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Sweden & India

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the visiting and telephone hours of the Migration Section?

The Migration section's opening hours are as follows:

Biometric submission for residence permit at the Embassy:
Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 10:30 am IST.

Collection of residence permit cards at the Embassy:
Monday to Friday, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm IST. Telephone hours are Monday to Friday between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm.

Direct number to the Migrations section: +91 11 45 666 300

Do I need to book an appointment to visit the Embassy?

Prior appointment is not required for biometrics submission, passport verification, and collection only.

What is a Schengen visa (visits under 90 Days)?

If you are a citizen of a non-EU country and wish to visit Sweden, you may need to apply for a visa. However, if you have a valid residence permit from another Schengen country, you do not need to apply for an entry visa to visit Sweden for stays of up to 90 days.

How and from where I can apply for a Schengen visa?

The embassy cooperates with VFS Global for Schengen visa applications. Indian nationals can apply at any VFS office or the Embassy in New Delhi.

Sri Lankan residents can apply through the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo, while Bhutan residents can contact the Danish Embassy in New Delhi.

Maldives residents can apply through the Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi.

What is the processing time of a Schengen visa?

The Embassy's processing time varies, but decisions are usually made within 15 days, with a possible extension of up to 45 days for individual cases. In exceptional situations, it may take up to 60 days to receive a decision.

Can a visa be extended?

A visitor's visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days. If you have already stayed in a Schengen country for 90 days during the last 180-day period, you cannot extend your visa.

Extension of visa is only possible in exceptional cases.

How to choose the number of entries in the Schengen visa?

Single entry: A single-entry visa allows you to visit the entire Schengen area in one trip.

Double entries: An individual intending to enter the Schengen Area twice will need a double-entry visa.

Multiple entries: This visa allows several visits to the Schengen area within its validity period.

How do I appeal against a decision?

If your visa application has been refused, you can appeal the decision. Please submit your appeal in Swedish or English to: migration.new-delhi@gov.se.

Alternatively, you can send a physical appeal directly to the Embassy. It's important to note that if more than 3 weeks have passed since you received the decision, the Embassy will reject the appeal.

If the decision is not changed, it will be referred to the Administrative Court in Stockholm. For more information on how to appeal, refer to the last page of the decision. Contact the Administrative Court in Stockholm directly with any queries during the appeal process.

Please be noted original passport is not required to send with appeal.

Visitor's permit (visits over 90 days)

The Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi represents India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan for visits longer than 90 days. If you plan to visit Sweden and stay longer than 90 days, you need to apply for a visitor's permit. Applications are sent to the Migration Agency in Sweden, and if approved, a residence permit is usually issued for up to twelve months. Your visit should be temporary, and you must show means of support, a return ticket, or enough money to buy one and have mandatory medical travel insurance.

Applications for visitor's permits are handed in digitally.

What is a residence permit and where can I apply for it?

A residence permit is a document or card required in Sweden, allowing a foreign national to reside in a country for a fixed or indefinite length of time. The easiest way to apply for a residence permit is to apply online. An online application goes directly to the Swedish Migration Agency.

If you are unable to apply online, please ask your family members in Sweden to fill out the electronic application form, attach copies of documents and pay any application fee.

What is my case/control number?

When you apply for a residence or work permit, an email will be sent to you and/or the reference person/employer in Sweden with a reference number, at the registered email address. If you don't receive it, contact the reference person/employer or the Swedish Migration Agency.

How to check the status of an ongoing application?

You can view the status of your application on the Swedish Migration Agency’s website. Residence and work permits are handled by the Swedish Migration Agency. If you have any questions regarding your application, please contact the Swedish Migration Agency directly.

When will I get a decision?

You can find general information about estimated processing times on the Swedish Migration Agency's website.

When and where can I submit my biometrics and show passport for verification?

Applicants have the option to submit their biometrics before or after the decision on their residence permit application. However, it's important to note that passport verification will only be conducted upon receiving a formal request from the Migration Agency. The biometrics and passport verification will only be performed at the Sweden Embassy, New Delhi.

Interview request and how to book an appointment.

If the applicant receives an in-person interview notification from the migration agency, the applicant has to contact the Sweden Embassy for the interview appointment through email only.

Residence permit cards

Once you have been granted a residence permit, you will also receive a residence permit card as proof that you are permitted to live in Sweden. The processing time for your residence and work permit card is usually 4 weeks after the decision has been made. If your residence permit is not yet valid, the card will be produced 6 weeks before the permit's validity starts. You will receive an email notification at the address provided in your application once your card arrives at the Embassy. Once the card reaches the Embassy, you can collect it during the Migration Section's opening hours by presenting your passport.

Can I opt for courier service?

The Embassy provides courier services to Swedish Consulates in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bhutan. However, courier services to personal addresses are not available. Applicants must pay INR 500 in cash during their visit for biometrics in order to use the courier service for collecting their residence permit card from the consulates. All applicants are required to visit the consulate in person to collect their residence permit cards. Representation collection is not allowed from the consulates.

Please note for children below 5 years the cards can be collected by parents with their original passport.

How do I get a copy of my residence/work permit decision? 

All applicants can collect their decisions personally at the Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi during collection hours. If you have signed a power of attorney prior to the decision, the decision will normally be sent to the representative in Sweden. Due to security reasons, decisions cannot be sent via e-mail.

List of Schengen countries.

Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland.

Schengen Calculator

Short-stay Visa Calculator - European Commission (europa.eu)

Last updated 02 Jul 2024, 3.37 PM