Residence permits, work permits and visa

Citizens of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Iceland may live in Sweden without applying for residence permits, work permits or visa.

If you are planning to stay in Sweden for more than 12 months, you must be registered in the Swedish Population Register. This can be done by visiting one of Sweden's state service centres (servicekontor). 

Read more about the Nordic agreement at Migrationsverket

Read more about Swedish Population Register at the Swedish Tax Agency

You can apply for a residence permit if you are a citizen of Switzerland. About residence permits for Swizz citizens at the Swedish Migration Agency's website.

If you have lived in an EU country but are not an EU citizen, under some circumstances you may be granted status as a long-term resident of that country. You will then have rights similar to those of EU citizens.

Information at the Swedish Migration Agency's website.

If you are an EU citizen but you have family who are not, they need to apply for a residence permit. 

About Residence cards for EU citizens' family who are non-EU citizens

Your family can receive a residence permit for the same period as you. They also apply in your online application.

Residence permits are granted to:

• Husband, wife and registered partner
• Employees' children under the age of 21
• Researchers’ children under the age of 18
• Students’ and doctoral students’ children under 18 years of age

The Swedish Social Insurance Agency
The Social Insurance Agency’s role is to administer the areas of social insurance that provide financial security in the event of illness, disability, and for families with children.

The Swedish Migration Agency
The Swedish Migration Agency considers applications from people who want to live in Sweden, visit the country, seek protection from persecution, or be granted Swedish citizenship.

The Swedish Tax Agency
The Swedish Tax Agency manages civil registration of private individuals and collects such taxes as personal income tax, corporate tax, VAT, and excise tax.

Your first hand contact regarding these issues is your host department. Start by contacting them. 

You can manage your case in My page on the Swedish Migration Agency's portal:

• Contact and My Pages - Swedish Migration Agency

Move to Gothenburg has gathered the essentials on this topic on their website

• Residence and work permits

Your family can receive a residence permit for the same period as you. The permit must have been issued before you travel to Sweden.

About permits for family members on the Swedish Migration Agency’s website

If you are planning to study in Sweden for one year or more, you need to be registered in the Swedish population register. Once registered, you will be issued a personal identity number, or personnummer. To register, you must apply in person at the Swedish Tax Agency.

Why a personal identity number?
The personnummer simplifies a whole range of transactions and services in Swedish society. For instance, it enables you to get an identity card, open a bank account, and receive healthcare benefits. Students who have a personal identity number are entitled to medical care under the same conditions as Swedish citizens.

Apply for a personal identity number

To apply for a personnummer, you need to hand in your application at a tax agency office*.

Make sure you bring the following documents

• A valid passport (or a valid national identity card if you are a citizen of a country in the European Economic Area [EEA] or Switzerland).
• A residence permit card valid for at least one year if you are a citizen of a country outside the EEA or if you are stateless. This also applies to citizens of Switzerland.
• Proof of right of residence if you are a citizen of an EEA country. 
• Proof of your marital status (applicable only if you are married, divorced, or widowed).
• Birth certificates if you have children.

All documents must be original or certified copies.

*The Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) has several offices in Gothenburg:

• Östra Hamngatan 16 (Lilla Bommen)
• Hvitfeldtsplatsen 9 (Rosenlund)
• Frölunda Lilla Saluhall (Frölunda torg, hus 2 near Handelsbanken)
• Vågmästaregatan 1 (Hisingen)

Read more about civic registration on the Swedish Tax Agency’s website

As soon as you have obtained a personal identity number, contact one of our Servicecenters or your department to replace the temporary identification number in our systems. This will help you avoid future administrative problems. Make sure to bring the Swedish civic registration document (personbevis) that you receive when you receive your personal identity number.

We have published a FAQ page with the ambition to answer common questions: 

Residence permit FAQ

The Swedish Social Insurance Agency
The Social Insurance Agency’s role is to administer the areas of social insurance that provide financial security in the event of illness, disability, and for families with children.

The Swedish Migration Agency
The Swedish Migration Agency considers applications from people who want to live in Sweden, visit the country, seek protection from persecution, or be granted Swedish citizenship.

The Swedish Tax Agency
The Swedish Tax Agency manages civil registration of private individuals and collects such taxes as personal income tax, corporate tax, VAT, and excise tax.

For students we offer some pre-arrival webinars, topics may vary but we usually have one on permis and visa. Keep an eye on our website for links to the webinars

• Webinars for prospective students

Study in Sweden also have a lot of information, live streams,  guides that we recommend. 

• Residence permit & visa - Study in Sweden
• Admissions results, here is what to do next - Study in Sweden

If you need support on a specific case we cannot help you. Instead, you must contact the Swedish Migrations Agency directly.

• Contact the Swedish Migration agency

• The Swedish Migra­tion Agency answers: how a resi­dence permit for studies work