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RESIDENCY PERMITS

How does Sweden’s fast-track scheme for delayed permits work?

People who have been waiting for a decision on an application for Swedish citizenship for at least six months, or a work or residence permit for at least four months, have the right to request an immediate decision from the Migration Agency. We explain how the process works, and the potential pitfalls.

How does Sweden's fast-track scheme for delayed permits work?
An office of the Swedish Migration Agency in Stockholm. File photo: Marcus Ericsson / TT

How does the request for a decision work?

People who have submitted an application for Swedish citizenship, or a work or residence permit, can apply to the Migration Agency to request a quick decision on their case.

This is done by filling out a form online, which can be found here in Swedish and here in English. It’s a short form which just requires giving a few personal details, plus the names of anyone else who is included on your application, such as children.

Who can submit the request?

The request applies if you submitted your initial citizenship application at least six months ago, or your work permit application at least four months ago, and have not yet received a decision.

Is it guaranteed that this will speed up my application?

The short answer: no.

After such a request is submitted, the Migration Agency has four weeks to either make a decision or refuse your request. So it’s possible that they will simply conclude it’s not possible to make a decision within four weeks. 

If that happens, you have the right to appeal that decision to the Migration Court. If your appeal is successful, the court will mandate the Migration Agency to give you a decision “as soon as possible”. These are the cases that get the highest priority, the agency told The Local in 2020.

But if your appeal is rejected too, unfortunately there’s not much more you can do than wait, since it’s not possible to submit this request twice during the same case.

What’s the background?

The request is possible due to a law called Administrative Procedure Act, which requires government agencies to deal with cases as quickly, efficiently, and inexpensively as possible. 

Under Section 12 of that law, applicants have the right to request a decision after they’ve been in the queue for six months.

This came into force in the summer of 2018 and more than 30,000 such requests were made in the first year it was in effect. The same law also requires authorities to inform individuals in advance if it’s likely that they will experience “substantial” delays. 

Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

Anything else I should know about the request for a decision?

Well, one consideration is that if the agency does end up making a faster decision on your case, this negatively impacts people who have been waiting longer.

“The large number of such requests took resources from the actual processing of citizenship cases. Since these cases must also be prioritised after any judgment from the Migration Court, and since very many applicants who requested a decision hadn’t waited longer than six to nine months for a decision, this contributed to the fact that the oldest cases became even older,” a Migration Agency press officer told The Local.

In fact, this is one of the reasons the Migration Agency asked the government to pause the fast-track option for delayed cases for eighteen months in April 2023. This request had not yet been approved or denied at the time this article was last updated on April 4th, 2023.

What other factors affect when a decision is made?

The best thing you can do to boost your chances of a speedy decision is to ensure that your paperwork is filled out comprehensively and accurately, with all the required information and evidence, when you first submit it.

Around a quarter of the applications that come in are typically judged to be complete and ready for a decision to be made, and the Migration Agency has told The Local these cases are typically processed in less than three months. All others are put into a queue and processed in order of date submitted, with the exception of those where a request for a decision is made.

Have you been caught up in Swedish bureaucracy? Email [email protected] to share your story.

Member comments

  1. Don’t bother… they wait until the 4 weeks are up, & then said ‘No’. With no further info, as usual. My lawyer said i could file an appeal, but it would just be more legal fees to get the ubiquitous ‘No’ & zero additional info. I’ve been waiting 4 years so far, & have been a permanent resident for 5.

    Really, if Morgan Johansson wants to fix things, fix the administration of Migrationsverket, not add a language requirement which will be just another clusteruck for the MV employees to use as an excuse to do little other than look for another job (now that they’re all getting fired anyway…)

  2. My case was refused, I was given no reason in the letter, my case worker took 4 days to answer their phone, didn’t take any notes as to why the refused my application, and then had the gall to complain that they only had 4 weeks of summer holiday! They’re running a 5 star organisation over there…

  3. Sounds like long processing times, and frustration for all those involved.

    At times like these – I think many should consider Canada as a positive and viable alternative.
    It’s a great and enormous country. And Canada has thrown the doors to immigration wide open, and is now admitting anyone and everyone under Justin Trudeau. Highly recommended.
    – Great universities.
    – Advanced economy with jobs in high tech, resources, tourism, government etc.
    – High pay (higher than Sweden), and lower taxes.
    – An accepting populist comprised of immigrants (all of them).

    Don’t overlook Canada.

  4. Well, let me tell you about my experience. I applied to the Migration Agency make a decision after waiting for nearly four years. They refused to do it. I appealed against the decision. The case went to the Migration Court (a different organization). Fortunately, the Migration Court agreed to my appeal and ordered the Migration Agency to make a decision on my case. The Migration Agency took one more month and gave my citizenship.

  5. It actually worked in my case. Of course, the application for faster decision was declined. However, I appealed and it did not cost me anything. The migration court ordered the migration agency to take a decision. Then it took about two months to get a decision. And it was a positive decision.

  6. It actually worked in my case. Of course, the application for faster decision was declined. However, I appealed and it did not cost me anything. The migration court ordered the migration agency to take a decision. Then it took about two months to get a decision. And it was a positive decision.

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For members

READER QUESTIONS

Do foreigners in Sweden have to carry their residence cards?

Foreign residents in Sweden who are granted residence permits are issued with a residence card or 'uppehållstillstånd'. Who does this apply to and are they obliged to carry the card all the time?

Do foreigners in Sweden have to carry their residence cards?

What is an uppehållstillstånd

Firstly, an uppehållstillstånd or residence permit is required for legal residence in Sweden for non-EU citizens, as well as EU citizens without EU right of residence.

Note that this is not the same as an uppehållskort, which is for non-EU citizens living with a non-Swedish EU citizen, nor is it the same as an intyg om permanent uppehållsrätt for EU citizens or uppehållsstatus for Brits here under the rules of the withdrawal agreement.

Residence permits are granted to those wanting to work, study or live in Sweden, including those who came to the country as family members of other residents or as refugees.

The criteria you must fulfil to be granted a residence permit depend on the reason you are in Sweden and your personal situation.

If you are granted a residence permit for Sweden, you will be issued with a residence card or uppehållstillståndskort, as documentation of your residence rights.

The card itself is a plastic card the size of a credit card and displays your photo. It also includes a chip containing your biometric data. You will be required to attend an appointment to submit biometric details to the Migration Agency, either at one of its offices or at your closest Swedish embassy or consulate, if you’re applying from outside the country, after which the agency will be able to produce your residence card.

So, do I need to carry the card with me at all times? 

Technically, no, but it’s best to always know where it is, as you will need to be able to show it when asked. 

A press officer at Sweden’s Migration Agency told The Local that it’s a good idea to carry it with you at all times, although there’s no specific requirement for residence permit holders to do so.

“We can’t comment exactly on the situations in which other authorities, such as the police or healthcare services would need to see your residence permit card, but our general advice is that it’s a good idea to carry your residence card with you at all times, like any other form of ID, such as a driving licence, for example,” she said.

According to the Migration Agency’s website, you should always have it with you when in contact with Swedish authorities or healthcare, as it proves that you have the right to live in Sweden.

“According to the Aliens Act, foreigners in Sweden must show a passport or other document showing they have the right to live in Sweden, when asked by a police officer,” police press officer Irene Sokolow told The Local.

“[The foreigner] is responsible for proving their right to be in Sweden, as well as their identity and the day and time they arrived in Sweden, if relevant. They are, however, not required to carry their identity card or passport with them.”

One situation where you should have your card with you is when travelling over the Swedish border, where you should always present it to border police along with your passport. This ensures you’ll be registered correctly as a resident when exiting or re-entering the country, rather than as a tourist.

One reason why this is important is that non-EU residents can only visit Schengen for 90 days in every 180-day period without needing a residence permit or other visa, so if you’re falsely registered as entering Sweden as a visitor, this 90-day countdown will start. 

If you’re then discovered living in Sweden past the 90-day deadline, your false registration as a tourist could lead to you being branded an overstayer, which could affect your chances of getting a residence permit in the future, as well as your chances of being allowed to enter other Schengen countries.

Where else might I be asked to show my card?

Sweden’s police are also able to carry out so-called inre utlänningskontroller, special controls to identify people living in Sweden illegally, if they have reason to believe the person in question does not have a permit or visa to live in Sweden.

These can take place anywhere within Sweden, including at workplaces suspected of hiring people without valid residence permits, so at least in theory, you could be stopped by police anywhere in the country and asked to show your residence permit if they have reason to believe you’re living here illegally.

“When an inre utlänningskontroll is carried out and the person in question does not have any such documents with them, the police can check their status with the Migration Agency,” Sokolow told The Local.

Legally, the police have the power to confiscate your passport or other ID document if you can’t prove you have the right to be in Sweden when asked, although this will be returned to you when you provide them with a valid residence permit card or when they receive other proof that you have the right to be in the country.

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