Information about Schengen visas

Citizens of the following countries require a visa to travel to the Schengen-area.

Visas can be granted for purposes such as:

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

You can submit your application at the earliest six months before your planned visit. Apply as far in advance as possible. 

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 six months 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.

If you need to travel to Sweden or the Schengen countries often, you can apply for multiple entries and longer validity of the visa. At most a visa can be granted validity for five years. To make sure you do not overstay, please use the Schengen Visa Calculator: https://ec.europa.eu/assets/home/visa-calculator/calculator.htm?lang=en

A visa does not automatically mean you can enter the Schengen area. Border checks are always made at external border points. It could be favorable to bring along copies of the documents you submitted when applying for a visa. Border controls may result in you being denied entry.

It is the embassy or consulate that decides whether you are to be granted a visa. In certain cases, the matter is referred to the Swedish Migration Board for a decision.

Read more about visa applications on the Swedish Migration Agency's website.

Swedish Migration Agency website

If you live in Zambia and wish to travel to Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain or Switzerland, you must lodge your visa application at the VFS Visa Application Centre in Lusaka. 

For more information, contact the Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi.