You have a residence permit for studies in Sweden and want to travel abroad for any length of time.
If you have a residence permit in Sweden, you can travel out of Sweden and back for as long as your permit is valid. However, if you leave Sweden, you must have both a valid passport and your residence permit card to be able to return here.
When travelling, you must present your residence permit card together with your valid passport. With your passport and residence permit card, you can enter 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 will be leaving Sweden for more than a month during the semester, for activities that are not part of your education, you must notify the Swedish Migration Agency. A longer period of absence may mean that you are no longer entitled to a residence permit in Sweden and that the Swedish Migration Agency can revoke the permit.
If your residence permit has been revoked due to a long-term absence that was not part of your education, and you want to apply for a new residence permit to continue your studies in Sweden, it is important that you apply for a new permit before you return to Sweden. You must have the new permit before you enter Sweden.
If you have a permanent residence permit, you leave Sweden for up to a year and still keep your residence permit.
If you are away for more than a year, the Swedish Migration Agency can revoke your residence permit. However, you can be away from Sweden for up to two years if you submit a notification that you wish to keep your permanent residence permit. If you do not return and settle in Sweden after two years have passed, we can revoke your residence permit.
To apply to keep your permanent residence permit, fill in the form
Notification of desire to retain permanent residence permit (187011, only in Swedish)
Pdf, 636.9 kB..
Print and sign the form and send it to us. Send it to this address:
Migrationsverket
601 70 Norrköping
Sweden
Your notification must be received by the Swedish Migration Agency no later than one week before you leave Sweden. If your trip is cancelled, you must notify the Swedish Migration Agency no later than the day you originally planned to travel.
If you are planning to live outside Sweden for a year or more, you must also report this to the Swedish Tax Agency.
Moving away from Sweden (The Swedish Tax Agency)
External link.
2025-12-04
More Afghans may be able to receive passports from their home country
The Swedish Migration Agency estimates that Afghan authorities are now able to issue national passports to their citizens within a reasonable time. This means that Afghan citizens with a residence permit in Sweden no longer automatically have the right to an alien’s passport. Instead, the Swedish Migration Agency will review each application for an alien’s passport individually.
2025-12-03
The Migration Agency’s drop-in service closes on 1 January
On 1 January, the Swedish Migration Agency’s service centre will close for drop-in visits. If you have any questions about your case, please contact the Swedish Migration Agency by telephone or via My page. For guidance and assistance with your application, or with using the Swedish Migration Agency’s digital services, please visit the National Government Service Centre.
2025-12-01
The embassies in Dar es Salaam, Harare, Maputo and Singapore will stop handling migration cases
As of 15 December, the Swedish embassies in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Harare (Zimbabwe), Maputo (Mozambique) and Singapore (Singapore) will no longer handle migration cases. You must then contact other Swedish embassies.
2025-09-15
The embassy in Beirut has had its migration operations paused since October 2024. From 1 October, 2025, the embassy will not handle migration cases at all. You should then instead turn to the Swedish embassy in Amman, Jordan.
2025-09-15
As of 1 October, the consulate-general in Jerusalem will no longer handle migration cases. You should instead contact another foreign mission in the area that has a migration assignment.
2025-09-15
As of 1 October, the embassy in Tel Aviv will no longer handle migration cases. Instead, you should contact another foreign mission in the region or within the Schengen area that handles migration cases.
2025-09-11
How you will be affected when extended passports become invalid
We have previously reported that Swedish authorities will not accept extended passports from 1 October 2025. Here we answer frequently asked questions about what this means and who will be affected.
2025-07-23
Extended passports become invalid on 1 October
As of 1 October 2025, Swedish authorities will no longer accept passports that have had their period of validity extended by inserting a stamp or sticker into the passport. If you have such a national passport, you should apply for a new one.
2025-07-07
If you need to apply for a visa, you can now do so in Islamabad
As of 7 July, you can apply for a Schengen visa in Pakistan for short visits to Sweden by submitting your application in Islamabad.