Sweden self-employed visa: residence permit to run your own business

Migrationsverket looks for someone who will actually run the business and carry the main responsibility for it, owning at least 51 per cent, with documented experience both in the sector and in running a company. You need relevant knowledge of Swedish or English; very good Swedish is expected if the business involves many contacts with Swedish customers or suppliers. Existing customer contacts or a network, signed contracts with suppliers or premises and a credible budget, which the agency assesses financially, carry much of the weight.

The file is document-heavy: Swedish registration certificate of the company, partnership agreement or share register showing your ownership, contracts with customers, suppliers and premises, a balance sheet and profit and loss statement up to the previous month, the two latest annual reports if the business is already trading, degree certificates, employer certificates, language certificates and registration certificates of any companies you own or owned abroad. Bank statements must show the last three months.

Two separate pots of money are assessed. First, your own funds must cover the business’s running costs, investments and, if you buy an existing company, the purchase price; loans are normally not accepted. Second, you must hold SEK 200,000 in your own name to live on for two years; it can be in a bank outside Sweden if it can be transferred. Accompanying family add SEK 100,000 for a spouse and SEK 50,000 for each child.

Apply online (age 18+, email, Visa or Mastercard) or at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general, and pay SEK 2,000. Expect a long wait: Migrationsverket reports too few complete cases to give a time, and 75 per cent of incomplete ones took up to 11 months. Translations must be certified and accompanied by copies of the originals.

The first permit runs for up to two years. It can be extended from Sweden before it expires, and Migrationsverket then checks again that the business meets the requirements. Spouses, registered or cohabiting partners and children under 18 can apply at the same time and receive permits for the same period; adults and children turning 16 that year may work.