Visas can be granted for such purposes as:

• Business visits
• Participation in cultural or sporting events
• Visits to relatives and friends
• Tourism
• Conferences or trainings

You can submit your application at the earliest three months before your planned visit. Apply as far in advance as possible, especially during the peak season. 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 180 days 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. Please note that the Consulate will in most cases add an additional 15 days to the traveling period, so called period of grace. This is to give you flexibility with your travel arrangement. These extra days do not allow you to stay longer in the Schengen area. You are not allowed to stay in Sweden or any other Schengen country longer than the number of days stated in the permit sticker. Period of grace will not be added to cases where the applicant is granted a multiple entry visa.

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.

Read more about visa applications in the menu below, or on the Swedish Migration Agency website. 

Visits longer than 90 days
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.

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.