, we will investigate which country will be responsible for examining your application. Your application will then be handled according to the so-called “AMMR Process”. The Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (AMMR) determines which country will be responsible for your application.
Children under 6 years of age do not need to be fingerprinted.
You are photographed
Your photo will be used for two proofs: a paper as proof that the Swedish Migration Agency has registered your application, and an application card as proof that you have handed in a complete application.
You get to do a first health examination
The health examination is carried out by medical staff and the purpose is to give you emergency help if you need it, and to check whether you have any infectious diseases.
You get to have a first conversation with a case officer
With the help of an interpreter, you can explain who you are and tell us why you have left your country of origin, and how you travelled to Sweden. You will be asked questions about your family and how you are feeling. Let us know if you have special needs, for example due to a disability.
You receive information
You will receive written information about the application process and what you need to do. We tell you about the right to free legal advise, and that you need to request to get it in order for us to assess whether you have the right to it.
You will also receive information about practical issues, such as your right to accommodation, financial aid, care, and schooling for your children.
During the meetings with the Swedish Migration Agency, you are always welcome to ask questions if you have any queries.
You are summoned to submit your application
You will receive a summons and an application form to submit your application for international protection. This is when you must tell us why you need international protection. You must also submit documents and other records to prove it.
You may also receive a summons to one or more interviews.
You submit your application
To the meeting when you are going to submit your application for international protection, you must bring
- the completed application form
- documents and other records that you want to submit in support of your application for international protection
- identity documents that you have not already submitted.
If needed, an interpreter will be present at the meeting. The Swedish Migration Agency’s case officer will ask you questions about what you tell us and the documents you submit.
The case officer and the interpreter are allsworn to secrecy. That means they are not allowed to share what you have said with anyone who does not have the legal right to know.
You participate in one or more interviews
At interviews, an interpreter is present. The case officer will tell you what the interview is about and what rights and obligations you have. For example, you are required to speak the truth and not withhold anything that may be important for us to assess whether you need protection.
You must tell us who you are, where you come from, why you are applying for international protection, and what you think will happen to you if you have to return to your country of origin. You will also be asked questions about your family, your health and your situation in your country of origin. It is your responsibility to tell us all your grounds for applying for international protection. If you have evidence that you want the Swedish Migration Agency to consider, you should submit it.
At the end of the interview, you can ask questions about the application process or anything else related to your contact with the Swedish Migration Agency.
What you all say during the interview is recorded. The case officer also writes down what is said in the meeting minutes. You will be given the opportunity to approve the minutes, which will then be saved along with any documents you have submitted.
Children who apply for international protection
Every child has the right to speak and be heard. Children who apply for international protection together with their parents also have the right to talk to their case officer at the Swedish Migration Agency. Children have the right to receive the same thorough investigation and examination of their grounds for protection as adults – and a child may have other grounds for protection than their parents. When a child’s grounds for protection are investigated, the Swedish Migration Agency case officer must do as much as possible to adapt the investigation to the child’s age, maturity and health. Children have the right to have an adult with them during their interviews. This could be a parent, another legal guardian or a representative. Unaccompanied minors always have the right to have their representative with them during the investigation.
The Swedish Migration Agency’s processes
After the meeting where you submitted your application and any interviews, we will review all the information in your application and determine whether we can examine your application and if you can be granted international protection.
We will contact you if we need more information.
Waiting time while we process your application
Now you must wait. All applications are different and therefore take different lengths of time to investigate.
You receive our decision
We will inform you about the decision at a meeting at which you meet with a case officer who will explain the decision to you with the help of an interpreter.
The decision is based on your story and the documents you have submitted in support of what you have told us about your identity and your reasons for seeking international protection, as well as the Swedish Migration Agency’s knowledge of the situation in your country of origin.
If you are granted international protection, you will get a residence permit and you have the right to live and work in Sweden as long as the permit is valid.
If you are not granted international protection, you must prepare to leave the country.
News
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.