How to move to Sweden for permanent residence, immigration in 2021

Standard of living in Sweden

A developed labor market with a low unemployment rate not exceeding 5%. You can seek support from the government agency SwedishLaborMarketAdministration, which helps you find a suitable job.
The average salary after deducting all taxes is 2,700 euros.
The retirement age is the same for everyone – 61 years. In order for an immigrant to receive a state pension, he only needs to live in the country for 3 years. A person who has never worked and lives in Sweden until the age of 61 will receive 800 euros, a set of products and benefits for utilities. The funded pension is formed through deductions from wages. Maximum payments are due to people with 40 years of experience.
Sweden is a country where people live happily and long. The average life expectancy for men is 81 years, for women – 84 years.
Real estate, as in many European countries, is expensive. A square meter of housing will cost from 1,500 to 3,000 euros, depending on the city. Maximum prices are in the capital. The rent for a two-room apartment (1-bedroom apartment according to the European calculation system) will range from 350 to 1000 euros.
Product prices are relatively high, but do not exceed the average European level in general.
Medicine in Sweden is of a high standard and it is free. The only exception is ambulance calls. If your call turns out to be false or you have a simple situation that does not require an emergency, you will be issued a fine. Otherwise, the ambulance will be just as free.
Higher education is at a high level and is supported by the state. Anyone, including a foreigner, can receive an interest-free loan for education from the state. If the debt is not paid before retirement, it will simply be cancelled.
Kindergartens and schools are free. Moreover, children are given tablets or laptops while studying.

Grounds for obtaining a residence permit

The holder of a Schengen visa must present sufficiently compelling reasons to obtain a residence permit in Sweden. For Russians, the same conditions apply as for residents of other countries, with the exception of those applying for refugee status.

Let's look at the most popular ways to obtain a residence permit.

Education

Obtaining higher education in Sweden for Russians, as well as for citizens of other CIS countries, is possible on a paid basis.
Only students who managed to get into certain exchange programs between universities in Russia and Sweden or win a grant can count on free education. Training is conducted at three levels: undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate. A residence permit is not issued for a period of study of up to 3 months; it is issued only for a longer period.

To obtain the right to study in Sweden, after the person wishing to enter the country has decided on a specific educational institution, it is necessary to prepare a number of documents:

a document confirming the level of education obtained in the country of residence;
justification for choosing a university;
certificate of proficiency in Swedish;
recommendation document;
copy of international passport.

An important point on the path to obtaining a residence permit is confirmation of the financial well-being of the future student. At the beginning of 2021, we are talking about an amount equal to 730 euros for each month of study.

Note: even studying for three years at a university, if you have a residence permit, is not counted as time of permanent residence in the country.

Employment

The path chosen by our fellow citizens who have (usually) higher education and professional experience.
Those specialists whose work is in great demand in the Kingdom are in the most advantageous position, but there are no native Swedes with such a level of professionalism. This:

athletes;
IT technology specialists;
promising scientists, engineers;
agricultural workers;
architects.

There is also a constant need for medical staff and preschool workers.

And even they are asked to speak the language (if not Swedish, then at least confident English).

Citizens who are not considered eligible workers for Sweden must independently find a company willing to hire them, learn the language, and obtain a permit for this work.

Taking into account the high unemployment rate and the initial prejudice of employers towards foreigners, the search for a job can drag on for several years.

If a successful combination of circumstances occurs, the Swedish Embassy is provided with complete information about the place of future employment:

salary amount;
Job title;
information about the head of the organization.

Not the fastest and easiest way to obtain a residence permit.

Buying real estate and private business

Unlike many European countries, the mere fact of purchasing real estate in the Kingdom does not automatically give you the right to obtain a residence permit.
But there are still advantages, in the form of the right to receive a multiple visa, which greatly simplifies the procedure for visiting the country. As for starting a business, to obtain a residence permit, a Russian must own at least half of the shares of a local company, or open a completely new organization. And after just two years of successful legal activity of the company, you can apply for permanent residence.

Read also: Emigration to the Czech Republic from Russia

Reunion with relatives and marriage

As for the timing and ease of obtaining a residence permit on these grounds, they are considered the simplest and fastest.
There is one “but” - not everyone who wants to move to Sweden can take advantage of this right. Reunification with relatives is based on a clear and fairly short list of those to whom moving to whom gives the right to permanent residence. The list includes only spouses, children under 18 years of age and persons with whom they are planning to start a family. For all other categories of kinship, there is only a residence permit for a year, with the right to extension, subject to the laws and regulations of the country.

Important! Starting in 2021, a prerequisite for reuniting relatives is proof of financial well-being by Swedish standards: there must be enough money for rent, food and clothing. A minimum of 494 euros is required for one person, 815 euros for spouses and from 262 to 302 euros per child per month.

Residence permit for refugees

A refugee is a person who was forced to leave his homeland in an effort to leave a dangerous area.
Purely theoretically, he must provide documents indicating that he left the dangerous area. In practice, this rarely happens, and given the absolute lack of knowledge of the language, the result is a poorly controlled flow of refugees at the border. After this, they are sent to refugee camps, where the likelihood of conflicts on religious or racial grounds is very high.

Important! To obtain a residence permit, a mandatory condition is the presence of documented evidence of persecution of a person in the country of departure.

The reality of the refugee situation is that Sweden is now constantly increasing the percentage of refusals to obtain the right to reside. This is due to the worsening criminal situation and the reluctance of arriving refugees to accept and respect the laws of the country.

Attention! If a family has moved through the territories of no less safe countries, but asks for refugee status in Sweden, then it will be denied.

Pros of living in the country

Sweden has excellent ecology; they care about nature not in words, but in deeds.
The stores are filled with high quality goods.
It is safe to keep money in banks in the country; the financial system is very stable.
Medicine in the country is free, kindergartens and schools are free, education in universities can be achieved through interest-free loans from the state.
Really high level of income of the population relative to all neighboring countries.
Visa-free travel to countries within the European Union.
You can communicate with Swedes in English, almost all of them speak it.
Calm, measured pace of life. Worldly happiness is valued here more than the race for wealth.

Disadvantages of living in the country

High taxes, reaching 30%.
For a good life it will be necessary to learn Swedish.
High cost of real estate and transport.
Cold climate.
The difficulty of making close friends in this country. The locals are reserved and may seem very cold when you first meet them.
It is imperative to verbalize consent to sexual intimacy every time. Otherwise, you can get accused of harassment, or even rape.
The time spent studying at a local university is not taken into account when applying for permanent residence and calculating the period of residence in Sweden.
Loyalty to migrants. Many refugees from the Middle East and Africa came here.

Ways to move to Sweden for permanent residence

There are five main ways to move to Sweden. Let's list them in order.

Education. Anyone can legally stay in Sweden for the duration of their studies at a local university.
Job. Official employment will provide you with permanent residence. In order to hire a foreigner, a Swedish employer must prove that there are no suitable candidates on the local labor market. Your salary must be at least 13,000 CZK excluding taxes. In addition, your employer must guarantee contracts for: health and life insurance, insurance against loss of source of income and insurance for employer pensions. However, if you terminate your employment contract, you will have to reapply for a work permit in Sweden. You will be given 3 months to find a new employer, during which you must find employment and reapply for a permit.
Political refuge. If your life is in real danger in your country of residence, you can fly to Sweden and ask for political asylum. Until the authorities make a decision about your fate, you will live in one of the specialized camps supported by the state.
Business. For those who are ready to open their own business in the country, investing their own money and creating jobs.
Family reunification. If one of the marriage partners has a residence permit or Swedish citizenship, he can transfer his partners here. Similarly, parents and minor children can be brought under this program.

Legalization in the country

The process of legalization, that is, becoming a citizen of the country, is divided into several stages:

obtaining a visa (in our case, Schengen);
registration of a residence permit (residence permit);
registration for permanent residence (permanent residence);
obtaining citizenship.

To obtain a Schengen visa, you will have to personally contact the Swedish Embassy and provide not only an impressive package of documents. You also need to be prepared for a variety of conversations, the purpose of which will be information about the material level of the traveler, his political beliefs and level of law-abidingness.

Important! If there is the slightest suspicion of the possibility of further illegal residence in Sweden, a visa will be refused.

How to get a residence permit in Sweden

Those wishing to obtain a Swedish residence permit must contact the consulate in their homeland. You cannot get it in Sweden. Anyone planning a trip longer than 3 months must:

Go to the Swedish consulate in your country. Submit your application along with all required documents.
Pay the consular fee at the consulate cash desk.
Go through the procedure to collect biometric data.
Wait for a decision from the Swedish Migration Department regarding your case.
If successful, after some time you will receive the document from the consulate in the form of a plastic card.

Required documents

The following documents are submitted to the embassy along with the application:

Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
A foreign passport with a validity period of at least 1 year at the time of application.
Proof of housing in Sweden. This could be an agreement to buy or rent an apartment, or a certificate about allocating you a place in a university dormitory.
Medical insurance with a coverage amount of at least 30,000 euros.
Medical certificate confirming the absence of dangerous diseases.
Demonstration of financial status at the time of travel. A bank statement or sponsorship letter will do.
Photo 3.5 x 4 cm
Documents confirming your right to receive a residence permit, such as an agreement with an employer, a university certificate, or a marriage certificate.

Deadlines for obtaining a residence permit

The applications themselves are studied carefully and for a long time. You can expect approval from the Swedish authorities from 2 to 9 months. After this, you will be invited to the consulate, where you will submit your biometric data and receive the coveted plastic residence permit card.

Price

Your costs directly depend on the method you choose to move to permanent residence.

Education. The cost of reviewing the application is 100 euros. It will be possible to apply for permanent residence after 5 years. Only time spent in graduate school counts towards your accommodation. Consular fee – 1000 CZK.
Business. Opening a new company and hiring a Swedish manager will cost you 10,000 euros. Additionally, you will have to incur expenses of 1,250 euros for each partner, and if moving the whole family - 2,250 euros.
Family reunification. Approval of an application can take from 8 months to 2 years. The fee for a minor child is 80 euros, and for each adult – 160 euros.

Methods and conditions for obtaining permanent residence in Sweden

Moving for permanent residence to Sweden from Russia is possible according to several scenarios . Regardless of the chosen scheme, you will have to prepare documents, visit the embassy and migration service and be patient until the application is approved.

Stages of residence in Sweden: temporary residence permit (RP), permanent residence permit (PR) and citizenship.

Upon approval of the application for a residence permit, the foreigner receives a card valid for up to 2 years , available for renewal. After 4 years, an application for permanent residence is submitted, and after another 5 years, for citizenship (subject to compliance with the established requirements). As a holder of permanent residence, the immigrant becomes a resident - he has rights close to the rights of a citizen (except for participation in the political life of Sweden).

Documents regarding the residence permit request are submitted electronically to the Swedish Migration Service , in person to the embassy in Russia or by mail. You can receive a residence permit card at the embassy, by mail, or pick it up in person at the Migration Service.

Mandatory package of applicant documents:

international passport, photocopies of all completed pages of the passport, marriage certificate (if available) and a completed application form;
for the child: application form, birth certificate, consent of the second guardian to move or certificate of absence of the second guardian.

Reference. The list of additional documents depends on the reason for the move. All papers for obtaining residence permits and permanent residence must be notarized and translated into Swedish and English.

Before moving to live in Sweden, remember that you need to spend at least 4 years in temporary residence status, and to obtain permanent residence you must meet several conditions :

be over 18 years of age;
confirm the purpose of stay (relatives, study, work, business);
confirm the availability of sufficient funds and place of residence;
have no problems with Swedish legislation.

How to eventually become a Swedish citizen

The following have the right to apply for citizenship:

Residents of any country who have been permanently residing in the country legally for at least 5 years.
Refugees who have been in Sweden for at least 4 years.
Residents of Nordic Council countries after 2 years of residence in Sweden.

The Nordic Council includes countries such as: Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark.

In addition, the applicant for citizenship must:

Be an adult.
Have no violations of the law, both in Sweden and in Russia.
Be in the country on the legal grounds listed above.
Demonstrate knowledge of the Swedish language.
Have a medical certificate confirming the absence of dangerous diseases, such as AIDS, tuberculosis, schizophrenia, drug addiction.
Demonstrate the intention to fully integrate into Swedish society.
Know and respect the Constitution of the country and its laws, flag and coat of arms.

Methods of acquiring citizenship

Marriage. One of the fastest ways to become a citizen of this country. You must legally reside in the country for at least 3 years, and at least live married to a citizen for at least 2 years. The receiving party must confirm its own financial solvency and the ability to accept a foreigner. The country's authorities have a sharply negative attitude towards fictitious marriages, the purpose of which is to obtain permanent residence or citizenship. The couple will be monitored by special services for some time, and the neighbors' opinions will be collected from you. If a fictitious marriage is discovered, your Swedish partner will go to prison and you will be deported from the country. The consular fee will be 11,000 CZK.
Birth and adoption. If at least one parent has Swedish citizenship at the time of the child's birth, the child automatically receives citizenship. Children under 12 years of age can obtain citizenship if local residents adopt them. Foreigners who gave birth to a son or daughter in Sweden will not help their children become citizens of the country. Unlike the USA, there is no automatic issuance of status.
Naturalization. First, a foreigner needs to apply for a D visa, then apply for a residence permit. Further, with this status, he must live continuously for 5 years in the country, without leaving for more than 3 months during the last year. After this, he can obtain permanent residence status and then apply for citizenship.
Refugees. Sweden has received quite a few such people from countries at war or in armed conflict. Refugees will be able to obtain citizenship 4 years after being granted refugee status in the country. Before their application is approved, they will live in a special camp for several months. The current application approval rate among all nations is 41%. If we take Russians separately, then only 13% of them are approved. Refugees are recognized as those who face a real threat in their homeland. Whether it be military action, persecution for race, religion, sexual orientation. Simple discomfort from living in your home country does not fit this point.
Special merits to Sweden. The Swedish monarch can, by decree, confer citizenship on any person whose contribution to the well-being of the country turns out to be significant. These could be scientists, world-class athletes, great musicians and artists.
Restoration of citizenship. If a person, in the past, already had Swedish citizenship, and he, for example, renounced it in order to obtain this status in another country, it is enough to collect documents for repatriation and, calmly, without any exams, restore his passport and status citizen.

Living conditions in Sweden, its advantages and disadvantages

Unlike its Scandinavian neighbors, Sweden's climate can hardly be called northern or harsh.
This is partly facilitated by the close proximity to the Baltic Sea. Weather and landscape conditions attracted and still attract many people to these lands. Despite the fact that Sweden is a capitalist state, it has unofficially acquired the status of “the country of Swedish socialism.” With all the ensuing positive and attractive aspects for residents of other countries.

There are more than enough positive reviews:

The level of average wages, as well as the share of GDP per citizen of the country, exceeds similar European indicators. Moreover, this applies to the entire territory of Sweden, including its most remote corners;
The price level, despite the income level, does not exceed the European average;
The social sphere and social policy are deservedly the envy of the vast majority of countries in the world;
The highest level of economic development is inseparable from the same level of manufactured goods; the phrase “made in Sweden” is synonymous with “excellent quality;
Stability in all spheres of life, from politics to local customs;
Low level of corruption and diametrically high level of public trust in their leaders and politicians;
Strict control over the possible impact on the environment has logically led to the fact that the environmental situation is considered one of the best among developed countries in the world;
Maximum integration into the European and world community. This also applies to the right to visa-free entry into most countries of the world with a Swedish passport, and almost universal proficiency in English;
The high level of education in its quality can only compete with the quality of local roads.

Disadvantages of living in the country:

In order to qualify for a high level of income, knowledge of the Swedish language is required. It is rightfully considered one of the most difficult to master;
High taxes balance the same wages, and the indigenous population treats this with understanding;
Knowledge of the language is also necessary in everyday life, even if films on TV and in cinemas are shown exclusively in the original and with Swedish subtitles;
Luxury goods, in Swedish opinion, are much more expensive than similar ones outside the country;
Real estate, gasoline and internet are more expensive than in Europe as a whole;
The Swedish mentality is difficult and unusual for Russians. In communication, these are the most polite, and also the most closed people, not inclined to show interest in another person and his life;
Very long and difficult assimilation of newcomers;
A large concentration of refugees from Asian and African countries who do not want to accept the rules of decency and the laws of Sweden has led to a negative attitude of native Swedes towards the majority of visitors.

Refusals and cancellations of work permits

Your work permit may be revoked if you knowingly entered false information when filling out the documents. In addition, if you quit your job or employment standards are no longer met at your workplace, this will also lead to the cancellation of the permit.

You should also know that you must begin your work within 4 months, starting from the first day your permit is issued. Otherwise, it will also be revoked.

In addition, you will be given a period within which you must leave the country.

You will have the right to challenge this through an appeal procedure, which you can attend in person, personally send a person representing your interests under a power of attorney.

The process of obtaining a residence permit

If you have a Schengen visa, the entire process of obtaining a residence permit is carried out through the country's consulate. Let us immediately clarify that the consulate itself does not make a decision on issuing (or refusing) a residence permit, it only checks and transfers documents to Sweden.

Before filing an application for a residence permit electronically, it is a good idea to make sure that all the required documents and certificates are available. The usual Russian logic “I’ll bring it later” plays a bad role in this case; the application will simply be moved to the end of the queue for consideration;
In response to the application, you will receive a letter with additional questions from the consulate, and you must provide an answer to all questions within 14 days;
Only after this does it make sense to make an appointment in person. During it, an interview is conducted with everyone who came to the reception. Its purpose is to gain confidence that the applicant is taking this step responsibly, has the necessary level of language knowledge, is able to support himself financially, and does not intend to violate Swedish laws.

Read also: Emigration to Finland from Russia

After a decision is made directly in Sweden, a notification will be sent to the applicant’s email address with a positive or negative decision on the issue. All that remains is to come to the consulate again to receive an identification card.

As for the documents, minor differences are explained by the basis for the residence permit, but in general, the following will be required:

Russian and foreign passports of the applicant;
document (certificate) about the citizen’s location and status (rent or ownership, apartment or hostel);
medical insurance;
bank confirmation of financial independence;
photo 3.5x4.5 cm;
individual documents justifying the request for a residence permit.

The entire process of reviewing documents is paid in the form of consular fees and duties; these are fixed amounts, the specific amount of which is easy to find out on the website of the country's embassy. Today it is 2500 rubles - consular fee and 1752 rubles - service fee.