You do not have to be married to bring a partner to Sweden. Migrationsverket's own page for this route is titled "Apply for a residence permit to live with your partner in Sweden". It never uses the word visa. Married, registered-partner, and sambo (cohabiting) applicants are treated the same for this permit. Migrationsverket's own wording is "Ni ska vara gifta, registrerade partner eller sambor, eller planera att bli något av det". Translated, you must be married, registered partners, or sambo, or plan to become one of these.
Official criteria for age, cohabitation, marital status, and income are often blurred with practitioner benchmarks, such as a six-month cohabitation rule Migrationsverket does not publish. This guide sets out every eligibility requirement, the documentation needed to prove each one, and the timeline to expect.
Age and Marital Status Requirements
Both partners must be over 21 years old. Exceptions apply only on special grounds.
Migrationsverket states the requirement directly. In Swedish: "Ni ska vara över 21 år. Undantag kan bara göras om det finns särskilda skäl, till exempel om ni har gemensamma barn". Translated, you must be over 21, and exceptions apply only for special grounds, for example if you have children together. The phrase "till exempel," meaning "for example," signals that having children together is one listed ground, not the only one Migrationsverket will consider.
Marital status is grouped with age on the same requirements page. You must be married, in a registered partnership, or sambo, or plan to become one of these. All three routes are treated equally for this permit.
Checklist:
- Both partners are 21 or older
- If under 21, you have a special ground, such as having children together (Migrationsverket's list is not exhaustive)
- You are married, registered partners, sambo, or you plan to become one of these
Cohabitation: Living Together Evidence
You must already be living together, or have documented plans to live together once the non-Swedish partner arrives. Migrationsverket's official criterion is living together or planning to; it publishes no minimum duration.
Migrationsverket's document checklist accepts proof of cohabitation in specific forms. One accepted form: "a rental agreement that lists both your names, or bills dating back in time that show your names and shared address". If you cohabited abroad before applying, Migrationsverket accepts several documents as proof. These include a population registration certificate, a rental agreement, proof of purchase of a home, or other documentation showing you share a home.
A six-month cohabitation benchmark appears widely in practitioner guides, such as LyncMe's. It does not appear on Migrationsverket's own requirements page, in either language. You can apply with less than six months of shared living if your plans to live together are documented.
Checklist:
- You can document that you already live together, through a rental agreement, deed, or bills in both names
- Or you have documented plans to live together once your partner arrives
- If you cohabited abroad, you hold a population registration certificate, lease, or proof of home purchase listing both names
- No minimum cohabitation period applies; six months is practitioner guidance, not an official rule
Marital Status: Why Sambo Equals Marriage for This Permit
Sambo carries the same weight as marriage for this residence permit. Under Swedish law generally, the two are governed differently.
Sambolagen (the Cohabitation Act, 2003:376) defines a sambo relationship: "Med sambor avses två personer som stadigvarande bor tillsammans i ett parförhållande och har gemensamt hushåll". Translated, two people who live together permanently in a relationship and share a household. On separation, "samboegendomen fördelas mellan dem genom bodelning" applies. That means the couple's sambo property is divided through a property settlement, limited to the shared home and household goods.
Sambolagen contains no provisions for inheritance or maintenance between partners. Those matters are governed separately, under ärvdabalken (the Inheritance Code) and föräldrabalken (the Parental Code).
Checklist:
- You are married, in a registered partnership, or in a documented cohabiting (sambo) relationship
- You understand that a will or separate agreement is needed for inheritance or maintenance rights sambo status alone does not provide
Financial Maintenance: Income and Housing Requirements
The Sweden-based partner must earn enough after tax and rent to support you both. Alternatively, they must hold assets sufficient to live on for at least two years. Housing must meet a minimum standard.
Kronofogden (the Swedish Enforcement Authority) sets Sweden's 2026 normalbelopp at SEK 10,314 monthly "för makar eller jämställda," for married or equivalent couples. Migrationsverket applies this same figure, described as "för sammanlevande makar eller sambor," for cohabiting spouses or sambo, as its income threshold for the permit. Where income falls short, Migrationsverket accepts "en tillräckligt stor förmögenhet som ni kan leva på under minst två år". That means assets large enough to live on for at least two years.
Housing must include "kök eller kokvrå och minst ett rum," a kitchen or kitchenette plus at least one room. The lease or ownership must run "minst ett år framåt i tiden," at least one year forward from application.
In December 2025, Regeringen (the Government) proposed raising the maintenance requirement to 1.30 times the normalbelopp, plus actual housing costs. The change targets 1 January 2027 and remains a proposal under consultation, not yet law. For a broader picture of monthly costs in Sweden, see What It Actually Costs.
Checklist:
- Sweden-based partner earns SEK 10,314+ monthly after tax and rent (2026 normalbelopp), or holds assets sufficient to live on for at least two years
- You have a rental agreement or ownership deed listing both partners
- The lease runs at least one year forward from the application date
- The home includes a kitchen or kitchenette and at least one room
Documentation You Must Provide
You need a valid passport for each partner, proof of civil status, and documents showing you live together or plan to.
Migrationsverket states, "You must have a valid passport," with correctly made copies of it submitted alongside the application. Cohabitation is proven through several documents. These include a rental agreement listing both names, or bills dating back in time showing both names and a shared address. Other accepted documents are a population registration certificate or proof of home purchase.
A personbevis, a population registration certificate, is issued only by Skatteverket (the Swedish Tax Agency). Skatteverket describes it as "ett utdrag från folkbokföringsregistret som visar vilka uppgifter som finns om dig i folkbokföringen". Translated, this is an extract from the population register showing your registered details.
Checklist:
- Both partners hold valid passports, with correctly made copies for the application
- You have a rental agreement, proof of home purchase, or bills in both names showing your shared address over time
- If needed, you have requested a personbevis from Skatteverket
Fast-Track Path: 90-Day Decision
A 90-day decision is available only to family members of Swedish citizens returning to Sweden, and only for a complete application.
Migrationsverket states, "You can receive a decision within 90 days if you meet specific requirements". Without children together, you must have lived together for at least two years. With children together, at least one year is required. You and your partner must also have lived together abroad continuously for at least 12 months at the time of application.
Your Sweden-based partner must be a Swedish citizen for this route. The application must also be complete: "En förutsättning är att ansökningarna som inkommer är kompletta," a precondition is that applications received are complete. Migrationsverket announced this 90-day goal in an update dated 31 October 2025.
Checklist:
- You have lived together for 2+ years, or 1+ year if you have children together
- You lived together abroad continuously for at least 12 months
- Your Sweden-based partner is a Swedish citizen
- Your application is complete before submission
Processing Times and What to Expect
For the fast-track-eligible group, processing averaged 84 days in 2025, well ahead of the formal 90-day goal.
Migrationsverket reports: "Under 2024 var den genomsnittliga handläggningstiden bland avslutade ärenden som inkom samma år 205 dagar (208 dagar vid bifall)". In 2024, average processing for this group was 205 days, 208 days if approved. The agency adds: "genom ett aktivt arbetssätt har detta hitintills under 2025 sjunkit till 84 dagar (95 dagar vid bifall)". Through an active working method, this fell during 2025 to 84 days, 95 days if approved.
These figures apply to family members of Swedish citizens returning to Sweden, the group eligible for the 90-day fast-track. Processing for other sambo applications varies by case category and is not covered by this specific figure.
Checklist:
- Your application is complete before submission; Migrationsverket ties faster decisions to complete files
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you apply if you have cohabited for less than six months? Yes. Migrationsverket's requirement is that you are married, registered partners, or sambo, or plan to become one of these. No minimum cohabitation duration appears on its requirements page, so you can apply with documented plans to live together, even before you have moved in.
Does sambo status give you the same inheritance and spousal-support rights as marriage? No. Under Sambolagen (2003:376), property division on separation covers only the couple's shared home and household goods. Inheritance and maintenance are governed separately, under ärvdabalken and föräldrabalken, not by Sambolagen.
Does your Sweden-based partner need to be a Swedish citizen? Only for the 90-day fast-track route: "Your partner must be a Swedish citizen". The general, non-fast-track permit's requirements page does not restrict the Sweden-based partner to citizens.
Conclusion
Meeting these requirements is only the first gate. Once your sambo permit is approved, the next steps run through Sweden's other administrative systems, starting with Personnummer, ID & BankID. If your application is refused, Appeals, Rejections & Disputes covers what comes next. For other routes into Sweden, see Permits.
