SwedenVisits and short stays

Sweden visa for visiting family and friends

Schengen visa (type C) for visiting relatives and friends

In short

To visit relatives or friends in Sweden for up to 90 days, applicants who need a visa apply for a Schengen visa at the Swedish mission responsible for their place of residence, with an invitation from the host. The host fills in Migrationsverket’s invitation form, adds a recent population register extract (personbevis) and an ID copy, and proves income if paying for you. Fees and processing are the same as for tourists.

checked 25 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area
Validity
The sticker shows the permitted days; validity usually runs 15 days longer than the stay. Multiple-entry visas can be valid up to five years.
Fee
€90Adults €90, children 6–12 €45, under 6 free. A visa application centre, where the mission uses one, adds its own service fee. Not refunded after a refusal or withdrawal.
Funds required
SEK 700 per daySEK 700 per day of stay; the amount can be lower when you stay with the host, and the host may cover costs if they prove income or assets.
Processing time
Normally 15 calendar days, extendable up to 45 days if more examination or documents are needed.
Work
No; work is allowed only in exceptional cases with a work permit.
Where to apply
The Swedish embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence, or the visa application centre it uses.

Who this visa is for

This category covers visits to parents, children, siblings, other relatives, friends and partners living in Sweden, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. A parent who wants to stay with a child for longer, or a relative who needs more than 90 days, applies instead for a visitor’s residence permit, which Migrationsverket grants for up to six months to visit close relatives and up to a year for a non-working parent.

The invitation package from your host

The host completes the invitation form (241011) in Swedish or English, signs and dates it, and sends it with a personbevis from the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) issued recently and a copy of their passport or Swedish ID card. If the host is not a Swedish citizen, add copies of both their passport and Swedish residence permit. A residence permit card alone does not count as the host’s identity document for Migrationsverket.

If the host pays for your stay, include their recent payslips, employment certificate or bank statements. Your own documents follow the tourist list: proof of employment or other status, recent bank statements, flight reservation and insurance.

Required documents

Identity

  • Passport meeting the 10-year, 3-month and 2-page rules, with copies

Travel

  • Flight reservation or itinerary

Money

  • Your recent bank statements and proof of regular income

Family

  • Host’s invitation form 241011, signed and dated
  • Host’s recent personbevis from Skatteverket
  • Copy of the host’s passport or ID card; for hosts who are not Swedish citizens also the Swedish residence permit

Insurance

  • Travel medical insurance of at least €30,000 for the whole stay

Other

  • Signed Schengen visa application form in English or Swedish

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Money

  • Host’s income or asset documents if the host pays for the stay

Who pays: you or the host

The standard benchmark is SEK 700 a day plus the journey home. When you stay with the host and eat at home, the mission can accept a lower amount, but the file must make clear who covers what. Insurance of at least €30,000 valid in all Schengen states is required either way, and the host cannot replace it with a guarantee.

Lodging, timing and fees

Apply at the Swedish embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence or at the visa application centre it uses; the fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 12, and a centre adds its own service fee. Apply between six months and 15 days before departure. Decisions are normally made within 15 calendar days, in some cases up to 45. Frequent visitors can be given multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years.

  1. Ask your host to complete invitation form 241011 and order a personbevis from Skatteverket.
  2. Collect your own status, income and travel documents as listed by the Swedish mission where you apply.
  3. Book an appointment with the Swedish mission responsible for your place of residence or the visa application centre it uses.
  4. Lodge the file in person, pay €90 and give fingerprints if needed.
  5. Collect the passport after the decision and carry the invitation when you travel.

Forms

If the visa is refused

You can appeal within three weeks of receiving the decision. The mission that took the decision reviews the appeal first and sends it to a Migration Court in Sweden if it keeps the refusal. The visa fee is not refunded. A new application with a stronger file is also possible.

Frequently asked questions

What is a personbevis and how old can it be?

It is an extract from the Swedish population register that the host orders from Skatteverket. Submit a recent one; the mission’s checklist states how old it may be.

Can my relative in Sweden pay for my trip?

Yes. The host states this on the invitation and adds income or asset documents. You still need your own insurance.

Can parents visit for longer than 90 days?

A parent who does not work can apply for a visitor’s residence permit for up to one year; other close relatives usually up to six months. The fee is SEK 1,500 for adults.

My host is not a Swedish citizen. What extra do I need?

Copies of both the host’s passport and Swedish residence permit, in addition to the invitation form and personbevis.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Sweden

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area

Business and self-employment

Study and training

  • Student visa Maximum stay: One or two years at a time depending on the institution, never longer than the programme or passport; two weeks added if the permit covers the full programme.
  • Researcher visa Maximum stay: Up to 4 years at a time, limited by the hosting agreement and passport validity.
  • Au pair visa Maximum stay: Up to one year, never longer than the passport; cannot be extended.

Work

  • Work visa Maximum stay: Up to 2 years per permit, limited by the contract and passport; renewable.
  • EU Blue Card Maximum stay: At least 9 months and up to 4 years per permit (from 1 June 2026, previously 2 years).
  • Job seeker visa Maximum stay: Up to 9 months for applicants from abroad; up to 12 months after Bachelor’s or Master’s studies in Sweden, 12–18 months after a Swedish PhD.
  • Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: Managers and specialists up to 3 years, trainees up to 1 year in total; then you must leave the EU before a new ICT permit.
  • Seasonal work visa Maximum stay: Up to 9 months in any 12-month period (6 months before 1 June 2026), as one permit or several shorter ones.

Family

  • Family reunification visa Maximum stay: Same period as the family member in Sweden, never longer than the passport.
  • Spouse and partner visa Maximum stay: Up to 2 years per permit, or the same period as a sponsor with a temporary permit; renewable.

Residence

  • Residence permit Maximum stay: Depends on purpose: close relatives 6 months (9 on special grounds), non-working parent 1 year, tourism 6 months, medical treatment 1 year, volunteers 1 year.
  • Permanent residence Maximum stay: PUT: indefinite (the card is renewed). Long-term resident status: five-year permit.

Protection

Sweden visa guide