Sambo Visa Sweden: How to Move to Your Partner (2026 Rules)

There is no separate "sambo visa" in Sweden. What people search for as a sambo visa, Sweden spouse visa or Sweden family reunification is one residence permit "to live with a partner" (uppehållstillstånd för att bo med en partner), which Migrationsverket grants to spouses, registered partners and cohabiting partners (sambo) of someone who already lives in Sweden. The application costs SEK 2,000 for an adult, you normally apply from outside Sweden and wait for the decision there, and since 1 October 2026 the partner in Sweden must show a higher income: SEK 13,408 per month left over after tax and rent for a couple. Being a sambo is treated much like being married, but you have to be able to prove that you genuinely live together in a marriage-like relationship.

This guide to the sambo visa in Sweden explains who counts as a sambo, who can be the sponsor, the new 1 October 2026 maintenance requirement, the documents, what the process and timeline look like, and what happens if you separate. It is based on Migrationsverket's own pages, which we link throughout. Immigration rules change often, so confirm anything that decides your case on migrationsverket.se before you submit.

By Usman, an immigrant living in Sweden who built Smartly.se from first-hand experience of Swedish daily life. Last updated 24 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Information is as of October 2026.

Sambo Visa Sweden: Married, Registered Partner or Sambo - What Counts?

Migrationsverket's partner permit covers three relationship types, plus couples who plan to enter one of them. The official partner page says you must be "married, registered partners, or cohabiting partners, or plan to enter one of these relationships."

	Married (gift)	Registered partner	Sambo (cohabiting partner)
Definition	Legally married couple	Couple in a registered partnership	Two unmarried people who live together in a "marriage-like" relationship
Proof of relationship	Marriage certificate or equivalent	Partnership registration	Evidence of a shared home, such as a rental contract, bills or population register extract with both names
Same permit type?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Apply from abroad?	Normally yes	Normally yes	Normally yes
Can you apply before you live together?	Yes, if you plan to marry or become sambo	Yes, if you plan to register	Yes, if you plan to become sambo

The definition of a cohabiting partner on Migrationsverket's pages is a couple who "are not married but live together" in a "marriage-like" relationship. One rule is stated explicitly: it is not enough to have lived together while visiting as tourists. If your only shared household was a holiday stay, you will not count as sambo yet, but you may still qualify under the "planning to marry or become sambo" route.

How long must you have lived together?

For the standard permit, the pages we checked set no general minimum period of living together. Duration matters mainly for the fast route described below. In practice, a longer, well-documented relationship makes your case easier to believe, so gather evidence of how you met, how long you have been together and how often you have seen each other.

Same-sex couples

Migrationsverket's partner pages do not draw any distinction by gender, and the categories (married, registered partner, cohabiting partner) apply to any couple. Sweden has had gender-neutral marriage law since 2009. Check migrationsverket.se if you come from a country that does not recognise same-sex relationships, because your documents (for example a certificate of civil status) will still need to come from your home country.

If your marriage falls into a category Sweden banned from 1 July 2026 (such as cousin marriage), read our July 2026 laws guide and contact Migrationsverket before applying.

The Basic Requirements

According to the official application page, these are the main conditions:

1. Both partners are at least 21 years old. Exceptions are possible on special grounds, for example if you have children together.
2. Your relationship fits one of the categories above (married, registered, sambo, or planned).
3. Your partner in Sweden (the "reference person") has a qualifying status (see the next section).
4. Your partner can support you both and has a home big enough for you both. Some people are exempt.
5. You are expected to live a well-behaved life. Stricter good-conduct (vandel) rules have applied since 13 July 2026.
6. You have a valid passport and meet the other formal requirements.

Who can be the partner you move to?

The person already living in Sweden must have one of these statuses:

Sponsor status	Can you move to them?
Swedish citizen	Yes
Nordic citizen	Yes
Permanent residence permit, permanent right of residence or permanent residence card	Yes
Long-term resident status with well-founded prospects of permanent residence	Yes
Temporary residence permit of at least one year with well-founded prospects of permanent residence	Yes, but see the two-year rule below

The two-year rule. If your partner holds a temporary residence permit, they must have lived in Sweden on a residence permit for at least two years when you apply. Exceptions exist, for example for refugees whose relationship started before they came to Sweden, and for special grounds. Workers on work permits and similar categories are exempt from the general two-year wait in some of the family rules, so check the page for your partner's exact permit type. Our Sweden work permit guide, EU Blue Card guide and non-EU residence permit guide explain the permits your partner might hold.

The Maintenance Requirement: What Changed on 1 October 2026

This is the part that has changed most recently. Migrationsverket announced that from 1 October 2026, the amount the person in Sweden must have left over is higher, and that the requirement now also applies to extensions of permits. The figures below come from Migrationsverket's maintenance requirement page (2026 figures).

How much must your partner earn?

The measure is the income left over after tax and after rent is paid, per month:

Household member	SEK per month (first-time applications)
Single adult	8,116
Cohabiting spouses or partners (couple)	13,408
Child 0-6 years	4,337
Child 7-10 years	5,205
Child 11-14 years	6,074
Child 15 years or older	6,941

Child amounts are reduced by any child allowance and large-family supplement. For a couple with no children, the relevant figure is therefore SEK 13,408 after tax and housing costs.

Lower figures for some extensions. If the family member was granted a permit before 1 October 2026 and the extension application is registered by 1 October 2027, the older, lower amounts still apply (SEK 10,314 for a couple). From 2 October 2027 the higher amounts apply to everyone, extensions included.

What counts as income?

• Qualifying income includes wages, income from self-employment and sickness benefit.
• For first-time applications, subsidised employment, unemployment insurance, activity grants and other unemployment-related benefits are not counted.
• Instead of income, a household can show enough money or taxable assets to support itself for at least two years.
• In extension cases, the income of the household members can usually be included.

Housing requirement

• The home must be available for at least one year from the application date and be large enough for everyone.
• For two adults without children: a kitchen or kitchenette and at least one room.
• There is no minimum number of square metres, but rooms must be intended for living.
• A sublet is accepted only with approval from the landlord, the tenant-owner association or the rental board.
• Staying with relatives or living with parents does not qualify.

If housing is your obstacle, see our renting an apartment in Sweden and rental scams guides.

Who is exempt from the maintenance requirement?

Migrationsverket lists these exemptions:

Situation	Exempt?
Sponsor is a Swedish, EU/EEA or Swiss citizen and the marriage or cohabitation is well-established	Yes, except where your child moves with you and the sponsor is not that child's parent or guardian
Refugee-based family reunification	Yes, if you apply within three months of the sponsor's permit and meet the other conditions
Special grounds, for example illness or disability that permanently reduces the ability to work	Possible, case by case
Under-18 situations (child with one parent in Sweden applying to join the other parent)	Yes, in the stated cases

Migrationsverket's partner page names the citizenship exemption explicitly. It does not list a comparable exemption for sponsors who hold only a permanent residence permit, so assume those sponsors must meet the income test and check with Migrationsverket.

The 90-Day Route for Partners of Swedish Citizens

If your partner is a Swedish citizen, there is a faster track with a decision target of 90 days. According to the official page, you must meet all of these:

• You have lived together at least two years (or at least one year if you have children together).
• You have lived together abroad, continuously, for at least 12 months before you apply.
• Your application is complete and shows a concrete plan to move to Sweden, such as an employment contract, a rental agreement or a school place.
• Your proof of living together is close in time to the application, for example a rental agreement or bills showing both names at the same address.

If you meet only some of these conditions, you can still apply on the normal route, without the 90-day target.

How Long Does It Take?

Migrationsverket does not give a fixed time. At the time of writing, its partner page states that 75% of recently decided cases were decided within 14 months (based on the last 12 months). Plan for a long wait unless you qualify for the 90-day route.

Note that our older non-EU residence permit guide shows shorter estimates for family cases, which are not what Migrationsverket currently publishes. Use the official figure on the partner application page and check it again before you make irreversible plans such as quitting a job or breaking a lease.

Fees

The fee is SEK 2,000 per adult (also SEK 2,000 for an adult extension) and SEK 1,000 per child under 18. Fees are not refunded if you are rejected. Some groups pay nothing, including family members of EU/EEA citizens (Swedes do not count as EU citizens for this purpose), Swiss citizens and their family members, and Japanese citizens. See the fee information on the application page.

Documents Checklist

Documents must be in Swedish or English. Translations must be certified, and you attach the original with the translation.

From you (the applicant)

Document	Notes
Passport copy	Certified copy; EU/EEA citizens can use a national ID card
Proof of relationship	Marriage certificate or equivalent, or partnership registration
Certificate that you are unmarried	If applicable, from your country of citizenship (and residence if different)
Proof that you live together	Rental agreement, population register extract, joint bills with both names
Concrete plan to move	Especially for the 90-day route
Power of attorney (form 107011)	If a representative applies for you

From your partner in Sweden (the maintenance and housing documents)

Document	When needed
Employment contract and latest payslip	Employees; three recent payslips if hourly or on-demand work
Social insurance, pension decision	If income comes from benefits or a pension
Final tax notice, tax return with NE or N3A appendix, and a three-month tax account statement	Self-employed
Rental contract and last rent notice, or ownership and cost documents	Housing
Sublet approval	If subletting

Your partner also has to complete a questionnaire within 14 days of receiving the link. Missing that deadline is an easy way to stall your case.

How to Apply, Step by Step

Step	What happens
1. Check eligibility and gather documents	Age 21+, partner status, maintenance, housing; Swedish or English with certified translations
2. Apply	Via Migrationsverket's e-service (age 18+, valid email, Visa or Mastercard, scan or photograph documents) or on paper at an embassy. Choose an embassy for your interview
3. Partner completes the questionnaire	Within 14 days of receiving the link
4. Interview at the embassy	Bring your passport and the originals of the documents you submitted
5. Wait for the decision	By email for e-service applicants. Your partner receives the first page of the decision
6. Travel to Sweden	After the permit is granted, as a non-EU/EEA citizen
7. Register	Skatteverket registration for your personnummer

Can you apply from inside Sweden?

For most non-EU/EEA citizens, no. The pages say that in most cases you must apply and receive the permit before entering Sweden. If you apply from inside Sweden anyway, the application may be rejected, you may get a refusal of entry or expulsion decision, and a re-entry ban may follow. Exceptions exist only in limited cases, for example if you have a Swedish or EU/EEA child, a very serious illness stops you leaving, or you cannot return after being forced to leave. If you hold another valid Swedish permit (work or study), you can apply from within Sweden only in exceptional cases, and visitors generally cannot switch to a partner permit.

EU/EEA citizens are treated differently (see below), including the right to apply from within Sweden if married, cohabiting or registered partners.

Your Rights on a Partner Permit

• Work and study. A granted permit includes the right to work and to study. You do not need a separate work permit or an employer-tied permit, which is a major difference from a standard work permit. See our job interview guide, freelancing and F-skatt guide and salary negotiation guide for getting started.
• Duration. If your partner has a temporary permit, you may get a permit for the same period. Otherwise the maximum is two years, and never longer than your passport is valid. You can extend it.
• Registration and healthcare. With a permit of at least one year you can register with Skatteverket and receive a personnummer. See our personnummer guide and samordningsnummer guide for shorter permits. Then you can unlock BankID and a Swedish ID card.

Extending the Permit and Reaching Permanent Residence

Per the extension page:

Item	Rule
When to apply	No more than two months before the permit expires, and before it expires
Late application	You cannot work while waiting, you may lose some benefits, and the application may be rejected
Conditions	You still live with the partner you reported, your partner can support you both, valid passport, expected good conduct
Proof you still live together	Your partner confirms in the e-service with e-identification (BankID), or signs the form "Assurance of cohabitation" (243011)
Fee	SEK 2,000 per adult
Processing	75% of recently decided cases within 5 months
Permit length	Generally up to two years

Applying for a permanent permit

You can apply for a permanent residence permit at the same time as the extension if you have lived in Sweden on a residence permit for at least three years. You must also meet the self-support requirement: earn enough after tax to cover your monthly housing costs plus SEK 6,243 per month (the 2026 figure for a single adult), from employment, your own company, or both. Income from family members, capital, unemployment benefits, grants and subsidised employment does not count, and only income you actually have when the application is considered counts. This means you need your own income to qualify for permanent residence, unlike the first permit, which relied on your partner. A permanent permit is not available if your family tie is to a person with temporary refugee protection, long-term resident status, exceptionally distressing circumstances or impediments to enforcement.

Read our permanent residence in Sweden guide for the wider picture, and our Swedish citizenship guide and new citizenship rules for 2026 if citizenship is your long-term goal. Time requirements for partners of Swedish citizens are specific to that route, so verify them on Migrationsverket's citizenship pages.

Children

Children under 18 who move with you pay SEK 1,000 each. You need passport copies, a birth record naming the parents, the other parent's consent and, where relevant, a custody decision. If the sponsor is a Swedish citizen but not the child's parent or guardian, the maintenance exemption does not apply. See our guides to Swedish preschool and parental leave.

If You Are the EU/EEA Citizen's Partner

If your partner is an EU/EEA citizen living in Sweden (and not a Swedish citizen), a different system applies, based on EU free-movement rules, and it is more favourable:

• A partner (spouse, registered or cohabiting) counts as a family member. Cohabiting partners show shared residence with register extracts or a joint lease.
• If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen and stay more than three months, you apply for a residence card. You can apply while in Sweden.
• There is no fee.
• Your partner must meet the right-of-residence conditions: working, studying, self-employed, retired or with enough funds.
• The card is valid for up to five years. After five years, you can obtain a permanent right of residence.
• You can work and study as soon as you arrive, if your partner meets the requirements.
• Migrationsverket states that 75% of recently decided cases took up to 7 months.

The family of EU/EEA citizens page has the details. If your partner is moving to Sweden from another EU country, also see our moving to Sweden from the EU guide and moving from Denmark guide. Note one edge case: if your EU/EEA partner has only Swedish citizenship, you may need a regular residence permit. Migrationsverket explains when you keep your EU rights.

What If the Relationship Ends?

The general rule is harsh. According to the relationship ended page, if you hold a permit to live with a partner and the relationship ends, you must generally return to your country of origin, and Migrationsverket can revoke the permit because the grounds no longer exist.

There are exceptions for extended permits in special cases:

Situation	What it means
Violence	You or your child were mistreated by your partner. The relationship must have been serious from the beginning and not completely short-lived, and it must be very likely that the violations occurred
Other serious reasons	Serious or difficult circumstances that leave you particularly isolated or vulnerable
Child in Sweden	A permit may be possible on the basis of a child with a right to live in Sweden
Protection needs	If returning is unsafe, you can apply for international protection

If you experience violence, report it to the police. Migrationsverket states that claims that you will be deported, or that social services will take your children, if you report violence are false. Contact them or a support organisation for confidential advice.

Common Mistakes

Searching for a "sambo visa". The correct term on Migrationsverket's site is a residence permit to live with a partner. If you search for "visa" you may end up on the short-stay Schengen visa pages, which are a different thing.

Using an outdated income figure. Many websites still quote older amounts. The couple figure for first-time applications is SEK 13,408 after tax and rent from 1 October 2026. Check the maintenance page on the day you apply.

Entering Sweden first and applying later. For non-EU/EEA citizens this can lead to rejection, a refusal of entry or a re-entry ban. Apply from your home country.

Counting tourist stays as living together. Migrationsverket does not accept holiday visits as cohabitation.

Quitting your job or ending your lease before the decision. Processing is long, and a refusal is possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a sambo visa for Sweden?

Not under that name. Sweden has a residence permit "to live with a partner" for spouses, registered partners and cohabiting partners (sambo). Sambo means an unmarried couple who live together in a marriage-like relationship, and they apply for the same permit type as married couples.

Can I move to Sweden with my sambo partner if we are not married?

Yes. A cohabiting partner qualifies for the same permit as a spouse. You must show that you actually live together, for example with a rental contract or population register extract, and you must both be at least 21 (with exceptions for special grounds such as children together).

What is Sweden family reunification for partners, and is it different?

"Family reunification" is the common name for moving to a family member. For partners it is the same residence permit described in this guide. Specific extra rules apply for refugee and protection cases.

How long must we have lived together to get a sambo permit?

The standard route sets no general minimum period on Migrationsverket's pages. The 90-day track for partners of Swedish citizens requires at least two years together (one year with children) and at least 12 months of living together abroad. Time spent together as tourists does not count as cohabiting.

How much does the partner in Sweden need to earn in 2026?

From 1 October 2026, a couple needs SEK 13,408 per month left after tax and rent for first-time applications, and more if there are children. Some extensions of permits granted before 1 October 2026 use the older figure of SEK 10,314 until 1 October 2027. Swedish, EU/EEA and Swiss citizen partners in well-established relationships are exempt.

What is the sambo visa fee in Sweden?

SEK 2,000 for an adult and SEK 1,000 for a child under 18. It is non-refundable. Family members of EU/EEA citizens apply without a fee.

How long does the Sweden spouse visa take?

Migrationsverket says 75% of recently decided partner cases took up to 14 months. Partners of Swedish citizens who meet all the conditions for the fast route can get a decision within 90 days. Check the live figures before you apply.

Can I apply for a Sweden partner visa from inside Sweden?

Generally not if you are a non-EU/EEA citizen. You normally need the permit before you enter. EU/EEA citizens can apply from within Sweden.

What happens to my permit if we separate?

Generally you must leave and the permit can be revoked, with exceptions such as violence, serious isolation or vulnerability, or a child with a right to live in Sweden.

Summary

1. There is no sambo visa by name. You apply for a residence permit to live with a partner, which covers married, registered and cohabiting couples, and planned relationships.
2. Both partners must normally be 21 or older, and your partner must be a Swedish or Nordic citizen or have permanent residence or a qualifying temporary permit (usually with two years of residence).
3. From 1 October 2026 the maintenance requirement is SEK 13,408 per month left after tax and rent for a couple, with a suitable home available for at least a year.
4. The fee is SEK 2,000 per adult. Official processing is up to 14 months for 75% of cases, with a 90-day track for partners of Swedish citizens who meet strict conditions.
5. Non-EU/EEA applicants normally apply from abroad and wait for a decision before travelling.
6. The permit allows work and study, lasts up to two years, and can lead to a permanent permit after three years if you earn your own income.
7. If the relationship ends, you may have to leave, with exceptions for violence and other serious circumstances.

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Planning your first months in Sweden? Start with our moving to Sweden checklist and the non-EU relocation guide, and use the Salary After Tax Calculator to check what your household income looks like after tax.