How to Relocate to Sweden With Your Family from Nigeria – All you need to Know

If you wish to relocate to Sweden alone or with your family from Nigeria or Africa, this article will help you get acquainted with all you need to know and do to make your proposed trip successful.

If you are from Nigeria or anywhere in Africa, you must know that you from a non-EU/EEA country; hence, you cannot apply from Sweden. This article will explain in details how to go about relocating with your family to this beautiful Scandinavian country country.

The first thing to learn about is the visa’s timeline.  Immigrants have to secure their visas and work permit before relocating to Sweden. Hence, you should be mindful of the time to wait before your application is approved.

About Sweden

Sweden is a beautiful country with breathtaking scenes of nature. Its people are very kind and it has a fantastic work-life balance.

The population of Sweden is almost 10 million. The largest cities are Stockholm (the capital), with 1.5 million people, Gothenburg, with 599,011 million people and Malmo, with 316,588 million people. There is also an expat community of around 65,000 living in the country.

Swedish is its official language the country, just like most Nordic countries, it is derived from Old Norse and has many similarities to Norwegian and Danish. It can be a difficult language to learn but it will help you integrate into Swedish life if you at least make an effort. However, many people in Sweden also speak English.

Here are Documents required by all applicants before applying for a Swedish Visa

• A valid passport.
• Applicants  who are not applying online need the forms:

1.      Application for a residence permit to settle in Sweden, form no. 161011

2.      Family details, no. 239011. 

What Married couples need to apply to relocate to Sweden

Immigrants who are married need the following ready before applying:

• Wedding certificate or marriage certificate.
• The documents required by all applicants.
• A document that shows that the marriage has been registered in their countries of origin (equivalent to a civic registration certificate in Sweden), where possible.
• Proof of a rental contract, national registration, proof of sale for your joint residence, or another document that shows you have lived together (applies to persons who have lived in a country other than Sweden).

What Unmarried couples need to apply to relocate to Sweden

If you are not married, you need the following:

• The documents required by all applicants.
• Proof of national identity or other documents showing that you are not married.
• Proof of national registration, a rental contract or proof of sale for your joint residence, or other documents that show you have lived together.

Requirements for Minors

You can apply for a residence permit for your kids under 18 coming to Sweden with you in your online application.

Minors need:

• Birth or kinship certificate.
• The documents required by all applicants (see above).
• Parents or guardians who are not applying online or kids applying alone need the following forms:

1.      Form no. 163011, Application for a residence permit for a child under the age of 18 to settle in Sweden

2.      Form no. 239011, Family details. These forms can be found on the Swedish Migration Board’s website.

• Written consent of the child’s custodian.

Requirements for Other close relatives

 These people include relatives other than your wife/husband/minor or the parent of a minor. Other close relatives show provided:

• A document showing how you are related.
• The documents required by all applicants (see above).
• A document certifying that you and your relative are dependent on each other and have difficulty living apart, e.g. For social, emotional, or financial reasons.
• A document showing that you lived together immediately before the relative moved to Sweden

Applicant Planning to Marry Someone or Want to Cohabit Partner

Are you planning to cohabit with a partner or plan to marry someone in Sweden? You can have it easier when you apply online. Applicants get every instruction they need online to allow them to fill in their application form. 

Attaching documents is easier online. This means you can receive a decision on your application faster. 

Immigrants coming to Sweden can get a residence permit when they apply to marry or cohabit with someone in Sweden. If your partner has a residence permit in Sweden to work or study, it becomes easier for you to apply for a residence permit as a family member for her or him.

To be able to apply online:

• you and the person you are moving to in Sweden must be older than 18 years of age
• you must have a valid email address
• you will need to be able to pay the application fee by Visa or Mastercard
• you will need to be able to scan or photocopy the documents that are to be attached

Main­te­nance Requi­re­ment

If you are taking this route, the partner in Sweden must be able to support you both. The person needs suitable accommodation in terms of size and standard to fit the two of you.

How to Fill Your Information

You should fill in your details and the person you want to marry or move in with in Sweden. You need documents to submit. This should come with the person’s Swedish personal identity number and ensure that the maintenance requirement covers the person.

If you have children under 18 years of age who will be accompanying you to Sweden, you will need to apply for a residence permit for them at the same time.

Details on Relocating With Your Family to Sweden

Required Documents:

1.      Documents showing your civil status that includes a marriage certificate.

2.      If you are unmarried, you do not need to show your civil status.

3.      You and your family members need to bring the following documents:

4.      Passport or national ID card.

5.      You need to provide birth certificates for your kids. 

6.      Documents that prove your family relationship.

7.      Bring original documents

8.      All documents verifying your civil status or relationships must be original. You can also bring certified copies.

9.      You need a marriage or birth certificate proving that you have lived together before moving to Sweden.

Certified means that someone has attested that the copy conforms to the original document. Another person must sign the copy, write his or her name in block capitals and write their telephone number.

Civil status

The following civil statuses exist:

• married or a registered partner
• widow or widower
• unmarried
• divorced.

Husband, wife, registered partner or child under 21

People who are married, registered as partners, and want to move with children under 21 need the following:

·         Marriage certificate.

·         Birth certificate.

·         Family book.

You need to provide an official transcript of the civil registration (civil registry) where your relationship was registered as a couple.

Common law spouses

Who are common law spouses? These partners live together but are not married. If you want to be considered as a common law spouse, you should come with the following:

·         A purchase contract of your shared residence.

·         An extract from the Population Register from another country.

·         A lease or insurance policy for your shared residence where you both are listed. 

Other family members

People who are over 21, or those who are not a common-law spouse or spouse to the family member, you are relocating in with, you need the following:

·         A certificate proving that you depended on the family member for support before moving to Sweden.

·         A certificate from an authorized authority that proves that you have lived together as family members before the family member moved to Sweden. 

·         A certificate showing that you have a serious illness requires that your family member looks after you personally.

Kids under 18

Guardian should fill out the application for people under 18 who want to relocate to Sweden. If one of the guardians is abroad, he or she needs to provide written consent for the move to Sweden.

Children over 16 can fill out their applications without their guardians’ consent.

After all these, proceed to the Swedish Consular in your country or apply online via the official Swedish website for immigration.

Also read about the newly announced window for Nigerian and African caregivers to relocate to Canada with a permanent residence option here.

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