Sweden - Apply for a Residence Permit for Self-employed Individuals

ProcedureEdit

Submit an application for a residence permit in your country of origin or another country outside Sweden in which you are living. Fill out the form Application for a Swedish residence permit for self-employed persons, No. 125011, and turn it in to a Swedish embassy or consulate general. Before you submit your application you should contact the embassy or consulate-general.
In most cases applicants will be asked to pay a fee.
For faster processing, make sure that you have provided all needed information.The Migration Board first processes applications that have been filled out completely and for which all necessary documents have been submitted. In other words, you will receive a faster decision if you send everything the Migration Board needs to process your application.
The decision will be sent to the embassy or consulate general to which you turned in your application. Bring your passport along when picking up your decision.

If the Migration Board refuses your application, you can appeal the decision within three weeks from the date when you were informed of the decision. Your decision contains information about how to do so.
If you are in Sweden and your application is not approved: If the Migration Board refuses your application for a residence permit, this means that you do not have the right to a residence permit in Sweden. You can choose to accept the decision or to appeal it. Even if you choose to appeal, you still have to plan to return to your country of origin or the country where you have the right of stay.

Residence Permit Card

If you obtain a residence permit for more than three months, you will also receive a residence permit card. The card, which is proof that you have the right to be in Sweden, contains your photo and fingerprints.

If you need a visa for travel to Sweden, you should go to the the embassy or consulate general as soon as possible to have your picture and fingerprints taken. Your photo and fingerprints cannot be saved, so you need to go through the process even if you had a residence permit card before.

The Swedish embassy or consulate general will hand over or send you the residence permit card as soon as it is ready. Don't forget that it might take up to four weeks to make and send the card to the embassy or consulate general after you receive your decision. When you enter Sweden, you must show your residence permit card along with a valid passport.

The residence permit card will be produced at the time the decision is made, but no earlier than three months before the residence permit becomes valid.

If you do not need a visa for travel to Sweden, you should be able to show a copy of the decision when you arrive. As soon as possible after you have arrived in Sweden, you should book an appointment to be fingerprinted and photographed. When your residence permit card is ready, it will be sent to your address in Sweden. Book an appointment

Holding a residence permit as self-employed, you only have the right to run your own business and you do not have the right to be employed elsewhere.

Required DocumentsEdit

Submit your application along with these documents:

copies of the pages of your passport that show personal data, period of validity, entry and exit stamps and whether you have permission to live in countries other than your country of origin
bank statements which shows that you have sufficient funds to support you and your family during the first 2 years (equivalent to SEK 200,000 for you, SEK 100,000 for your spouse and SEK 50,000 for each accompanying child)
bank statements which show, if applicable, that you have sufficient funds to buy the business and to cover the estimated costs and investments necessary to run the business
contract of sale if you have bought or intend to buy the business or enterprise
partnership agreement or stock register
bank document which shows that you have paid the purchase sum or your part of the purchase sum, if you have bought the business or enterprise
contracts with customers/suppliers and for premises
annual accounts/reports for the previous 2 years (if the business has been in operation earlier)
balance sheet and income statement (report) for the current financial year, up to and including the previous month
course certificate or other evidence that you speak Swedish and/or English
certificates to substantiate your educational background
certificates from previous employers
certificate of registration for companies you own or have own outside of Sweden.

Office Locations & ContactsEdit

Please list down the office locations that can be approached for applying. External links can also be used for specifying office locations.

EligibilityEdit

To apply for a residence permit, you must:

have a valid passport
show that you have significant experience in your field and previous experience of running your own business
have documented knowledge in Swedish and/or English
show that you are running the business, that you have the ultimate responsibility for it and that you own at least half of the business
show that the business' services or goods are sold and/or produced in Sweden
show that you have sufficient funds to support you and, if applicable, your family during the first two years (equivalent to SEK 200,000 for you, SEK 100,000 for your spouse and SEK 50,000 for each accompanying child)
show that the business, following the two-year probationary period, is expected to be able to support yourself and, if applicable, your family.

FeesEdit

Work Permit Application Fees:

Work permit: SEK 2,000
Extension of work permit within the same occupation or with the same employer: SEK 1,000
Extension of work permit within another occupation or with another employer: SEK 2,000
Special fees for certain occupations:
- Performer: SEK 1,000
- Au pair: SEK 1,000
- Athlete or coach: SEK 1,000
- Youth exchange (citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea): SEK 1,000
- Visiting researcher: SEK 1,000
- Self-employed: SEK 2,000
- Trainee (through international exchange programme or agreement): SEK 1,000
- EU Blue Card: SEK 2,000
Application for family members of persons applying for or holding a work permit:
- Adult: SEK 1,000
- Child under 18 years of age: SEK 500

Fees paid will not be refunded if your application is refused.

Notes:

Paying online: Use a credit or debit card to pay for the fee when you apply for or extend your permit.
Paying at an embassy or consulate-general: If you are applying at an embassy or consulate-general, you pay the fee when you hand in your application. For more information about the fee, contact the embassy or consulate-general where you are applying, as they do not have the same fees and terms of payment as the Migration Board.
Extension: When you apply online to extend your permit, you pay the fee with a credit or debit card in connection with the application. If you are not applying online, you pay the fee to bankgiro number 5223-7005. The IBAN for the account is SE6912000000012810106908 and the BIC/SWIFT code is DABASESX (Danske Bank).

In the box for messages to the recipient, you write the name and surname of the person the application fee is for, as well as their personal identity number and/or case number. If you are paying the fees of several people at the same time, write the personal identity number and/or case number for each of them. Also write on the application form when and how you paid the fee.

Exceptions: Japanese citizens may apply for work permits without paying an application fee.

ValidityEdit

You can obtain a permit for two years but not past the time for which your passport remains valid. If you plan to continue living in Sweden, you may apply for extension.

When you have had a residence permit for two years you may be granted a permanent residence permit, provided that you are able to support yourself using the income from your business, that you adhere to generally accepted accounting principles and that you hold the permits required for the business. You must also have been a resident in Sweden for more than 6 months of each year.

Holding a residence permit as a self-employed individual, you only have the right to run your own business and you do not have the right to be employed elsewhere.

Documents to UseEdit

[http://www.migrationsverket.se/download/18.5e83388f141c129ba6312ace/14

Sample DocumentsEdit

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing TimeEdit

Please explain processing time taken in obtaining the document/certificate.

InstructionsEdit

Submit your application to the Swedish Migration Board who will be the one to assess your business plans from a financial perspective.

To those who are studying in Sweden: If you have residence permit for studies in Sweden and want to apply for a residence permit as a self-employed while you remain in Sweden, you need to apply before your current permit expires. You need to enclose a certificate of studies in Sweden showing that you have completed at least 30 higher education credits or has completed a term of postgraduate education.

If you are applying from Sweden, send your application to:

Migrationsverket

Tillstndsenheten

601 70 Norrkping

Make sure to extend your passport if it is about to expire you cannot obtain a temporary residence permit for longer than your passport's period of validity. You must have a permit that is valid for at least one year and stay in Sweden for at least one year if you want to be registered in the Swedish population register.

Required InformationEdit

A list which displays the kind of information which is required to complete the procedure.
e.g.
1. Date of Birth.
2. City or County of Birth.

Need for the DocumentEdit

You will need to obtain a residence permit if you are planning to stay in Sweden for a period longer than 3 months to start up or run your own business or become a part owner of a company. As self-employed you are not allowed to take employment with any employer.

Information which might helpEdit

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External LinksEdit

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OthersEdit

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