How to Apply for a Sweden Schengen Visa from the UK

Many non-EU nationals who reside in the UK are still required to get a Schengen visa to travel to Sweden.

Citizens of the following countries residing in the UK and planning to visit Sweden are required to get a Swedish visa in order to be able to enter Sweden.

When you decide to apply for an extension you must make sure you comply with several situations:

• You must require an extension of the same visa type you currently have
• You should apply for an extension at least 8 weeks before the existing visa period expires
• You must have not been part of any criminal activity or you must have not broken any UK law or immigration law during the entire period of stay in the UK
• You have to provide the biometric information, such as the fingerprints and recent photographs for yourself and any dependents when applying for the extension
• You must have not been in breach of immigration laws while having a valid UK visa

Note: You can stay in the UK until the decision about the extension is taken, but only if you have applied within the visa period.

On the visa application form, you will be prompted to indicate the purpose of your travel to the Schengen territory. Here are some purposes to help you apply for the correct visa:

• Tourism – This is the most popular purpose of travel to Schengen Countries. Applicants, who intend to travel purely for tourist purposes, i.e. sightseeing, leisure, and experiencing their culture, architecture, foods, and much more, need to indicate this on the application form.
• Business – If you intend to travel for business purposes, i.e. visiting a business/company for meetings, recruitments, training, or any other work-related activities, then you need to indicate Business the purpose of your travels. Every Business visa application has to be confirmed by an invitation letter from a business/company based in Sweden, if not, you will be required to apply as a Tourist.
• Airport Transit – Certain nationalities have to apply for an airport transit visa in order to be allowed to make a stopover at an airport in a Schengen Area, without entering the Schengen Country. You need to indicate airport transit as the purpose of travel on your application form.
• Transit – This is similar to the above-mentioned purpose of travel, popular among sea travellers that need to stop over at the seaport of one of the member states.
• Visiting Family or Friends – If you need to visit and stay with your family or friends that legally reside in the Schengen Area, you can then indicate this as your purpose of travel. You’ll, however, be required to provide a letter of invitation among other documents.
• Study – Students wishing to attend any type of educational institution in the Schengen area need to indicate this on their application. They can either choose to apply for a short term 3-month Schengen study visa or National Visa (category “D”) if they plan on being in the country longer.
• Medical – Indicate this as your purpose of travel if you are travelling to any of the member states of the Schengen territory to seek medical treatment. This visa will allow you to get the medical care you need at any medical institution for a period of 90 days within a 180-day period.
• Official Visit – Tick this as your purpose of travel if you are travelling to the Schengen region in an official capacity.
• Cultural, Sports, and Film Crews – this visa is for people wishing to travel to a Schengen member country for the purpose of attending a cultural, sports, or religious event or they are part of a film crew. The applicant should be part of the event, i.e. a performer at a concert, or a writer presenting their book at a book event, or an athlete participating in a sports event and not only as a mere audience.
• Other – If the purpose of your travel does not fall under any of the mentioned categories, you’ll have to choose the “other” option on the application form. You will, however, be required to specify the purpose of your visit in a few words.

• Passport copy
• UK residency permit
• Stamped Addressed Envelope (SAE)

• Sweden is the only Schengen country you plan on visiting
• Sweden is your main destination (the country you will be staying the longest in)
• Sweden is the first Schengen country you are visiting (when spending an equal amount of days in Sweden and another Schengen country)

• A valid passport or Travel document. Please make sure:
  • Your passport has been issued within the previous 10 years,
  • Your passport has 2 full blank pages, one for the visa stamp and an additional spare page,
  • Your passport will be valid for at least three (3) months after the date you exit the Schengen Area.
• A valid UK residence permit or another form of Identity Card.
• The UK residency permit must be endorsed in the actual passport (or on a new biometric ID card)
• The UK residence permit must be valid for at least another 3 more months beyond the date you plan to leave Sweden.
• One Swedish Schengen Visa application form filled out completely and signed by the applicant.
• One recently taken passport format photo with a blank background and where all your facial features are clear, which must be glued to the application form. Applications with stapled photographs will be rejected.
• A cover letter explaining the purpose of the visit to Sweden
• Biometric data (applies only if you haven’t provided biometric data within the last 59 months):
  • Fingerprints
  • A copy of the passport bio page where the photo is included.
    Note: Children under the age of 12 are exempted from providing fingerprints.
• Proof of travel arrangements:
  • Round trip flight/travel reservations or other proof of intended transport
  • Complete itinerary of your visit to Sweden (if several Schengen States will be visited or if the trip covers several Schengen States and non-Schengen countries).
• Travel Insurance stating that you are covered in case of a medical emergency and repatriation not just in Sweden but in the whole Schengen zone (minimum coverage of € 30,000).
  • Holders of diplomatic passports and family members of EU/EEA citizens are exempted from providing proof of travel medical insurance
• Proof of accommodation in Sweden:
  • Evidence of a hotel booking or rental agreement, or
  • Invitation from your Swedish host (family member, friend) with a copy of their passport
• Proof of financial subsistence:
  • A recent statement of UK bank account for the last three months that shows funds of at least 50€ (40£) per day spent in Sweden,
  • Traveller’s cheques, or
  • Proof of sponsorship
• Certificate of criminal record of the home country showing that candidate has no open crime case involvement
• Proof of paid Sweden visa fee

Note: Photocopies of the original documents should also be submitted and documents should not be more than one month old.

The fee must be paid upon submitting the Swedish visa application. After you complete this payment, you will receive a receipt, which shows that payment has been made, which must be offered amongst other documents of the application dossier. You will have to pay a Sweden visa fee in order for your application to be processed. Find out about the Schengen visa fee in our blog post: Schengen Visa Fees – How Much Does a Schengen Visa Cost?

You may be exempted from paying the Swedish Schengen Visa fee if you belong to any of the following:

• Children younger than 6 years of age
• Spouse/family member of an EU/EEA national
  Documents required for exemption:
  • Original Marriage Certificate, or
  • Civil Partnership Certificate
  • Original full Birth Certificate
  • EU/EAA national’s passport
• Invited researchers from third countries travelling for the purpose of scientific research
  Documents required for exemption:
  • Invitation letter from the Swedish institution
  • Letter from the University/organization in the UK
• Representatives of non-profit organizations aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organized by non-profit organizations.
• Persons travelling for the purpose of study or educational training and are accompanied by teaching staff such as school pupils, undergraduates and postgraduates
  Documents required for exemption:
  • A letter from the school principal/dean that states that the trip is an obligatory part of the school/college programme.

For nationals of countries that have a visa facilitation agreement with the EU visa applications cost only 35 € (29.70 £). Nationals of countries that are granted visa discounts for Sweden are:

*Note: This only applies to those nationals who do not hold a biometric passport.

You can apply for a Sweden Schengen Visa 6 months before your planned trip. Depending on the nationality of the applicant, the processing time may take at least 15 days from the day of application. In some cases when required documents are missing from the application, this process may take longer.

Therefore, to avoid unwanted complications, the Swedish Consulate General in London advises that you provide all required documents and submit your application at least 20 workdays (4 weeks) before the day you leave for Sweden.

A person visiting Sweden on a Schengen Visa can extend their visa if they have legitimate reasons. This could be for either of the following reasons:

• Late entry
• Humanitarian reasons
• Force majeure, and
• Important personal reasons

The decisions to approve a Schengen visa extension request are handled case by case.

The overall process of extending your Swedish Schengen visa will involve:

• Determining whether you have a justified reason to request an extension
• Submitting all the necessary documents. These include a valid passport that has the Schengen Visa used to get in the Schengen area stamped in it, one passport-sized photo, proof of financial subsistence, Schengen Visa Insurance that covers the extension duration, and all the documents that justify your reason for an extension
• Paying visa fees where applicable
• Attending a visa interview if necessary
• Waiting for the approval

You need to make sure to read your Schengen visa sticker carefully so that you do not overstay your visa and avoid the penalties that come with doing so, which can include anything from a fine, deportation from the Schengen zone, and even being outright banned from the area.

Read more about the step by step process involved in extending your Schengen visa in our blog post: Overstaying in the Schengen Zone? Here’s How to Extend Your Schengen Visa.

You can usually get your Swedish Schengen visa within 15 days, if everything in your application is in order. It might take longer if there is a problem with your application or the immigration officer needs more time to look over your application.

You can also get a premium Schengen visa to get your Sweden Schengen visa within 24 to 48 hours, which includes personalised advice from an expert immigration adviser, with IaM’s premium Schengen visa service.

If you are a national of a third country without a visa-free scheme with the EU, you will need to get a visa to travel to Sweden or any other Schengen country. You should also remember to bring your biometric card with you for your return to the UK.

Yes, it is easy to apply for a Sweden Schengen visa. You can apply for the visa online or use immigration services like IAM to make the process even simpler for you and have a higher chance of your application being accepted.

No, the Schengen visa is a permit for tourism, business, visiting family and friends, or other purposes. You will need to apply for a work visa if you plan to work in Sweden.

It depends how long you want to stay in the country. Sweden requires at least 50€ (40£) per day.

Sweden's currency is the Krona so you can bring some with you in your trip if you are planning on bringing cash. However, it's important to note that not all shops or vendors accept cash payment, so you should also bring a credit or debit card with you for your purchases in the country.

Tip: You may be asked if you want to charge your credit or debit card in Krona or your local currency. Charging purchases in your local currency will be more beneficial to you when it comes to the exchange rate.