If you want to visit Sweden and you are not a citizen of the EU/EEA, you may need a visa. A visa gives you permission to enter and stay in Sweden for a short period. It is valid throughout the Schengen area, but you apply to the country that is the main destination for the journey.

Visas can be granted for such purposes as:

• Business visits
• Conference and Training course
• Participation in cultural or sporting events
• Visits to relatives and friends
• Medical treatment
• Tourism

You can submit your application at the earliest six months before your planned visit. Considering the high number of applications we recieve, we recommend that you apply  as far in advance as possible, minimum four weeks prior to departure. Usually, you get a decision within two weeks.

A visa can be granted for between 1 and 90 days. You have to make use of these days within a given time frame of six months at the most (period of validity).

How many days you are allowed to stay in the Schengen area, and for how long altogether, is stated on the permit sticker attached to your travel document.

If you need to travel to Sweden often, you can ask to be given several entries. Such visas are valid for five years at the most. If the visa is for more than six months, you can stay in the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days per six-month period.

A visa does not automatically mean you can enter the Schengen area. Entry checks are always made at external border points. So it is a good idea to bring along copies of the documents you submitted when applying for a visa. Border controls may result in your being denied entry.

It is the embassy or consulate that decides whether you are to be granted a visa. In certain cases, the matter is referred to the Swedish Migration Agency for a decision.

Read more about visa applications in the menu on the left and on the Swedish Migration Agency website.

Visits longer than 90 days

If you will need to stay in Sweden for more than three months, you should apply for a residence permit for a visit, or a national visa, known as a ‘D-visa’. Such permits are decided in accordance with national Swedish rules. This means, for instance, that visa facilitation agreements do not apply and that visa decisions are not subject to appeal.

An application for a residence permit for a visit is always sent to the Migration Agency in Sweden, where the decision is taken. Consequently, the application period is longer than for a D-visa. If the application is granted, residence permits are usually issued for between three and twelve months.

If you have special grounds that are approved, you can obtain a national visa (D-visa) for longer than 90 days, but for a year at the most. Special grounds may for instance be that you need to travel to Sweden several times during a given year to visit your own children or to do business. A national visa gives you freedom of movement throughout the Schengen area, in the same way as a residence permit. You yourself decide how many times you want to enter the Schengen area during the visa’s period of validity.

If you are to be granted a residence permit for a visit or a national visa, the purpose of the trip must be to visit Sweden, not to settle there. You must have the means to support yourself throughout your stay, and you must possess either a return ticket or enough money for your return journey. Medical travel insurance is not compulsory, but it is advisable, since medical costs can be high.