News
Swedish Migration Rules for UK Citizens After Brexit
On December 31st, 2020, the Brexit transition period officially ends, which means that the citizens of the United Kingdom will no longer possess the same rights to live and work in Sweden as are held by the citizens of the remaining EU member states.
After the transition period, UK citizens will, according to the latest official statements, not require a visa for stays in Sweden of up to 90 days, but they will no longer be exempt from the travel ban which the Swedish government has introduced for reasons of the ongoing corvid-19 pandemic. After January 1st, 2021, it will, therefore, as a rule, not be possible for UK citizens without a previously established Swedish residence to enter Sweden until the travel ban is lifted. To be exempted from the travel ban after the end of the transition period, or to stay in Sweden for longer than 90 days, such UK citizens would need to obtain a Swedish residency permit from Migrationsverket (the Swedish Migration Agency) and, to work in Sweden, they would need to obtain a Swedish work permit. The current end date of the Swedish travel ban has been set to March 31st, 2021, but it may be extended.
To limit the impact of Brexit for those UK citizens who took up residence in Sweden before the end of the transition period, the Swedish government has induced a separate type of residence permit for this group. Applications for the new permit type, referred to as Residence Status for British Citizens, are to be filed with Migrationsverket from December 1st, 2020, until September 30th 2021. Individuals who qualify for the new permit type can for the time being continue to live and work in Sweden on the same terms as before. If granted, the residency status provides a continued Swedish right-of-residence and may be retained indefinitely as long as the individual continues to fulfill the requirements and applies to have the permit renewed every five years.
To qualify for the Swedish Residence Status for British Citizens, an individual must fulfill all the following requirements:
After the transition period, UK citizens will, according to the latest official statements, not require a visa for stays in Sweden of up to 90 days, but they will no longer be exempt from the travel ban which the Swedish government has introduced for reasons of the ongoing corvid-19 pandemic. After January 1st, 2021, it will, therefore, as a rule, not be possible for UK citizens without a previously established Swedish residence to enter Sweden until the travel ban is lifted. To be exempted from the travel ban after the end of the transition period, or to stay in Sweden for longer than 90 days, such UK citizens would need to obtain a Swedish residency permit from Migrationsverket (the Swedish Migration Agency) and, to work in Sweden, they would need to obtain a Swedish work permit. The current end date of the Swedish travel ban has been set to March 31st, 2021, but it may be extended.
To limit the impact of Brexit for those UK citizens who took up residence in Sweden before the end of the transition period, the Swedish government has induced a separate type of residence permit for this group. Applications for the new permit type, referred to as Residence Status for British Citizens, are to be filed with Migrationsverket from December 1st, 2020, until September 30th 2021. Individuals who qualify for the new permit type can for the time being continue to live and work in Sweden on the same terms as before. If granted, the residency status provides a continued Swedish right-of-residence and may be retained indefinitely as long as the individual continues to fulfill the requirements and applies to have the permit renewed every five years.
To qualify for the Swedish Residence Status for British Citizens, an individual must fulfill all the following requirements:
- Be a citizen of the United Kingdom or a family member (or former family member) of a UK citizen.
- Have resided legally in Sweden before the end of the transition period in accordance with the requirements of the European freedom of movement. A UK citizen has possessed a legal right-of-residence in Sweden if they, before the end of the transition period, have settled in Sweden to work as an employee or self-employed, to study at a school or university in Sweden, or if they have settled in Sweden with sufficient funds to support themselves. A UK citizen can also have taken up legal residence in Sweden as a family member of an individual who, in turn, had a legal right of residence.
- Continue to live in Sweden after the end of the transition period while continuing to fulfill one or more of the ground for an EU right-of-residence listed above.
- Apply for the Residence Status no later than September 30th, 2021.