Information

Welcome to our information page at ViCo! Below we have information regarding migration law, family law and housing law. This webpage is updated periodically as information changes. As always, if you don’t see what you’re looking for here, contact us and we can assist.

Migration Law

Migration Law in Sweden is complicated at the best of times, at ViCo we have years of hands-on experience working in the Migration Agency to help you navigate through this difficult process. Below we have some general information for the requirements of most common migration cases to help you. If you are still unsure or don’t see information regarding your specific circumstance or application type don’t delay to get in touch and we will be able to help you.

Family Reunification:

The Migration Agency has rules in place when it comes to Family Reunification. These rules range from who is defined as a family member, the requirements for the person who is living in Sweden, amongst other rules. There are also rules regarding if you are able to apply for this permit from inside Sweden or not. Below you will see some general information regarding these requirements for this permit, if you have any questions about your own specific situation don’t hesitate to contact our professionals.

General Requirements:

The basic requirements for this permit is that both you and the family member you’re moving to be with are both over the age of 21 at the time of submitting your application. Furthermore, there must be intent to live together (you are not able to live separately on this permit), as registered partners/sambo or as married couples. This is also applicable to those who are intending to get married or be registered partners in the future or have previously been cohabitating partners in another country.

Requirements for the applicant wanting to move to Sweden:

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that your permit cannot be longer than your passport validity. You will need to ensure you have a passport from your home country, with a long enough validity time that you will have at minimum 2 years left on your passport at the time of a decision in your case. Another very important requirement to be aware of is that your application must be submitted when you are outside of Sweden, there are exceptions to this law but it varies case by case.

Requirements for the person living in Sweden:

The individual who lives in Sweden and is the family member of the applicant wishing to move, must have one of the following permits to be able to apply: Swedish or Nordic Citizenship, permanent residence permit, permanent residence card, permanent right of residence, permanent residence status or a temporary residency permit due to the need for protection or exceptionally distressing circumstances.
We understand this can be confusing, so as a general rule if you have the right to reside in Sweden for a long duration of time, then depending on what specific grounds you have been granted the right to reside, it then will affect what family members are able to move to you in Sweden.
Secondly, you will have to fulfill the support requirements set out on the Migration Agencies website in order to be accepted. Some people may be exempt from these requirements but this is highly dependent on individual circumstances, please contact us if you’re unsure about your situation.

Work Permits:

At ViCo we understand how complicated work permits can be, so we have compiled some short information to address some of the most commonly asked questions regarding work permits. If you feel your question hasn’t been answered here please contact us and you will be put in touch with one of our experts in these permits.

Businesses:

Information regarding work permits can get very complicated in a short amount of time. If you are a company who needs help knowing whether your employees’ have a right to work in Sweden please get in touch with us. At ViCo we are able to help both you and your employees’ by processing your applications, updating you during the process, and keep track of migration status’ so you aren’t left in the dark about any changes regarding your employees’ eligibility to work.

Private Person:

If you are seeking a work permit for the first time, you typically are not able to apply for this permit while in Sweden and must do so from your home country. The work permit must be submitted by the employer on your behalf as an applicant. You as an applicant then usually continue and complete the application. One of the requirements for being able to obtain a work permit is that the salary must reach or exceed 80% of the current median salary in Sweden, however, there are exceptions to this requirement in special cases.

NOTE! You can apply for extensions of your work permit from within Sweden! If you submit an application to extend your residence permit before your current permit has expired, you will be allowed to continue working and living in Sweden just as normal until the next decision is made and comes into force, as the new decision will then take effect. This rule also applies to other permit types, not just work permits.

Permanent Residency Permit:

Here we address the most important requirements for permanent residency, including one of the most commonly asked questions. We at ViCo understand it can be confusing to navigate the requirements alone and are happy to assist if you are still left confused.

The first requirement for a permanent residency permit is that you previously have had a residency permit in Sweden for at least 3 years. This rule applies for both children and adults.

At ViCo one of the most common questions we get for permanent residency permits is, ‘do I meet the support requirement for a permanent residency permit?’.

In order to apply for a permanent residency permit you must meet the support requirement. Kronofogden is the Swedish authority that determines this standard amount, not the migration agency. As of 2025 the standard amount is 6,186kr. To determine the support amount you will need to add this standard amount of 6,186kr to your monthly housing needs. If you have a partner/spouse the monthly housing amount is halved. You must meet this amount in your case if you want to be able to get a permanent residence permit in Sweden. The requirement also means that only your own business, employment, or income-based compensation can be used as a basis for you to be considered to meet the support requirement. Unfortunately, the salary that your partner/spouse earns cannot be counted.

NOTE! If you are under 18 years of age, the maintenance requirement does not apply to you. You have no maintenance requirement because you are a child within the definition of the law.

Citizenship:

Applying for Swedish citizenship can become very confusing as there are fluctuating requirements and exceptions depending on what permit you came to sweden with. It can vary greatly between different cases regarding how easy it is to apply for Swedish citizenship.

The basic requirement, however, is that you must be able to prove your identity, you must either have:
– Permanent residence permit, permanent residence status, right of residence or residence card,
– Nordic citizenship (if you are a Nordic citizen you must have lived in Sweden for at least 2 years)
You must have lived in Sweden continuously for at least 5 years and you must have lived an orderly life in Sweden according to the assessment of the swedish migration agency.

There are rules on how much time you are able to spend outside of Sweden each year. If you have spent more than 6 weeks in a year outside of Sweden, you typically then have to deduct the entire time spent outside of Sweden from your time spent living in Sweden.
If you came to Sweden on a temporary permit, such as a study permit, it is not counted towards the 5 years spent living in Sweden.
The Swedish Migration Board also has special requirements regarding your identity if you come from certain countries, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Eritrea or if you are also a stateless Palestinian.

Looking at just a few of these rules and exceptions, it becomes clearer just how complicated some citizenship applications can become, this makes it hard to be able to give accurate generalised advice for people seeking advice. Due to this, we highly recommend you contact us so we can understand your individual situation better to be able to give advice that is tailored to your circumstances.

Appeals:

Have you recently received a rejection in one of your cases? At ViCo we can help you appeal the decision!

From the time you are notified about your decision, you have 3 weeks where you are able to appeal. At ViCo we are able to help you make sense of rejection notifications, what it was based on and what can be raised to be able to appeal the rejection in the best way. After the appeal is sent, the migration court will then review the appeal and re-examine the case.