Sweden
Nationality · visas, permits and migration
- Moved to OECD countries, 2023
- 23,874
- Top destination, 2023
- Germany
- U.S. non-immigrant visas, FY2025
- 12,087
- UK visas issued, 2025
- 1,458
- Schengen visa refusal rate, 2024
- 11.2%
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Visa requirements for a short visit
Whether citizens of Sweden need a visa for a short tourist or business visit, according to the legal lists. Rules change; check the official source before travelling.
| Destination | Short visit | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Schengen area | Free movement (EU/EFTA citizens) | Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (consolidated 30.12.2025) |
| United Kingdom | No visa; electronic travel authorisation (ETA) required | Immigration Rules, Appendix Visitor / ETA National List |
| Canada | No visa; electronic travel authorization (eTA) needed to fly | IRPR s. 190, Schedule 1.1 |
| Hong Kong | No visa for visits of up to 90 days | Immigration Department (HKSAR), visit visa requirements, 31.12.2025 |
Where people from Sweden move
Inflows of foreign nationals by country of nationality, as recorded by each destination (OECD).
- Germany4,727
- Spain3,975
- Norway2,242
- Denmark1,939
- Netherlands1,496
- Switzerland1,287
- Portugal1,129
- United States950
- Japan892
- Finland720
- France689
- Austria616
- Türkiye582
- Belgium500
- South Korea396
Inflows to all OECD countries by year
Data table
| 2000 | 15,445 |
| 2001 | 14,860 |
| 2002 | 14,029 |
| 2003 | 12,919 |
| 2004 | 13,550 |
| 2005 | 15,016 |
| 2006 | 16,471 |
| 2007 | 17,823 |
| 2008 | 18,533 |
| 2009 | 18,526 |
| 2010 | 20,261 |
| 2011 | 20,683 |
| 2012 | 21,772 |
| 2013 | 21,549 |
| 2014 | 23,239 |
| 2015 | 20,978 |
| 2016 | 18,068 |
| 2017 | 18,554 |
| 2018 | 19,374 |
| 2019 | 20,265 |
| 2020 | 16,254 |
| 2021 | 21,052 |
| 2022 | 22,303 |
| 2023 | 23,874 |
- Share going to the top destination
- 19.8%
- Destinations recording arrivals
- 15
Living abroad
People born in Sweden who live in another country: mid-year estimates of the international migrant stock (UN DESA). Where a destination records citizenship rather than country of birth, its foreign citizens are counted.
Living abroad by year
Data table
| 1990 | 114,669 |
| 1995 | 121,543 |
| 2000 | 139,034 |
| 2005 | 153,310 |
| 2010 | 177,468 |
| 2015 | 190,827 |
| 2020 | 200,769 |
| 2024 | 223,508 |
- Living abroad, 2024
- 223,508
- Change since 2000
- +60.8%
- Share living in the largest destination, 2024
- 24.0%
United States
Visas issued to citizens of Sweden by U.S. consulates (fiscal years, October–September) and certified PERM labor certifications.
- B1/B23,966
- F11,756
- J11,515
- NATO2715
- A2700
- L1502
- C1/D465
- E2372
- L2356
- P1280
Non-immigrant visas by fiscal year
Data table
| 2017 | 10,569 |
| 2018 | 15,085 |
| 2019 | 14,443 |
| 2020 | 6,018 |
| 2021 | 3,904 |
| 2022 | 10,276 |
| 2023 | 13,541 |
| 2024 | 14,169 |
| 2025 | 12,087 |
- IR158
- IR224
- CR122
- E121
- E217
- SQ314
- F38
- F46
- Immigrant visas, FY2025
- 188
- Certified PERM labor certifications, FY2024 (latest year with citizenship)
- 48
Green cards and U.S. citizenship
People born in Sweden who became U.S. lawful permanent residents (green cards) or U.S. citizens, and admissions of citizens of Sweden with an I-94 record (DHS, fiscal years).
Green cards by fiscal year
Data table
| 2015 | 1,070 |
| 2016 | 1,140 |
| 2017 | 950 |
| 2018 | 890 |
| 2019 | 1,020 |
| 2020 | 840 |
| 2021 | 790 |
| 2022 | 750 |
| 2023 | 820 |
| 2024 | 770 |
- Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens480
- Employment-based preferences250
- Family-sponsored preferences20
- Other classes10
- Intracompany transferees (L-1)3,540
- Spouses and children2,400
- Extraordinary ability (O-1, O-2)2,190
- Athletes, artists and entertainers (P)1,610
- Specialty occupations (H-1B)790
- Other temporary workers380
- Seasonal non-agricultural workers (H-2B)20
- Seasonal agricultural workers (H-2A)10
- Green cards, FY2024 (born in Sweden)
- 770
- Naturalizations, FY2024 (born in Sweden)
- 870
- I-94 admissions, FY2024 (citizenship)
- 332,110
United Kingdom
Entry clearance visas issued to nationals of Sweden (Home Office) and students with a permanent address in Sweden (HESA).
- Work741
- Study447
- Family151
- Visitor74
- Other45
Visas issued by year
Data table
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 18 |
| 2021 | 1,442 |
| 2022 | 1,636 |
| 2023 | 1,605 |
| 2024 | 1,541 |
| 2025 | 1,458 |
- Students at UK universities, 2024/25
- 1,100
Canada
Permits and invitations for citizens of Sweden, by year the permit took effect (IRCC).
| Year | TFWP work | IMP work | Study | Permanent residents | Express Entry invitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 70 | 550 | 95 | 165 | 0 |
| 2024 | 70 | 545 | 105 | 180 | 25 |
| 2023 | 115 | 615 | 110 | 240 | 30 |
| 2022 | 40 | 605 | 180 | 180 | 10 |
| 2021 | 20 | 400 | 315 | 270 | 40 |
| 2020 | 25 | 340 | 110 | 150 | 35 |
| 2019 | 50 | 830 | 175 | 235 | 35 |
| 2018 | 95 | 865 | 205 | 205 | 50 |
| 2017 | 155 | 925 | 205 | 175 | 25 |
| 2016 | 160 | 755 | 200 | 180 | 20 |
| 2015 | 120 | 605 | 190 | 175 | 0 |
Australia
Temporary skilled visas (subclass 457 to 2018, then 482) granted to primary applicants who are citizens of Sweden, by financial year ending 30 June (Home Affairs).
Primary visas granted by financial year
Data table
| 2005–06 | 288 |
| 2006–07 | 352 |
| 2007–08 | 330 |
| 2008–09 | 274 |
| 2009–10 | 196 |
| 2010–11 | 246 |
| 2011–12 | 287 |
| 2012–13 | 300 |
| 2013–14 | 254 |
| 2014–15 | 239 |
| 2015–16 | 197 |
| 2016–17 | 194 |
| 2017–18 | 132 |
| 2018–19 | 164 |
| 2019–20 | 110 |
| 2020–21 | 83 |
| 2021–22 | 55 |
| 2022–23 | 115 |
| 2023–24 | 114 |
| 2024–25 | 122 |
| 2025–26 | 123 |
- Core Skills65
- Specialist Skills48
- Labour Agreement5
- Short-term4
- Medium-term1
- Granted, 2025–26
- 123
- Share of all Australian grants, 2025–26
- 0.2%
Japan
Citizens of Sweden living in Japan at the end of each December, by status of residence (Immigration Services Agency of Japan). 2020 and 2021 were published only as database tables.
Foreign residents in Japan
Data table
| 2012 | 1,677 |
| 2013 | 1,727 |
| 2014 | 1,874 |
| 2015 | 1,805 |
| 2016 | 1,794 |
| 2017 | 1,736 |
| 2018 | 1,757 |
| 2019 | 1,754 |
| 2022 | 1,875 |
| 2023 | 1,871 |
| 2024 | 1,971 |
| 2025 | 2,135 |
- Permanent Resident481
- Student385
- Spouse or Child of Japanese National354
- Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services336
- Designated Activities241
- Dependent130
- Highly Skilled Professional38
- Intra-company Transferee31
- Long-Term Resident27
- Professor23
- Residents, December 2025
- 2,135
- In work-related statuses
- 483
- Share in work-related statuses
- 22.6%
- Students
- 385
Schengen visas in Sweden
Short-stay (C) visa applications at Schengen consulates located in Sweden, 2024. Applicants are mostly, but not only, its citizens.
| Schengen state | Applications | Issued | Not issued | Refusal rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 7,224 | 5,490 | 825 | 11.4% |
| Spain | 255 | 190 | 14 | 5.5% |
| Netherlands | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Portugal | 8 | 3 | 5 | 62.5% |
| Finland | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| France | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Switzerland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Norway | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Poland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
Applications by year
Data table
| 2009 | 319 |
| 2010 | 41 |
| 2011 | 126 |
| 2012 | 85 |
| 2013 | 315 |
| 2014 | 382 |
| 2015 | 92 |
| 2016 | 94 |
| 2017 | 123 |
| 2018 | 118 |
| 2019 | 80 |
| 2020 | 26 |
| 2021 | 42 |
| 2022 | 49 |
| 2023 | 196 |
| 2024 | 7,518 |
- Refusal rate, 2024
- 11.2%
- Refusal rate, 2019
- 8.8%
National statistics in Europe
Citizens of Sweden in the figures of national statistics offices: residence permits granted in Denmark, immigrations by grounds for settlement in Sweden and immigrants with a non-EU/EFTA nationality by migration motive in the Netherlands; Finland and Austria publish immigration and emigration by citizenship only.
| Country | Year | All | Work | Study | Family | Protection | Other or unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 2025 | 36 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
Foreign embassies and consulates in Sweden
Countries with an embassy or consulate in Sweden, as recorded in Wikidata.
| Country | Embassies | Consulates-general | Consulates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 1 | — | — |
| Albania | 1 | — | — |
| Algeria | 1 | — | — |
| Angola | 1 | — | — |
| Argentina | 1 | — | — |
| Armenia | 1 | — | — |
| Australia | 1 | — | — |
| Austria | 1 | — | — |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | — | — |
| Bangladesh | 1 | — | — |
| Belarus | 1 | — | — |
| Belgium | 1 | — | — |
| Bolivia | 1 | — | — |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | — | — |
| Botswana | 1 | — | — |
| Brazil | 1 | — | — |
| Bulgaria | 1 | — | — |
| Canada | 1 | — | — |
| Chile | 1 | — | — |
| China | 1 | 1 | — |
| Colombia | 1 | — | — |
| Croatia | 1 | — | — |
| Cuba | 1 | — | — |
| Cyprus | 1 | — | — |
| Czechia | 1 | — | — |
| DD | 1 | — | — |
| DR Congo | 1 | — | — |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | — | — |
| Ecuador | 1 | — | — |
| Egypt | 1 | — | — |
| El Salvador | 1 | — | — |
| Eritrea | 1 | — | — |
| Estonia | 1 | — | — |
| Ethiopia | 1 | — | — |
| Finland | 1 | — | — |
| France | 1 | — | — |
| Georgia | 1 | — | — |
| Germany | 1 | — | — |
| Greece | 1 | — | — |
| Guatemala | 1 | — | — |
| Hungary | 1 | — | — |
| Iceland | 1 | — | — |
| India | 1 | — | — |
| Indonesia | 1 | — | — |
| Iran | 1 | — | — |
| Iraq | 1 | 1 | — |
| Ireland | 1 | — | — |
| Israel | 1 | — | — |
| Italy | 1 | — | — |
| Japan | 1 | — | — |
| Kazakhstan | 1 | — | — |
| Kenya | 1 | — | — |
| Kosovo | 1 | — | — |
| Kuwait | 1 | — | — |
| Laos | 1 | — | — |
| Latvia | 1 | — | — |
| Lebanon | 1 | — | — |
| Libya | 1 | — | — |
| Lithuania | 1 | — | — |
| Malaysia | 1 | — | — |
| Mexico | 1 | — | — |
| Moldova | 1 | — | — |
| Mongolia | 1 | — | — |
| Morocco | 1 | — | — |
| Mozambique | 1 | — | — |
| Namibia | 1 | — | — |
| Netherlands | 1 | — | — |
| New Zealand | 1 | — | — |
| Nigeria | 1 | — | — |
| North Korea | 1 | — | — |
| North Macedonia | 1 | — | — |
| Norway | 1 | — | — |
| Pakistan | 1 | — | — |
| Palestine | 1 | — | — |
| Panama | 1 | — | — |
| Paraguay | 1 | — | — |
| Peru | 1 | — | — |
| Philippines | 1 | — | — |
| Poland | 1 | — | — |
| Portugal | 1 | — | — |
| Qatar | 1 | — | — |
| Republic of the Congo | 1 | — | — |
| Romania | 1 | — | — |
| Russia | 1 | — | — |
| Rwanda | 1 | — | — |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | — | — |
| Serbia | 1 | — | — |
| Slovakia | 1 | — | — |
| Slovenia | — | — | 1 |
| South Africa | 1 | — | — |
| South Korea | 1 | — | — |
| Spain | 1 | — | — |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | — | — |
| Sudan | 1 | — | — |
| Switzerland | 1 | — | — |
| Syria | 1 | — | — |
| Tanzania | 1 | — | — |
| Thailand | 1 | — | — |
| Tunisia | 1 | — | — |
| Türkiye | 1 | — | — |
| Ukraine | 1 | — | — |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | — | — |
| United Kingdom | 1 | — | — |
| Uruguay | 1 | — | — |
| Uzbekistan | 1 | — | — |
| Vietnam | 1 | — | — |
| Zambia | 1 | — | — |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | — | — |
- Countries
- 108
- Missions
- 110
Remittances
Money that migrants send home: personal remittances received by Sweden, in current US dollars (World Bank).
Remittances received by year, US$ million
Data table
| 2000 | 438 |
| 2001 | 578 |
| 2002 | 512 |
| 2003 | 1,357 |
| 2004 | 1,596 |
| 2005 | 1,812 |
| 2006 | 2,245 |
| 2007 | 3,205 |
| 2008 | 4,095 |
| 2009 | 3,968 |
| 2010 | 4,061 |
| 2011 | 4,385 |
| 2012 | 4,293 |
| 2013 | 4,674 |
| 2014 | 4,690 |
| 2015 | 3,778 |
| 2016 | 3,192 |
| 2017 | 3,260 |
| 2018 | 3,273 |
| 2019 | 3,384 |
| 2020 | 3,266 |
| 2021 | 3,262 |
| 2022 | 3,699 |
| 2023 | 3,881 |
| 2024 | 4,577 |
| 2025 | 5,413 |
- Remittances received, 2025
- US$5,413 million
- Share of GDP, 2025
- 0.8%
All corridors from Sweden
Destinations with a dedicated page for citizens of this country.
- Sweden → Germany
- Sweden → Spain
- Sweden → United States
- Sweden → Norway
- Sweden → Denmark
- Sweden → Netherlands
- Sweden → Switzerland
- Sweden → Portugal
- Sweden → Japan
- Sweden → Türkiye
Official data, not advice. Visa Atlas publishes figures from government registers and statistics. It does not assess eligibility or give immigration advice; for advice, consult a regulated adviser. Read more