Important to know

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, 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.

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.

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 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.

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

Read more about what applies while you are waiting for a decision about your application for international protection

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.

It costs nothing to apply for international protection.

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.

The Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for considering applications from people who want to live in Sweden, seek protection or become Swedish citizens. Our work is based on Swedish laws and international conventions, with a focus on legal certainty and effective reception and return.