- English
If you are a citizen of a non-EU country and want to visit Sweden for up to 90 days, you may need to apply for a Schengen visa. This entry visa is a permit to enter and stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. Visas can be granted for such purposes as:
You can submit your application at the earliest 6 months before your planned visit. The Embassy advises to apply as far in advance as possible. An application for a Schengen visa must submitted at least 15 days before the start of the intended visit.
A visa can be granted for between 1 and 90 days and with single, two or multiple entries. You can make use of these days within a given time frame (period of validity). How many days you are allowed to stay in the Schengen area is stated on the visa sticker affixed to your travel document.
If you are granted a multiple-entry visa valid for more than 6 months, you can stay in the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days within any 180 days period during period of validity of the visa.
A Schengen visa is a pre-authorisation that allows the holder to travel to the port of entry. The final authorization to enter Sweden is given by the Swedish Police Authority (the Border Police). This assessment is made at the external border. Therefore, it is a good idea to bring along copies of the documents you submitted when you applied for the visa. Border control may result in a denied entry.
It is the Embassy that decides whether you are to be granted a Schengen 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's website.
Apply for a Schengen visa (visiting Sweden for up to 90 days) – Swedish Migration Agency
Visits longer than 90 days
If you know when applying that you will need to stay in Sweden for longer than 3 months, you should not apply for a Schengen visa. Instead, you should apply for a visitor’s residence permit. This permit is examined in accordance with Swedish national rules.
An application for a visitor’s residence permit is submitted online to the Swedish Migration Agency in their e-service.
Please visit Apply for a visitor’s residence permit (more than 90 days) – Swedish Migration Agency for more information.