Anyone who wants to visit Sweden from a country outside the Schengen area may have to apply for and get approved Swedish visa before the trip. You need a visa if you want to stay for a period shorter than 90 days. For periods longer than 90 days you’ll need a residence permit. There are several different visas to apply for:
- Visa to visit relatives or friends
- Visa for business or conference visits
- Tourist visa
- Visa for medical treatment
- Visa to visit Sweden for religious purposes
- Visa for studies, research or to visit as an exchange doctoral student
- Visa for volunteer work or internship
Which requirements do you need to fulfill to get a visa?
The requirements for Swedish visa can differ depending on your reason to visit Sweden, but for all visas you need to:
- have a passport that is valid for at least three months after your visa expires. There also has to be at least two blank pages in the passport.
- be able to describe why you want to visit Sweden.
- make sure you have enough money both to be able to live in Sweden during the period you’re here and to travel back to your home country when the time comes. In Sweden, this means that the person visiting Sweden must have at least SEK 450/day that the person intends to spend in Sweden.
- have travel insurance that covers individual medical care for at least 30,000 euros in case you need emergency medical attention, urgent hospital care or transport to your home country for medical reasons. The insurance must be valid in all Schengen countries.
- show that you intend to leave before your Swedish visa expires. This can be proved by sending a copy of your return ticket back to your home country.
- send a photograph in the same format as the one you took for your passport. The photo must be taken from the front and cannot be more than six months old.
- in some cases the Swedish embassy will have more requirements that you need to fulfill to get an approved visa. So make sure to contact them before the trip to hear what applies in your case.
Special requirements in some cases
When you’re going to visit family and friends in Sweden
- The person inviting you must fill in a special invitation form provided by the Swedish Migration Agency.
- You don’t need to have enough money to be able to live in Sweden as long as the person who invites you can pay for all costs.
Visiting Sweden for work purposes
- You have to be able to present an invitation from the company you intend to visit.
- You don’t need to have enough money to be able to live in Sweden as long as the company that invites you can pay for all costs.
If you need medical care in Sweden
- In your application for Swedish visa, when stating why you want to visit Sweden, you need to present a medical certificate from Sweden that states when you’ll receive your treatment and what it entails.
- You also need a medical certificate from your home country stating that you can’t receive the treatment there.
- You need proof that you have paid at least part of the sum for the planned care in Sweden.
- You need to fill in a special questionnaire from the Swedish Migration Agency.
- You don’t need to show that you have SEK 450/day to spend in Sweden if you’re going to spend some or all of the days hospitalized.
When visiting Sweden for religious purposes
- You have to be able to present an invitation from a religious organization or congregation in Sweden.
- You don’t have to have enough money to live here as long as the organization or congregation that invites you can pay for all expenses.
If you’re going to study, research or visit Sweden as an exchange doctoral student
- You have to present an invitation or a certificate of admission from a university in Sweden.
- If you’re already enrolled in a university in another country, you need a certificate from them as well.
Visiting Sweden for an internship or to volunteer
- In your application for Swedish visa, you have to be able to present an invitation from the place of your internship or volunteering organization.
