When moving to Sweden on a student visa/permit it is generally possible to bring your spouse and/or children with you if you meet certain financial requirements. This article will be focusing on studies for higher education (bachelor’s degree and above) and the rules that apply for these types of permits. We will show you how to apply for a student visa/permit with your spouse for Sweden.
If you are planning on traveling to Sweden to study for more than 3 months, you will need to apply for a residence permit. The permit itself should be approved before you travel to Sweden and start your studies. The application required will depend on the level of studies you intend on completing in Sweden. The requirements for your spouse and/or children are, however, generally quite similar regardless of if you are a bachelor’s, master’s, or a PhD student.
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Bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD students
As mentioned above, if you will be enrolled in a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD program in Sweden you can generally bring your spouse and/or children. If you intend on bringing a spouse, there are certain financial requirements that you will need to meet. Please note that these are updated on a yearly basis, so we would recommend checking the Migration Agency’s website for the most up-to-date figures.
Note that these financial requirements are in addition to the ones you will need to meet for your application. You can find the student permit financial requirements here.
For 2020, you will need to prove that you have at least an additional 3 500 SEK for each month that your spouse will live with you in Sweden. For each accompanying child you will also be required an additional 2 100 SEK per month. Proof of this can generally be submitted in the form of bank statements to show that you have sufficient funds. This means that if you will be bringing 1 spouse and 1 child for 1 month, you will (based on the 2020 financial figures) need to show that you have at least:
- 8 568 SEK per month to support yourself
- 3 500 SEK for the spouse
- 2 100 SEK for the child
The total monthly sum you will need to prove is therefore at least 14 168 SEK for the above scenario as of 2020.
If you are a PhD student you will generally be receiving a salary from the university that you will be studying at. This salary will in most cases be sufficient for you to be able to bring your spouse and children.
Which family members can accompany you to Sweden on your student visa/permit?
It is currently possible to bring your spouse, cohabiting partner, registered partner and unmarried children under the age of 18 with you to Sweden.
Note that to be able to apply as a cohabiting partner you will need to have proof of cohabitation (living together) for at least the latest 6 months. If you have been living together for less than 6 months and are not married, it is unlikely that the Migration Agency will approve the application.
Proof of cohabitation is generally submitted in the form of bills for every month during the past 6 months containing your/your partner’s name, address, and date. You can also submit rental agreements, payslips, or any other documentation that can prove your cohabitation. The documentations must be submitted for both you and your spouse and must show at least 6 month cohabitation (same address).
When should I apply for the permit for my spouse?
If you have not yet submitted your application for a student visa/permit, we would recommend that you both apply together. When filling out the student permit application you will have the option of adding any family members to your application. If you do this, the Migration Agency will process the permits together. This will generally result in a faster processing time for your partner than if you were to submit the application separately.
If you already have a permit in Sweden, you will need to submit a separate application for your partner. This will generally take slightly longer to process than if you had applied together. You can find the current processing times here.
Will my partner be able to work?
In most cases, yes. The Migration Agency generally will approve a work and residence permit for the accompanying spouse. Providing that the spouse’s permit is approved for at least 6 months.