Asylum in Sweden – Swedish Migration Agency

You want to apply for asylum in Sweden, because you are being persecuted or risk persecution or inhumane treatment in your country of origin.

You cannot apply for asylum before you arrive in Sweden. You must be in Sweden or on a border with Sweden.

If you encounter border police when you enter Sweden, tell them that you want to apply for asylum. Border police are located, for example, at passport controls at international airports, at ferry terminals, and wherever trains and buses enter Sweden. The border police will ask you some questions and then refer you to the Swedish Migration Agency, which will register your application for asylum.

If you are already in Sweden, please visit the Swedish Migration Agency to submit an application. You can apply for asylum at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s Units for Asylum Application in Gothenburg, Malmö and Stockholm.

Addresses and opening hours of the Swedish Migration Agency

Requirements to be granted a residence permit due to protection needs

Sweden is a party to the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Among other things, this means that Sweden must examine each person’s application for asylum individually.

Sweden must grant a residence permit to anyone who is a refugee under the UN Convention and Swedish law, as well as to persons in need of subsidiary protection according to the EU’s common rules.

Refugee

According to the Refugee Convention, Swedish law and EU rules, you are a refugee if you have a well-founded fear of persecution due to one of the following:

your race
your nationality
your religious or political views
your gender
your sexual orientation
the fact that you belong to a particular social group.

According to these laws and rules, both persecution by individuals or from the authorities in your country of origin are grounds for asylum. You must show that it is likely that the national authorities are unable or unwilling to protect you from persecution by individuals or groups.

Anyone deemed to be a refugee receives a refugee status declaration. This status is internationally recognised.

Person eligible for subsidiary protection

Under Swedish law, you are eligible for subsidiary protection if there is reason to assume that any of the following applies to you and your situation in your country of origin:

You are at risk of being punished with death.
You are at risk of corporal punishment, torture, or other inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment.
As a civilian, you are at serious risk of injury due to armed conflict.

Anyone deemed to be in need of alternative subsidiary protection receives a subsidiary protection status declaration based on EU rules.

Residence permit in other cases

In exceptional cases, you can be granted a residence permit even though you do not need protection against persecution or meet the requirements for a residence permit on any other basis. This requires exceptionally distressing circumstances. When the Swedish Migration Agency makes a decision, we make a comprehensive assessment of all your circumstances, such as your health status, your adaptation to Sweden, and the situation in your country of origin.

Exemptions from the right to protection

If, during the investigation of your application, it emerges that you have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, or other serious crimes, or if you pose a threat to national security, you cannot be granted asylum in Sweden. You may still be granted a temporary residence permit, if you are unable to return to your country of origin because you are at risk of being killed or subjected to corporal punishment, torture, or other inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment there.

Show who you are

In order for the Swedish Migration Agency to assess whether you are entitled to asylum, you need to show who you are (prove your identity) and where you come from. You must prove your identity by submitting your passport or other identity documents from your country of origin.

If you do not have a passport or identity card

If you do not submit a passport or identity card, we will instruct you to submit documents showing who you are. In these instructions, we specify what documents we want you to submit and how long you have to do so. For example, you can present a driving licence, birth certificate, certificate of citizenship, or military service records. Just one of these documents cannot prove who you are, but several of them, along with your story about your background and your country of origin, can help prove your claimed identity.

If you find it difficult to produce identification documents, you must show us that you are trying to obtain them. If you are unable to demonstrate that you have tried to obtain documents that prove your identity, we will reduce your daily allowance. You will then also not have the right to work while you wait for a decision about your application.

If you cannot prove your identity

It is possible to be granted asylum in Sweden even if you have tried but failed to prove your identity. It may be enough that you provide reliable and credible information about who you are and where you come from. However, it may take longer to process your application. If you are granted a residence permit but do not have a passport or identity card, you will also have to wait longer to become a Swedish citizen, as you are required to prove your identity when applying for Swedish citizenship.

It is illegal to provide inaccurate information about your identity. If you are granted a residence permit and it turns out that you have provided false identity documents or incorrect information about your identity, the Swedish Migration Agency may revoke your residence permit and decide that you should be expelled from Sweden. We report suspected fraud to the police, and this can lead to an investigation and legal consequences.

If you have children who have come to Sweden with you

You and your family apply together, and you will then be summoned to a joint investigation meeting. Children also need to show who they are by submitting identity documents. It is especially important for the Swedish Migration Agency to know how old your children are, since asylum-seeking children have different rights than adult asylum seekers.

Information about asylum-seeking children

There is also information aimed directly at children who are applying for asylum:

Information for children who have applied for asylum

If you are a LGBTQIA+ person

If the reason why you are applying for asylum is that you fear persecution because of your sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity, it is important that you inform us of this as soon as possible. During the investigation of your application, we need to understand what your life has been like in your country of origin and why you are afraid to return there.

It is important that you tell us as much as possible about all your reasons for applying for asylum. The persons involved in the investigation are sworn to secrecy.

You can contact non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for advice and support. The more informed you are about your rights and obligations, the better prepared you will be for the different stages of the asylum process. RFSL is one such non-governmental organisation that works to protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ people. They provide special support and social meeting places for LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers.

RFSL Newcomers External link.

Accommodation and financial aid

Once you have applied for asylum, you will be assigned a place at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s accommodations.

Accommodation

If you do not have your own money, you may also be entitled to financial aid from the Swedish Migration Agency.

Financial aid

For how long can I be granted a residence permit?

A person who receives a refugee status declaration usually receives a residence permit for three years.

A person who receives a subsidiary protection status declaration is usually granted a residence permit for 13 months.

Your residence permit can be extended.

What does it cost to apply?

It costs nothing to apply for asylum.

Can I work or study with this type of residence permit?

If you are granted a residence permit in Sweden, you will also have the right to work and study.

If you are from a safe country of origin, you may receive a refusal of entry decision with immediate effect

The Swedish Migration Agency has a list of so-called “safe countries of origin”. If you apply for asylum but come from a safe country of origin, the Swedish Migration Agency will generally assume that you can be protected by the authorities in your country of origin. You may therefore receive a refusal of entry decision that is to be implemented immediately.

According to the Swedish Migration Agency, the following countries are safe countries of origin:

Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Chile
Kosovo
Mongolia
North Macedonia
Serbia.

What is a safe country of origin?

Sweden applies the EU rules about so-called “safe countries of origin”. In order for a country to be assessed as a safe country of origin, several criteria must be met. The Swedish Migration Agency conducts an overall assessment of the country. Among other things, we consider:

whether there are any armed conflicts
the existence of persecution or torture
how fundamental rights and freedoms are upheld.

Organisations that can support asylum seekers

Amnesty International External link.

Caritas Sweden External link.

Flyktinggruppernas och asylkommittéernas riksråd External link.

RFSL-Newcomers External link.

Asylrättscentrum External link.

Save the Children Sweden External link.

The Swedish Red Cross External link.

The Swedish Red Cross Treatment Centres for Persons Affected by War and Torture External link.

Social Mission External link.

The Church of Sweden External link.

Informationsverige.se External link.

You apply

You apply at the Swedish border or at a Swedish Migration Agency Unit for Asylum Applications. What happens at the time of application:

You must submit your passport or other identity documents
To show who you are and where you come from, you must submit a passport or identity card from your country of origin. We will register you with the name and gender specified in your identity documents. If you have a different gender identity than what is stated there, or if you want us to use a different name or pronoun, please tell us. Also let us know if you have special grounds for wanting an interpreter, counsel, or case officer of a particular gender, or if you do not want to share a room with other asylum seekers of a particular gender.

You must get fingerprinted

Your fingerprints are used to see if you have applied for asylum in any other EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland, or if you have a permit or are subject to a travel ban in any of these countries. If you have already applied for asylum in one of these countries, we will investigate which country will be responsible for examining your application. Your application will then be handled according to the so-called “Dublin Process”.

The Dublin Regulation determines which country will be responsible for your application

Children under 6 years of age do not need to be fingerprinted. We do not check fingerprints for children under the age of 14.

You will be photographed
Your photo will be used for the card you will be given to show that you are an asylum seeker, a so-called “Asylum Seeker card” (“LMA-kort” in Swedish).

You get to have a first conversation with a case officer

With the help of an interpreter, you can explain who you are and tell us why you have left your country of origin, and how you travelled to Sweden. You will be asked questions about your family and how you are feeling. Let us know if you have special needs, for example due to a disability.

During the conversation, you will receive information about the asylum process, what the next steps will be, and what you need to do. You will also receive information about practical issues, such as your right to accommodation, financial aid, care, and schooling for your children.

You will be summoned to an asylum investigation interview

If you do not receive this summons directly during the first conversation, we will send it to you later by post.

Illustration of a man looking at an application.

The Swedish Migration Agency reviews your application

The Swedish Migration Agency reviews your application and the information you have provided. The case officer prepares your application for further investigation, for example by obtaining information from other authorities or, if necessary, by assigning a public counsel to your case.

You must let us know if you change your address, so that we can reach you when it is time for your investigation interview or if we need to summon you to other meetings.

If, based on the first conversation, we determine that you do not meet the requirements for being granted a residence permit, for example because you completely lack grounds for asylum or come from a safe country, we may decide to reject your application. In that case, you will receive a refusal of entry decision that must be implemented immediately.

Illustration of two men sitting in a conversation.

You participate in the asylum investigation interview

The asylum investigation interview is a mandatory conversation during which you meet with a case officer at the Swedish Migration Agency. An interpreter will also be present. If we have determined that you need a public counsel, they will also attend the interview. The case officer, interpreter, and public counsel are all sworn to secrecy. That means they are not allowed to share what you have said with anyone who does not have the legal right to know.

The case officer will start by telling you what the conversation is about and what rights and obligations you have. For example, you are required to speak the truth and not withhold anything that may be important for us to assess whether you need protection.

You must tell us who you are, where you come from, why you are applying for asylum, and what you think will happen to you if you have to return to your country of origin. You will also be asked questions about your family, your health and your situation in your country of origin. It is your responsibility to tell us all your grounds for applying for asylum. If you have evidence that you want the Swedish Migration Agency to consider, you should submit it.

The case officer writes down what is said in the meeting minutes. You will be given the opportunity to approve the minutes, which will then be saved along with any documents you have submitted.

At the end of the investigation interview, you can ask questions about the asylum process or anything else related to your contact with the Swedish Migration Agency.

Investigations with children

Every child has the right to speak and be heard. Children who apply for asylum together with their parents also have the right to talk to their case officer at the Swedish Migration Agency. Children have the right to receive the same thorough investigation and examination of their grounds for asylum as adults – and a child may have other grounds for asylum than their parents. When a child’s grounds for asylum are investigated, the Swedish Migration Agency case officer must do as much as possible to adapt the investigation to the child’s age, maturity and health. Children have the right to have an adult with them during their investigation interview. This could be a parent, another legal guardian or a public counsel. Unaccompanied minors always have the right to have their guardian with them during the investigation interview.

Illustration of a man who works as a caseworker at the Swedish Migration Agency.

The Swedish Migration Agency’s processes

After the asylum investigation interview, we will review all the information in your application and determine whether you can be granted a residence permit.

We will contact you if we need more information.

Waiting time while we process your application

Now you must wait. All applications are different and therefore take different lengths of time to investigate.

Illustration of a young man holding a decision.

You receive our decision

We can inform you about the decision at a meeting at which you meet with a case officer, or we can notify you by post.

The decision is based on your story and the documents you have submitted in support of what you have told us about your identity and your reasons for seeking asylum, as well as the Swedish Migration Agency’s knowledge of the situation in your country of origin.

The decision is written in Swedish, but even if you receive the decision by post, you will still be invited to an in-person meeting at your Unit for Reception, where you will receive oral information about the decision with the help of an interpreter.

If you are granted a residence permit, you have the right to live and work in Sweden as long as the permit is valid.

If you are not granted a residence permit, you must prepare to leave the country.

You have received a decision

News

2025-05-20

Are you going to visit the National Government Service Centre?

From May onwards, there will be changes to which of the Government Service Centers offer the services of the Swedish Migration Agency.

2025-04-01

Changed rules for statute of limitations, re-entry ban and track change

On 1 April, several legislative changes will be introduced that affect those who have applied for asylum. The rules for when a decision to leave Sweden reaches its statute of limitation changes, re-entry bans may become longer, and the possibility of changing track disappears. The changed rules affect you if your application for asylum has been, or will be, rejected.

2025-02-28

Amended rules for asylum seekers living in their own accommodation (EBO)

From 1 March, virtually all new asylum seekers will be required to live in one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s asylum accommodation centres in order to receive financial aid from the Swedish Migration Agency in the form of daily allowances and special grants.

2025-02-18

If you are returning to your country of origin, you can receive support worth EUR 5,000

If you withdraw your application for asylum or if it is rejected, you can receive support from the Swedish Migration Agency. On 1 March 2025, the support we provide for efforts to help you and your family members reintegrate into society in your country of origin will change. The amount of support you can get depends on when you choose to return.

2025-01-30

Legislative change on accommodation and financial aid for asylum seekers

The Swedish Parliament has decided on a legislative change that will affect asylum seekers’ right to financial aid and the option to live in their own accommodation. The change will be introduced in two stages. From 1 March, the change only applies to new asylum seekers, and from 1 September 2025, anyone who applied for asylum before 1 March and who lives in their own accommodation is also affected.

2025-01-20

The Upper Secondary School Act ends on 20 January

The 20 January is the last day to apply for a permanent residence permit under the Upper Secondary School Act. After this the law will expire, but many people who currently have a residence permit under the Upper Secondary School Act will be able to have their application for permanent residence considered even after 20 January.

2024-12-16

Now you can see your complete decision on My Page

If you are waiting for a decision from the Swedish Migration Agency, you can now see the complete decision on My page. Previously, you have only been able to see if the decision is positive or negative, and the justification has only been sent home to you in paper format.

2024-12-12

Films about applying for asylum and about life in Sweden – introduction to Swedish society for younger children

Now there are films that explain to children what happens when they apply for asylum in Sweden and why they may need to answer some difficult questions. Children will also learn more about life in Sweden, about children’s rights and about laws that protect children.

You want to apply Applying for asylumYou want to apply Applying for asylum