Work permit extension pending approval – travelling in EU?

Hi
I have an application for work permit extension that is pending approval from Migrationsverket.
Can I still travel around in Europe without any issues?
From what I heard when contacting Migrationsverket, there is a risk I may be denied entry once I come back. Border agency said something similar. But from what I have read from other people online, this risk seems very small. What do you think?
I am Chinese, travelling to Spain. I have worked here since autumn 2019.

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Editor
3 years ago

Hi Qzhxixi,

Thank you for your question.

If you have a valid residence permit card you can use that to travel while your application is pending (up until the expiration date on the card). Not having a valid residence permit card is essentially the same as not having a valid visa on which to travel. It is therefore not advisable to travel for non visa free nationals such as yourself.

When it comes to Swedish border police, if you have a pending extension application with the Migration Agency you have the right to reside in Sweden (providing that the application was submitted before your permit expired). This means that it is unlikely that you would be denied entry by Swedish border control as long as you can prove that you have a pending application. The risks are mainly when it comes to border control or police in other Schengen countries as without a valid residence permit card you cannot show that you are permitted to be in that country.

The reason why individuals online may say that the risk is low would be because travellers within the Schengen region are generally not subjected to border checks and as such their lack of valid residence permit card would generally go unnoticed. However, if a check was made by the border control or police it could cause issues and may result in you being sent back to your home country.