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If you want to visit Sweden and you are not a citizen of the EU/EEA, you may need a visa. A visa gives you permission to enter and stay in Sweden for a short period. It is valid throughout the Schengen area, but you apply to the country that is the main destination for the journey.
Visas can be granted for such purposes as:
You can submit your application at the earliest six months before your planned visit. Apply as far in advance as possible, especially during the peak season. Usually, you get a decision within two weeks.
A visa can be granted for between 1 and 90 days. You have to make use of these days within a given time frame of six months at the most (period of validity).
How many days you are allowed to stay in the Schengen area, and for how long your visa is valid, is stated on the visa sticker attached to your passport.
If you need to travel to Sweden often, you can ask to be given several entries. Such visas are valid for five years at the most. If the visa is for more than six months, you can stay in the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days per six-month period.
A visa does not automatically mean that you can enter the Schengen area. It is the Border Police in the Schengen area that will determine whether you meet the conditions for entering Sweden. So it is a good idea to bring along copies of the documents you submitted when applying for a visa. Border Police may deny your entry.
It is the Consulate General that decides whether you are to be granted a visa. In certain cases, the matter is referred to the Swedish Migration Agency for a decision.
Information about visas at Swedish Migration Agency website
When applying for the first time, all applicants will have to appear in person at VFS Global. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS database and stored for 59 months. If the fingerprints have been taken within the 59 months and if reusable, the fingerprints should not be retaken unless the applicant requires having their fingerprints taken again. Please note that the Consulate General is entitled to request applicants to come for a second time to the Visa Application Center or the Consulate General when the fingerprints of the applicant have not been correctly registered in EU VIS.
Please note that children under the age of 12 are exempted from the requirement to provide fingerprints but are required to apply personally upon their first visa application. More information about other categories of applicants are exempted from the requirement to provide fingerprints, please see Article 13(7) of the Visa Code.
Applicants from third countries must be residing in Turkey legally in order to be able to apply for visa. You cannot apply if you have come to Turkey with a tourist visa. Otherwise you should apply in your home country or country of residence. If there is no Swedish Embassy, you need to apply at the Embassy representing Sweden.
Please note that Iraqi citizens can apply in Turkey without proof of legal residence.
Some nationals are required to go through a mandatory prior consultation procedure during the assessment of the visa application. This is to check whether any Member States has any objection for issuing a uniform visa. The procedure takes approximately 7-9 days to finalize in addition to the normal visa handling time. A comprehensive list of citizens subject to consultation is found in annex 16 to of the Visa Code. Click here for Annex 16.