International protection (asylum) in Sweden

You want to apply for international protection (asylum) in Sweden, because you are being persecuted or risk persecution or inhumane treatment in your country of origin.

You cannot apply for international protection (asylum) before you arrive in Sweden. You must be in Sweden or on a border with Sweden.

If you encounter border police when you enter Sweden, tell them that you want to apply for international protection. Border police are located, for example, at passport controls at international airports, at ferry terminals, and wherever trains and buses enter Sweden. The border police will ask you some questions and then refer you to the Swedish Migration Agency, which will register your application for international protection.

If you are already in Sweden, please visit the Swedish Migration Agency to submit an application. You can apply for international protection at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s Reception and Return Centres in Malmö, Gothenburg, Stockholm or Boden.

Addresses and opening hours of the Swedish Migration Agency

Requirements to be granted a residence permit due to protection needs

Sweden is a party to the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Among other things, this means that Sweden must examine each person’s application for international protection individually.

Sweden must grant a residence permit to anyone who is a refugee or a person in need of subsidiary protection according to the EU’s common rules.

Refugee

According to the Refugee Convention, EU rules and Swedish law, you are a refugee if you have a well-founded fear of persecution due to one of the following:

your race
your nationality
your religious or political views
your gender
your sexual orientation
the fact that you belong to a particular social group.

The persecution can be from individuals or from the authorities in your country of origin. You must show that it is likely that the national authorities are unable or unwilling to protect you from persecution by individuals or groups.

Person in need of subsidiary protection

Under EU rules and Swedish law, you are in need of subsidiary protection if there is reason to assume that any of the following applies to you and your situation in your country of origin:

You are at risk of being punished with death.
You are at risk of corporal punishment, torture, or other inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment.
As a civilian, you are at serious risk of injury due to armed conflict.

In Swedish, a person in need of subsidiary protection was previously called "alternativt skyddsbehövande".

Exemptions from the right to international protection

If, during the investigation of your application, it emerges that you have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, or other serious crimes, or if you pose a threat to national security, you cannot be granted international protection in Sweden. But if you are unable to return to your country of origin because you are at risk of being killed or subjected to corporal punishment, torture, or other inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment there, you may be granted a short residence permit.

Show who you are

In order for the Swedish Migration Agency to assess whether you are entitled to international protection, you need to show who you are (prove your identity) and where you come from. You must prove your identity by submitting your passport or other identity documents from your country of origin straight away when you apply for international protection.

If you do not have a passport or identity card

If you do not have a passport or identity card, and cannot obtain them, you can present, for example, a driving licence, birth certificate, certificate of citizenship, or military service records. Just one of these documents cannot prove who you are, but several of them, along with your story about your background and your country of origin, can help prove your claimed identity.

If you find it difficult to produce identification documents, you must show us that you are trying to obtain them. If you are unable to demonstrate that you have tried to obtain documents that prove your identity, we will reduce your daily allowance. You will then also not have the right to work while you wait for a decision about your application.

If you cannot prove your identity

It is possible to be granted international protection in Sweden even if you have tried but failed to prove your identity. It may be enough that you provide reliable and credible information about who you are and where you come from. However, it may take longer to process your application. If you are granted a residence permit but do not have a passport or identity card, you will also have to wait longer to become a Swedish citizen, as you are required to prove your identity when applying for Swedish citizenship.

It is illegal to provide inaccurate information about your identity. If you are granted international protection and it turns out that you have provided false identity documents or incorrect information about your identity, the Swedish Migration Agency may revoke your protection and decide that you should be expelled from Sweden. We report suspected fraud to the police, and this can lead to an investigation and legal consequences.

If you have children who have come to Sweden with you

You and your family apply together, and you will then be summoned to a joint interview. Children also need to show who they are by submitting identity documents. It is especially important for the Swedish Migration Agency to know how old your children are, since children who apply for international protection have different rights than adults.

Information about children who apply for international protection

There is also information aimed directly at children who are applying for international protection:

Information for children who have applied for international protection (asylum)

If you are a LGBTQIA+ person

If the reason why you are applying for international protection is that you fear persecution because of your sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity, it is important that you inform us of this as soon as possible. During the investigation of your application, we need to understand what your life has been like in your country of origin and why you are afraid to return there.

It is important that you tell us as much as possible about all your reasons for applying for international protection. The persons involved in the investigation are sworn to secrecy.

You can contact non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for advice and support. The more informed you are about your rights and obligations, the better prepared you will be for the different stages of our assessment of your need for protection. RFSL is one such non-governmental organisation that works to protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ people. They provide special support and social meeting places for LGBTQIA+ people who apply for international protection.

RFSL Newcomers External link.

Accommodation and financial aid

Once you have applied for international protection, you will be assigned a place at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s accommodations.

Accommodation

If you do not have your own money, you may also be entitled to financial aid from the Swedish Migration Agency.

Financial aid

For how long can I be granted a residence permit?

A person considered as a refugee receives a residence permit for three years.

A person considered as in need of subsidiary protection is granted a residence permit for 13 months.

The residence permit can be extended.

What does it cost to apply?

It costs nothing to apply for international protection.

Can I work or study with this type of residence permit?

If you are granted a residence permit in Sweden, you will also have the right to work and study.

The EU and the Swedish Migration Agency have assessed some countries as safe countries of origin. If you apply for international protection but come from a safe country of origin, we will generally assume that you can be protected by the authorities in your country of origin. You will always have the opportunity to explain why you cannot get such protection in your country of origin, but you must be prepared to receive a return decision that is to be implemented immediately.

What is a safe country of origin?

In order for a country to be assessed as a safe country of origin, several criteria must be met. Both the EU and the Swedish Migration Agency conduct an overall assessment of the country. Among other things, this is considered:

whether there are any armed conflicts
the existence of persecution or torture
how fundamental rights and freedoms are upheld.

The Swedish Migration Agency makes the assessment based on our country information reports. These are published in Lifos, the Swedish Migration Agency’s database for country information and legal governance.

Lifos database External link.

Organisations that can support those who have applied for international protection

Amnesty International External link.

Caritas Sweden External link.

Flyktinggruppernas och asylkommittéernas riksråd External link.

RFSL Newcomers 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.

Social Mission External link.

The Church of Sweden External link.

Informationsverige.se External link.

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.

Illustration of two men sitting in a conversation.

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.

Illustration of a man who works as a caseworker at the Swedish Migration Agency.

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.

Illustration of a young man holding a decision.

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.

You have received a decision

News

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).

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.

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