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EXPLAINED: How can Brits in Sweden retain all their rights post-Brexit?

If you’re a British citizen who was living in Sweden before December 31st 2020, you might need to take steps to continue living in your adopted country, and retain your rights and access to services.

Published: 22 March 2021 12:15 CET
Updated: 16 April 2021 07:57 CEST
EXPLAINED: How can Brits in Sweden retain all their rights post-Brexit?

This guide, presented in partnership with the UK Government, tells you what you need to do in four crucial areas: residency, healthcare, travel and using your driving licence in Sweden.

Get the official UK government advice on living in Sweden now that the transition period has ended

Residency

In November 2020, Sweden’s parliament voted in favour of a key post-Brexit rights bill which would see British citizens and their families granted a new residence status. Those with permanent residency under Swedish national law (i.e. a PUT) do not need to apply, but may do so.

The bill said that if you were legally resident in Sweden before 1 January 2021, your rights will be protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. However, If you were here under EU law you must apply for the new residency permit (uppehållsstatus) by 30 September 2021 to secure your rights and access to services.

The UK Ambassador in Sweden, Judith Gough, states, “I urge all British citizens in Sweden to check their residence status now, and apply for a new permit, if needed. The new status introduced by the Swedish Government will allow British citizens living in Sweden under EU rules to protect and maintain their rights”.

Before you apply, ensure you carefully read the guidance on supporting documents.

You should also read the Swedish Migration Agency’s guidance on residency for UK nationals in Sweden, as well as its guidance on the rights of third country national family members.

You do not need to be physically present in Sweden at the time of application, as long as you can prove you had right of residence before December 31st 2020, and continue to live here

One advantage of applying for Swedish residency earlier rather than later is that once your application is submitted, you will receive a letter of confirmation, which can be used to prove your right to live in Sweden – for example if returning to the country after travelling overseas.

During the period that British applicants are waiting on a residency decision, they have the same rights as EU citizens and can continue to live and work in Sweden, as long as they moved here before December 31st.

Once an application has been approved, it is necessary to visit one of the Migration Agency’s Service Centres to have fingerprints and a photo taken before the residence card can be issued.

Check out the UK Government’s website to find out how you can stay in Sweden as a UK National

Dramatic sky over old town of Stockholm, Sweden.

Healthcare

You have to be registered as a Swedish resident to access Swedish state healthcare. Even then, you may still have to pay for some medical care.

There are three ways UK nationals usually access the Swedish healthcare system:

  • register as a resident and then register for healthcare
  • use a European health insurance card (EHIC) or a UK global health insurance card (GHIC) for temporary stays
  • register a UK-issued S1 form with one of the insurance funds

Anyone registered as a resident in Sweden can register for state healthcare. This applies if you’re employed, self-employed or not working.

You can also register your dependants for healthcare at the same time as you.

You may be entitled to a Swedish EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK, and you might have the right to apply for a UK S1 if you start drawing a UK state pension.

If you’ve been sent to work temporarily in Sweden by a UK company as a “posted” or “detached” worker, and you’re not a registered resident, you can access healthcare in Sweden using an EHIC, GHIC or S1 form.

First, however, your employer must register you at the Swedish Work Environment Authority.

You must then register your S1 form with the Swedish tax authority (Skatteverket) and the social insurance agency (Försäkringskassan)

Travel

You live in an EU country, so crossing borders is no big deal, right? Now that the UK has left the EU and free movement no longer applies, you’ll face some new rules on travel within Europe in 2021. Doing your homework now could save you a lot of trouble later.

From this year on, you need six months left on your passport to travel within Europe (be aware that any extra months you had added to your passport’s validity when renewing it early last time won’t count towards this).

You can check your passport’s validity here to know for sure if you need to renew it before booking a trip. This new rule applies to children’s passports, as well as adults, and applies for travel to most European countries.

Driving licence validity

You can drive in Sweden on your UK driving licence. If you’re living in Sweden, check the government website for information on driving license exchange.

Keeping Informed

You can find out more information by visiting the Living in Sweden guide on GOV.UK, sign up for emails with the latest official UK government updates about these topics in Sweden. The Embassy in Sweden regularly engages with British community groups, and shares information on their social media pages.

You can find regular updates, answers to frequently asked questions and more information on the British Embassy Facebook page.

Get all the latest official guidance for UK nationals in Sweden on these topics and more by visiting the UK government’s Living in Sweden web page.

Member comments

  1. People following this advice are likely to be pleased with the award of a residency card from Migrationsverket. They seem to do a great job and the process goes smoothly. After a while you then learn that being resident does not put you on the “Population Register”. It is the job of Skatteverket to do that under a different process. Obtaining healthcare as described in this article is not so simple. The S1 form issued by NHS in the UK is only given to those already drawing a state pension. EHIC/GHIC are correctly described for a travelling visit less than 90 days or for students. That leaves the rest of us who have to sign up to Private Comprehensive Health Insurance. Swedish insurance companies do not provide such insurance so you end up with one of the Global companies who will give you the level of coverage required for upwards of £3000/year. Only when you have that cover can you hope that Skatteverket will put you on the register so you can get healthcare, although that is not a given either. Not being on the Population Register may also affect your ability to get a bank account (Bank ID), other local services and so on. In short, Residency is only part of the steps needed to live normally in Sweden and the rules of Migrationsverket and Skatteverket are not the same, nor do they seemingly work in a connected manner.

    1. What is your source for stating the S-1 is only available to those already drawing a state pension? Thank you

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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?

Published: 2 February 2024 12:52 CET
Updated: 16 April 2024 14:22 CEST
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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