Visa policy and Schengen visas

The purpose of Swedish and EU visa policy is to have as free an exchange of visits as possible within the framework of regulated immigration.

Visas are issued for short-term visits. It is a permit that must be applied for in advance to be able to enter and stay in the Schengen area (including Sweden) for a short period. The aim of the visit may be to visit relatives or friends, a tourist visit, a business visit, to participate in a conference or just to travel through (transit).

The Schengen Agreement

Sweden has been party to the Schengen Agreement since 2001. Under the Agreement, the Schengen countries have common visa rules. This means that the Schengen countries together determine which countries' citizens must have visas to travel into the Schengen area. There are also common instructions for all the Schengen countries which are to ensure that procedures in connection with visa applications are as similar as possible.

Visas issued for the Schengen countries apply to the entire Schengen area. With a Schengen visa, a third country citizen can enter a Schengen country and then travel freely throughout the entire Schengen area, since border checks of persons travelling across the national borders of the Schengen countries have been eliminated. The Schengen Agreement thus makes it easier for many travellers who no longer need to apply for visas at several embassies when they plan to visit several Schengen countries on the same journey.

Read more about visas and application procedures

Detailed information on visas and application forms can be found on Swedish embassy websites. The Swedish Migration Board website also contains detailed information on visas, work and residence permits and other matters. Here you can also find application forms and information brochures in different languages.