Residence Rights in Sweden for EU Citizens

Moving to Sweden as an EU citizen doesn't require applying for a residence permit. However, you do need to meet the requirements for residence rights. So, what exactly are residence rights for EU citizens?

Residence rights are grounded in EU legislation regarding the free movement of persons, granting EU citizens and their family members the right to relocate to another EU country. Depending on your situation—whether you're a worker, job seeker, retiree, student, etc.—the requirements vary. In this blog post, we'll delve into some of these situations and the applicable criteria for EU citizens wanting to move to Sweden.

 Residence Rights for the First Three Months:

• No requirements(!)

EU citizens have the right to stay in another EU member state for three months without needing to meet any conditions or requirements whatsoever. The only thing you, as an EU citizen, need to remember is to have a valid passport or national ID card.

Residence Rights After Three Months:

After residing for three months in Sweden, an EU citizen may continue to have residence rights if they meet the requirements in any of the situations described below.

• Worker

An EU citizen has residence rights in Sweden if they perform actual and genuine work. The work should be carried out on behalf of someone else in exchange for compensation. In other words, you should be employed and receive some form of remuneration. There's no requirement to be able to support yourself solely on the income, and it's sufficient to work a few hours per week.

• Job Seeker

An EU citizen has residence rights if they're actively seeking employment in Sweden and have a real chance of securing a job. By default, a job-seeking EU citizen has six months of residence rights. However, the residence right persists beyond six months if the job seeker can demonstrate active job search efforts and still has a genuine opportunity to find employment.

• Self-Employed

If you have your own business or intend to start one in Sweden, you may have residence rights as self-employed. To have residence rights, you must operate an economic activity under your own responsibility and without being subordinate to anyone else.

• Student

To have residence rights as a student, you must be enrolled in a recognized educational institution, normally a university but there are other types of educational institutions that works as well, have sufficient funds for your subsistence, and comprehensive health insurance. EU member states cannot set a specific level for how much income that is required but the level of funds should at least exceed the national standard for social assistance in Sweden. Regarding insurance, it's crucial to ensure it matches comprehensive health insurance in Sweden before signing the insurance contract.

• Adequate means

An EU citizen who possesses adequate means and comprehensive health insurance also has residence rights in Sweden. Thus, there's no requirement to work or study if you have sufficient funds to support yourself (see above regarding residence right as a “student”), ensuring you don't burden the Swedish welfare system, along with comprehensive health insurance equivalent to that in Sweden.

Remember, this is a general overview of the requirements for residence rights in different situations. If you're unsure whether you meet the criteria for residence rights, we recommend contacting an immigration lawyer who can conduct a legal analysis of your situation and advise you on the necessary documents to prove your right to reside in Sweden.