If you wish to visit Sweden for more than 90 days, you need to apply for residence permit for a visit or, if you have special grounds, for a ‘D-visa’ (national visa).
If you know when you are travelling to Sweden that you will need to stay in Sweden for longer than 90 days, you should apply not for a Schengen visa but for a visitor’s permit. This is applicable both for citizens of Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo. When there are special grounds, you can also apply for a national visa, a D-visa. Both D-visas and residence permit for visit cases are decided in accordance with national Swedish law. This means, amonst other things, that decision concerning applications for D-visas cannot be appealed.
An application for a visitor’s permit is always sent to the Swedish Migration Agency, where the decision is taken. If the application is granted, residence permits are usually issued for between four and twelve months.
If you are to be granted a visitor’s permit 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 a return ticket. Medical travel insurance is not compulsory, but it is advisable, since medical costs can be high.
You can read more about these rules and the required documentation for a visitors permit at the Swedish Migration Agency's web page.
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 are for example that your residence permit card has been stolen and you need to return to Sweden urgently. A national visa gives you freedom of movement throughout the Schengen area, in the same way as a residence permit.
Please note that if you have already applied for a residence permit for a longer stay in Sweden, for example to reside there with a family member, the Migration Agency will only consider the residence permit application that is the most favorable for you. That means that you cannot be granted a residence permit for visit while waiting for your other residence permit application is being processed. If you have questions about this, please contact the Migration Agency.
Applying for a visitor’s permit
You need to book an appointment at the embassy to hand in your application. To book an appointment, please send a request to the embassy by filling out this web form here. After you have send in your request the embassy will send an email to you with information on when you can come to apply.
The forms must be completed either in Swedish or in English. Documents issued by the authorities in your country of origin must be translated into English or Swedish by an authorised translator.
You need:
Minor children applying:
The person you will be visiting in Sweden needs the following documents:
Documents must not be older than three months.
Application for a national visa (D-visa)
Please note that the embassy can only issue national visas during very special circumstances. Please consult the embassy before applying for a national visa. The embassy will then advise you on what documentation to bring and how to apply.