A visa to Sweden, like many other European countries, has its own characteristics. There is a C visa for short-term stay: it can be obtained by submitting documents to an accredited visa center. And there is a D visa and a residence permit for a long-term stay in the country.
If you intend to study in Sweden for more than three months and you are not an EU citizen, you must obtain a residence permit.
The fastest and easiest way to apply for a student residence permit is online. Online applications go directly to the Swedish Migration Agency and receive priority.
To apply for a Schengen C visa, you must submit your fingerprints. After the introduction of the VIS on September 14, 2015, a person wishing to apply for a visa to Sweden must submit biometric data (fingerprints) and a digital photo. It only takes a few minutes: biometric data can be submitted both at the Swedish Embassy in Moscow and at VFS visa centers throughout Russia.
The decision can take up to 15 calendar days (and in individual cases may be extended up to 45 calendar days) after your application has been declared admissible. The time limit for making a decision on an application only begins when it is determined that your application is admissible, and not when the application was filed by the applicant.
If you want to visit Sweden for more than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit to visit or, if there are special reasons, for a Swedish national visa type D.
A foreigner who initially knows that he or she will be in Sweden for more than 90 days must first apply for a residence permit to visit.
Residence permit applications are always sent to the Swedish Migration Agency for a decision. Consequently, the processing time for these applications is longer than in the case of D and C visas. In case of a positive decision, a temporary residence permit is issued for a period of 3 to 12 months.
On special grounds, you can obtain a national visa (D-visa) with a stay of more than 90 days (max. 1 year). Special reasons include, for example, the need to visit their next of kin (parents, children and spouses) or business in Sweden. A type D visa grants the right to free movement within the Schengen area: you independently decide how many trips you need to make during the validity of the visa.
If you are going to get a temporary residence permit for visiting or a national Swedish visa, the purpose of your trip should be to visit Sweden, not permanent residence. You must have sufficient funds to support yourself + have a return ticket or funds to return to your country of residence.
Since the application for a residence permit is carried out using an online service, certain formalities must be followed. Prepare in a clear scanned version:
After the approval of the residence permit, the Embassy will contact the applicant so that he comes personally to the Embassy and receives his residence permit card.
It can take up to 15 calendar days to make a decision on a visa (in individual cases, it can be extended up to 45 calendar days) after your application has been declared admissible for consideration.
The term for consideration of a residence permit takes from 4 weeks.
The visa gives the right to enter and short-term stay in Sweden. As a rule, the visa is valid in all countries of the Schengen area, but the visa application must be submitted to the representative office of the country where you plan to travel, or, if you plan to visit several countries, or if several different trips are planned within two months, to the representative office of that the country that will be the main country of visit by the number of days or the purpose of the trip.
A visa application can be submitted no earlier than six months (and no later than 15 calendar days before the intended trip. We recommend applying for a visa in advance, especially during peak season.
A visa can be issued for a period of 1 to 90 days of stay, the total duration of which in the Schengen area cannot exceed 90 days within every 180 days.
Having a visa does not guarantee entry into the Schengen area. You go through the final check at border control points where you may be denied entry. We recommend that you have with you the documents on the basis of which you received your visa.