You apply
If you want to live with your family member in Sweden, fill in the application and attach the necessary documents. In your application, you indicate which Swedish embassy or consulate-general you wish to visit to show your passport, if applicable. In some cases, you may also be called for an interview at the embassy.
The Swedish Migration Agency reviews your application
The Swedish Migration Agency will review your application. If we can immediately see that you do not meet the requirements for a residence permit, we may already make a decision to reject your application.
We will contact you if we need more information.
Present your passport and provide fingerprints
Before the Swedish Migration Agency can make a decision, you must present your passport. Most applicants will receive an email about doing so through a digital passport check via an app. If you are unable, or do not want to do a digital passport check, you must decline via the link in the email. We will inform you if you must present your passport in person.
Read more about digital passport check
You need to book an appointment to visit an embassy or consulate-general if any of the following applies to you:
- The Swedish Migration Agency has informed you that you need to present your passport in person.
- You have been summoned to an interview.
- You need a visa to enter Sweden and must provide fingerprints and be photographed for your residence permit card.
You are waiting for a decision – You have applied for the first time
The Swedish Migration Agency processes the application
Once you have presented your passport, the Swedish Migration Agency will review all the information related to your application and determine whether you can be granted a work permit. We will contact you if we need more information.
You receive our decision
If you applied in the e-service, you will receive an email as soon as we have made a decision. The email will tell you whether you have been granted a residence permit or if your application has been rejected. The decision will then be sent by post to your chosen embassy or representative. You may need to book an appointment at the embassy to pick it up.
If you have applied using a paper form, you will not receive an email from us. Instead, the embassy will contact you to inform you of the decision. If you have a representative, the decision will only be sent to your representative.
When you receive the decision, you can find out the reasons on which we based our decision. If you are granted a residence and work permit, you have the right to live and work in Sweden as long as the permit is valid. If your application is rejected and you are currently in Sweden, you must prepare to leave the country.