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Sweden & Ukraine

FAQ

Here the Visa Section of the Embassy of Sweden in Kyiv collects frequently asked questions about visa services, residence permits and other related issues.

For how long is a visa valid?

A visa is valid for a limited period of time. On the visa sticker in your passport you can find information about during which period the visa is valid, how many days you are allowed to stay in the Schengen area and how many times you are allowed to enter the Schengen are during the validity period. A visa that allows a foreign national to enter Sweden and other Schengen states may be issued for up to five years, allowing a stay of maximum 90 days during a period of 180 days. To check how many days you have left, please use the Schengen calculator. Your visa application should clearly state the number of days and entries that you need. The length of the stay and the purpose of the trip must correspond.

In case you are issued a single-entry visa, 15 days are automatically added to the length of your stay. These days are meant to allow you to use your visa even if unforeseen circumstances occur. However, you are only allowed to stay in the Schengen area for the number of days indicated, within the period specified on your visa sticker.

I am a Swedish citizen. Do I need a visa to visit Ukraine?

Swedish citizens can visit Ukraine for up to 90 days during a period of 180 days without a visa. More info can be found at the website of the Embassy of Ukraine in Sweden.

How much does it cost to apply for a visa?

The visa fees are calculated every month and altered if necessary. Please see the current fees here. If you apply at one of the VFS Global Visa Application Centres, there is an additional service fee.

What is the difference between a residence permit and a visa?

A residence permit is for a person who wishes to stay in Sweden longer than 90 days. The Embassy recommends applying online, on the webpage of the Swedish Migration Agency, since this simplifies the application procedure. Citizens of Ukraine and Georgia and people who have residence permits in these countries are also welcome to apply at the Embassy. The Embassy assists the Migration Agency in the processing of residence permit applications; it is however the Migration Agency that makes the decisions. On the webpage of the Migration Agency, you can find information about the application process. Information about how to apply for residence permit at the Embassy of Sweden in Kyiv can be found here.

A visa is valid for a limited period of time and the application is processed by the Embassy of Sweden in Kyiv. In exceptional cases, the application can be sent to the Migration Agency in Sweden for processing there. You can apply at any of the five VFS Global Visa Application Centres in Ukraine. You can also make an appointment to hand in your application at the Embassy. More information can be found here.

The Embassy refused my friend’s visa application to visit Sweden. How do we appeal?

In order to appeal the decision, your friend should write a letter or e-mail to the Embassy that made the decision. In the letter, your friend should write which decision s/he is dissatisfied with, and how s/he wants the decision to be changed. If your friend has any documents relevant to the case that have not been submitted previously, these can be attached to the appeal. The appeal must be submitted to the Embassy within three weeks after your friend was informed about the decision. If you would like to appeal the decision yourself, your friend needs to write a power of attorney, giving you the right to appeal his/her case for him/her. If the Embassy finds no reason to change the decision, the appeal will be forwarded to the Administrative Court in Gothenburg. The processing time of the Administrative Court is approximately 2-4 weeks. Contact information of the Court can be found on their webpage.

My visa application has been rejected. May I submit a new application whenever I like?

Yes, but if you have appealed the decision, the Embassy recommends that you wait for the ruling of the Administrative Court before submitting a new application.

Do I have to submit all documents again if I apply again?

Yes, each application has to contain all the necessary documents.

I am not a Ukrainian citizen but I live in Ukraine. Can I apply for a visa to Sweden at the Embassy in Kyiv?

Yes, if you have a residence permit in Ukraine. The residence permit must be either permanent or valid at least 3 months after you intend to leave Sweden. If you do not meet these requirements, you can not apply for a visa at the Swedish Embassy in Kyiv.

I am not a Ukrainian citizen. Can I still apply for a residence permit at the Embassy in Kyiv?

Yes, if you have a residence permit in Ukraine, if you are a Georgian citizen or if you have a residence permit in Georgia.

I’m flying to the United States and I have a stopover in Sweden, do I need a transit visa?

If you are a Ukrainian citizen and if you do not leave the transit area, you do not need a visa. If you need to leave the transit area, you have to apply for a normal Schengen visa.

I want to apply for a multiple entry visa, how should I fill out the form?

Under ”29. Intended date of arrival in the Schengen Area” – write the date you plan to travel to Sweden. Under ”30. Intended date of departure from the Schengen Area” – write the last day you plan to leave the Schengen area. For example: You want to apply for a visa valid for one year and plan to travel to Sweden on the 10th of March 2016. In that case, write 10.03.2016 under point 29 and 10.03.2017 under point 30. The duration of the intended stay or transit (point 25) can never be more than 90 days during a 180 days period.

I have filled out an invitation to invite a friend to come visit me in Sweden. Do I need to send the original by post or is it enough to scan it and e-mail it?

It’s enough to scan it and e-mail it to your friend who then prints it.

It is difficult for me to come to the Embassy or to one of the VFS Global Visa Application Centres, can someone else submit my application for me or can I send the application by post?

Since you need to give your biometrics at the time of application, you need to be present for the submission.  If you have applied for a Schengen visa before (after the 23rd of June 2015), the biometrics can sometimes be reused. If the biometrics can be reused you do not need to be present for the submission. However, if during the processing of the application it turns out that the old biometrics where not of a good enough quality to be reused, you may be contacted and asked to leave new biometrics at the Embassy. It is not possible to send applications by post.

Can I travel to other Schengen countries with a Schengen visa issued by Sweden?

On your visa, it is specified which countries it is valid for. If it says “Schengenstater”, it means that you can travel to Sweden and all the other Schengen countries using your visa. Information about which countries are part of the Schengen cooperation can be found here.

A visa does not automatically give you the right to enter the Schengen area. There is always an entry control at the external border. You have to be able to prove the purpose of your trip at the border and it is therefore advisable to bring copies of the documents you submitted with your application. The purpose of the trip should correspond with the purpose stated in your application. The control at the border may lead to you being refused entry.

If you apply for a visa a second time, the visa officer checks how you used your last visa. If you have been issued a Swedish Schengen visa before, you need to be able to prove that you did indeed visit Sweden during the period of your visa. If you did not get stamps in your passport at a Swedish airport when you entered/exited Sweden, you must provide proof of having been in Sweden. Tickets and receipts are examples of ways to prove your visit. These documents should be submitted with your visa application.

How long is the Embassy’s processing time? Is the processing time different during the summer and winter holidays?

Normal processing time for visa applications from Ukrainian citizens is 10 calendar days. If the application is not complete or if there are special reasons, the processing time can be extended to up to 30 working days. For applicants who are not Ukrainian citizens the processing time is up to 30 working days. For an additional fee there is a possibility for Ukrainian citizens to get their applications processed faster, the processing time is then 3 working days. For funerals and very serious illnesses there is no extra fee for priority processing. The Embassy is closed during Swedish and Ukrainian holidays, see the list here.  Other than that, the processing times are not different during the summer and winter holidays.

My friend in Sweden will be paying for my support in Sweden, do I still need to submit a work certificate and bank statement?

One factor that influences the social establishment in your country of residence is work. Your being unemployed in your country of residence is a factor that will be taken into consideration when the decision about a visa is made. If your friend in Sweden pays all expenses you do not need to provide any bank statements.