Information about the required documentation

Please note that the embassy advises you to always keep copies of the submitted documentation in the visa case with you when travelling to Schengen. The border control might request to see this documentation.

When traveling in group, e.g. trips concerning sport-clubs, cultural associations and such documents similar to all participants, e.g. invitation, medical travel insurance, membership, should be copied and attached to each person's application.

Minors

Minors are anyone under 18 years of age. The requirements listed below are valid no matter if the child is traveling alone, with one parent or legal guardian.

• Both parental authorities or legal guardians need to be present when a minor is submitting the visa application
• Both parental authorities or legal guardians need to sign the application form.
• Exceptions to this should be made a single parent holds the parental authority alone, which should be proved with one of the following documents:
  1. birth certificate indicating one parent and a confirmation about sole guardianship from the social authorities 
  2. death certificate or
  3. divorce agreement or custody agreement from a court or the social authorities specifying sole guardianship.
• Written and signed consent form of the guardians/parents and copies of their passports
• If the minor is travelling with another adult who is not their guardian: copy of the passport and visa of that person
• Letter from school stating that the child is attending the school and that the school approves that the child is absent during the requested period. This letter should contain specific dates of the trip.

Medical travel insurance

Visa applicants are required to have medical travel insurance. It must cover any costs that may arise during the trip due to emergency medical aid, urgent hospital treatment or transport to the country of origin for medical reasons or in the event of death. When you apply for the visa you need to be able to show that you have bought and have a valid insurance for the trip.

The insurance must cover costs for least EUR 30 000 and be valid in all Schengen countries and throughout your stay. Please note that both the amount of days and the dates for the trip need to correspond with the insurance.

The border control might request you to show a copy of the insurance, so make sure you bring your insurance certificate with you when you travel.

Exemptions from the requirement to have a travel insurance:

• A person who possesses a diplomatic passport
• Family members of a citizen from an EU/EEA-country (except Sweden) exercising their right of free movement. More information about visas for family members of EU/EEA citizens can be found here

Tourists

Please note that main destination of trip should be Sweden. If you do not have any plans to visit Sweden, you should not apply for a Swedish visa and your application might be rejected. Upon request from the embassy you need to be able to specify your plans for the visit.

Passport

To apply for a visa you need a passport or a travel document must. This document must be:

• be valid for at least three months after your departure from the Schengen area
• contain at least two empty pages without stamps or visas or other information
• have been issued during the past ten years

Biometric information

When you hand in your application for visa you need to submit biometric information, that is your fingerprints for all 10 fingers and a picture.

Some people do not need to leave their biometric information while applying for visa. This includes the following categories of applicants:

• Children under the age of 12
• Heads of State or government and members of national governments with accompanying spouses, and the members of their official delegations when they are invited by Member States governments or by international organizations for an official purpose.
• Sovereigns and other senior members of royal family, when they are invited by Member States governments or by international organizations for an official purpose.
• Applicants with some physical hinder, who have lost or have an injured hand or finger. But if you can take fingerprints on a few fingers/one hand as many fingerprints as possible must be taken.

Applicants who have been granted a Schengen visa during the last 59 months do not have to leave their fingerprints again when they apply for a new visa. They must be able to show a copy of the previously issued visa sticker. If there are reasonable doubts about the identity of the applicant, the consulate might request him/her to leave her biometric information again. The applicant can also request to submit new biometric information if it cannot immediately be established that he/she has been issued a Schengen visa during the last 59 months. Biometrics taken in connection with previous application for Schengen visas at a Swedish Embassy/consulate can be reused even if the visa application was rejected.

Sufficient means of subsistence

According to the Visa Codex, an applicant must be able to prove, before the trip, that he/she has enough financial means to cover both the planned visit and for the return trip, if he/she is him/herself paying for the travel and upkeep during your visit to Sweden. This can be proved by enclosing to the application a bank account statement with history for the last three months or salary specifications concerning the last three months. If the person inviting the applicant to Sweden will pay for the applicant's support, they must in the same way show that he/she has sufficient financial means to do so. In general, Sweden requires a person applying for a visa to be able to show that she/he has SEK 450 per day and per person. The required amount may be less if, for instance, a person can show that he/she has paid for board and lodging in advance or will stay with friends or relatives.