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Sweden

Sweden EU free movement

EU free movement (EU, EEA and Swiss citizens)

First checked against official sources on Change log

Key facts

EU free movement is a long-stay route for Sweden. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.

Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

  • Only for passports from 31 countries

What you'll need

Who can apply2

  • Citizens of EU and EEA states and of Switzerland can live in Sweden without a visa or residence permit.
  • Stays of up to 3 months need only a valid passport or national ID card.

What you must show1

  • After 3 months, work, self-employment, study, or sufficient resources with health insurance is needed.

Documents1

  • A valid passport or national identity card stating citizenship is enough for stays up to 3 months.

Steps4

  1. No application to the Swedish Migration Agency is needed if you have right of residence.
  2. If you plan to live in Sweden for at least one year, report your move to the Swedish Tax Agency and be listed in the Population Register.
  3. The Tax Agency decides whether you meet the conditions; once listed you receive a personal identity number.
  4. Those starting a business apply to the Tax Agency for an F-tax certificate and may need to register with the Companies Registration Office.

After you arrive2

  • Permanent residence is acquired automatically after 5 years of continuous lawful residence.
  • After 5 years with right of residence, permanent right of residence arises; a certificate can be applied for from the Migration Agency.

When you become tax resident

How Sweden decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

Tax residence

A person is liable to tax on worldwide income if domiciled in Sweden (population register), staying regularly in Sweden (six consecutive months or more; short departures do not interrupt) or having significant connections to Sweden after moving away.

Foreign-source income

Earned income (employment, business, pension), including foreign-source income of residents, after the basic allowance (grundavdrag); municipal tax at the municipality's rate (national average 32.38% for 2026, range 28.93% to 35.65%) on all taxable earned income, and national tax of 20% on the part of taxable earned income above SEK 643,000 (≈ $64,100).

All tax rules for Sweden Tax records checked

Official site
Full official text

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens may live, work and study in Sweden without a residence permit; people with right of residence do not need to contact the Migration Agency. Those who plan to live in Sweden for at least one year register with the Swedish Tax Agency. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Requirements

  • Citizens of EU and EEA states and of Switzerland can live in Sweden without a visa or residence permit. 1 8
  • Stays of up to 3 months need only a valid passport or national ID card. 1 3
  • After 3 months, work, self-employment, study, or sufficient resources with health insurance is needed. 3 9
  • A valid passport or national identity card stating citizenship is enough for stays up to 3 months. 9
  • No application to the Swedish Migration Agency is needed if you have right of residence. 9
  • If you plan to live in Sweden for at least one year, report your move to the Swedish Tax Agency and be listed in the Population Register. 9
  • The Tax Agency decides whether you meet the conditions; once listed you receive a personal identity number. 9
  • Those starting a business apply to the Tax Agency for an F-tax certificate and may need to register with the Companies Registration Office. 9
  • Permanent residence is acquired automatically after 5 years of continuous lawful residence. 4
  • After 5 years with right of residence, permanent right of residence arises; a certificate can be applied for from the Migration Agency. 10

Stay

  • No time limit and no residence document is issued; those planning to live in Sweden for at least one year must be listed with the Swedish Tax Agency.
  • First 3 months up to 3 months: Valid ID card or passport only.
  • After 3 months: Worker, self-employed person, student, or person with sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance; registration of residence.

Nationality

Citizens of the 27 EU states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

Work

EU/EEA citizens may start working, running a business or studying directly on arrival, without a permit.

Family

Spouse, cohabiting or registered partner, children under 21, and dependent older children and parents may join and work without permits; non-EU family members staying over 3 months apply for a residence card.

Checked 2026-10-10

Official sources

  1. Residence rights when living abroad in the EU · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  2. Registering residence abroad after the first 3 months · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  3. Residence rights for economically inactive EU citizens · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  4. Permanent residence (after 5 years) for EU nationals · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  5. Work permits · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  6. Work in the public sector abroad · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  7. Your non-EU spouse and children's residence rights in the EU · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  8. The European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the North · European Parliament · checked 2026-10-10
  9. EU/EEA citizens: right of residence in Sweden · Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · checked 2026-10-10
  10. Permanent right of residence (EU/EEA citizens) · Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · checked 2026-10-10
  11. Work, study or live in Sweden for EU citizens, Nordic citizens and family members of EU citizens · Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · checked 2026-10-10

EU free movement and its alternatives

RouteMoney neededStayWork
EU free movement––Yes
Nordic free movement––Yes
EU free movement Portugal––Yes
Free movement by treaty Spain–5 yrYes
Visa-free stay (12 months) Georgia–1 yr–

Questions people ask

How long can I stay on the EU free movement?

No time limit and no residence document is issued; those planning to live in Sweden for at least one year must be listed with the Swedish Tax Agency.

Can I work on the EU free movement?

Yes. EU/EEA citizens may start working, running a business or studying directly on arrival, without a permit.

Can I bring my family on the EU free movement?

Spouse, cohabiting or registered partner, children under 21, and dependent older children and parents may join and work without permits; non-EU family members staying over 3 months apply for a residence card.

Who can apply for the EU free movement?

Citizens of the 27 EU states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

How are EU free movement holders taxed in Sweden?

No special regime in our records is tied to the EU free movement. The standard rules apply: Residents pay municipal income tax at an average 32.38% (2026, set by each municipality and region) on income after the basic allowance, plus 20% national income tax on taxable earned income above SEK 643,000, (≈ $64,100) so the marginal rate is about 52%; residents are taxed on income from all countries (unlimited tax liability). Non-residents working under six months can pay flat 22.5% SINK.

Similar visas elsewhere

🇫🇷 EU free movement🇬🇧 Visa-free stay (6 months)🇦🇱 Open Balkan🇭🇺 Visa-free stay (4 months)🇷🇸 Open Balkan🇦🇲 Visa-free stay (6 months)

≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

Ask the AI about this route AI

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How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-10 against 11 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

  1. Residence rights when living abroad in the EU · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  2. Registering residence abroad after the first 3 months · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  3. Residence rights for economically inactive EU citizens · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  4. Permanent residence (after 5 years) for EU nationals · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  5. Work permits · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  6. Work in the public sector abroad · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  7. Your non-EU spouse and children's residence rights in the EU · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
  8. The European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the North · European Parliament · checked 2026-10-10
  9. EU/EEA citizens: right of residence in Sweden · Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · checked 2026-10-10
  10. Permanent right of residence (EU/EEA citizens) · Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · checked 2026-10-10
  11. Work, study or live in Sweden for EU citizens, Nordic citizens and family members of EU citizens · Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · checked 2026-10-10

Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.