Dependent Permits for Family members (Spouses/Partners)

Spouse visa = dependent permit

First, we need to clear the misunderstanding. A spouse visa is actually called a dependent permit. There are many different types of permits that allow people to bring their dependents with them to Sweden. The type of permit that should be applied for will vary depending on the situation of the person that is living in Sweden. In this article, we will be covering Sweden spouse visa requirements or dependent requirements to people coming to Sweden for work. Specifically with ICT permits, standard work permits, or EU blue cards.

A family member is defined as a: wife, husband, cohabiting partner, registered partner and unmarried children under the age of 18 or 21 (this will depend on the permit). In some cases, unmarried children who are 21 years or older can be given a permit in certain cases. The requirement is that they are being supported financially by you or your partner. Other family members such as parents or siblings usually do not qualify as dependents under the permit types mentioned above.

There are some things that all of the above mentioned permits have in common, which will be discussed in this article. You can find information about children dependent permit here.

General tips when applying as a family member, including spouses:

1. Apply together
   If the family member/s will be moving to Sweden together with or shortly after the main applicant/reference person (the person applying for the work permit), the best thing to do is to submit an application together with the main applicant’s application. All of the permits listed below allow for the possibility to add family members in the online application form. This will help ensure that all applications are processed and approved at the same time.
2. No requirement for dependents to enter Sweden within a certain amount of time
   One important thing to keep in mind is that there is no timeline for when the dependent needs to travel to Sweden after having their permit approved. This means that you can still apply together even if the family members will be travelling to Sweden a few months after the main applicant will.
3. Dependents with family already in Sweden
   If the main applicant/reference person is already in Sweden on a permit there are a few things to keep in mind. Dependent permits can generally not be granted for a period shorter than 3 months. If the applicant/reference person’s work permit is expiring shortly, there is a risk that your permit will not be processed until the person in Sweden has received an extension that would make it possible to grant you a permit for more than 3 months.
4. Have updated passports
   Generally permits in Sweden can be granted for a period of up to 2 years at a time. It is therefore good to ensure that your passport is valid for at least 2 years in order to avoid having to submit more applications than necessary.

Dependent to someone with a work permit in Sweden

Dependents to someone holding a work permit in Sweden have some of the most lenient rules. For this type of permit the following family members are classified as dependents:

Wife, husband, cohabiting partner, and registered partner. The requirement is that they are being supported financially by you or your partner. Other family members such as parents or siblings do not qualify as dependents under the permit types mentioned above.

These are the documents that tend to be required:

Married couples:

• Passport copies (should show your personal information, photograph, signature, passport number, passport issuing country, the passport’s period of validity, bar code on the identification page and whether you have permission to live in countries other than your country of origin)
• Marriage certificate – If this document is not in English or Swedish a translated copy should be provided in addition to the original. It must be an official translator who provides the translation and generally there should be a stamp or a seal to prove the translations authenticity.

Cohabiting partner:

• Passport copies (should show your personal information, photograph, signature, passport number, passport issuing country, the passport’s period of validity, bar code on the identification page and whether you have permission to live in countries other than your country of origin)
• Proof of cohabitation – To be counted as a cohabitating partner you must have been living together for at least 6 months outside of Sweden. This can be proven by providing a rental agreement (where both names are stated), proof of purchase for your residence (where both names are stated), bills from each person showing that you live on the same address, national registration, or any other documents showing you have lived on the same address for 6 months or more.

Dependent to someone with an ICT permit or EU blue card in Sweden

For these permits, the following family members are counted as dependents:

Wife, husband, cohabiting partner, and registered partner.

These are the documents that tend to be required:

Married couples:

• Passport copies (should show your personal information, photograph, signature, passport number, passport issuing country, the passport’s period of validity, bar code on the identification page and whether you have permission to live in countries other than your country of origin)
• Marriage certificate – If this document is not in English or Swedish a translated copy should be provided in addition to the original. It must be an official translator who provides the translation and generally there should be a stamp or a seal to prove the translations authenticity.

Cohabiting partner:

• Passport copies (should show your personal information, photograph, signature, passport number, passport issuing country, the passport’s period of validity, bar code on the identification page and whether you have permission to live in countries other than your country of origin)
• Proof of cohabitation – To be counted as a cohabitating partner you must have been living together for at least 6 months outside of Sweden. This can be proven by providing a rental agreement (where both names are stated), proof of purchase for your residence (where both names are stated), bills from each person showing that you live on the same address, national registration, or any other documents showing you have lived on the same address for 6 months or more.