As one of its last parliamentary acts, the previous Swedish government coalition passed a law called "Stricter requirements for family immigration" (Skärpta villkor för anhöriginvandring in Swedish) making it more difficult for foreigners to bring family members to join them in Sweden.
The law comes into force on October 1st. What's in it?
Key terms
The most important word to know with this law is anknytningsperson, which has a rough literal translation of "person to whom one is tied." On its website, the Swedish Migration Agency translates it as "reference person."
What it *means* is a person who resides in Sweden (and/or has the right to reside in Sweden) whom a foreign relative is applying to live with in Sweden.
Since much of the law is framed around this term and it can be confusing, it's worth reiterating: an anknytningsperson is the person who already has a permit or other legal right to live in Sweden, not the family member applying to live with them in Sweden.
The requirements in the law are primarily oriented around the anknytningsperson: various parts of the law apply differently (or not at all) to different categories of anknytningsperson (i.e. with different types of legal status in Sweden).
It unfortunately isn't always clear which parts apply to which categories of anknytningsperson, or in which ways. We have contacted the Swedish Migration Agency for clarification on these points.
And in the meantime, we've outlined what we know about the law so far.
Two-year waiting period
The law introduces a two-year waiting period before someone in Sweden on a temporary permit (tidsbegränsat uppehållstillstånd) can apply to have a family member join them in Sweden.
According to the Migration Agency's website, there may be an exception in cases of refugees who established the family relationship before they came to Sweden.
From the same page, it also seems like this waiting period may not apply to work permit holders, students/researchers, or long-term residents of another EU country. We have asked the Migration Agency for clarification on this point and will update this article as soon as we hear back with relevant information.
"Well-founded prospects" of getting Permanent Residency
Another new requirement introduced by the law is that in order for someone on a temporary residence permit to be considered a valid anknytningsperson for a family member applying to live with them in Sweden, they need to have "well-founded prospects" of being granted permanent residency in Sweden.
What exactly counts as "well-founded prospects" (välgrundade utsikter in Swedish) is not specified.
This requirement also may not apply to work permit holders, students/researchers, or long-term residents of another EU country. We have asked the Migration Agency for clarification on this point and will update this article as soon as we hear back with relevant information.
Higher maintenance (income and housing) requirement
In order for a family member to be granted a residence permit in Sweden, the anknytningsperson needs to prove they can support that family member financially; as of October 1st, this requirement, called the "maintenance" requirement will be increased.
Since the maintenance amount varies based on a number of factors, it isn't yet clear by how much it will increase as a result of this law. We will update this section as soon as we know more.
Regardless, the higher amount will not apply when extending a residence permit that was granted before October 1st 2026, if the family member applies for an extension by October 1st, 2027. For this group, the current amounts will continue to apply.
From October 2nd 2027, the higher amount will apply to all applications.
As far as we can tell, the heightened maintenance requirements do not apply to work permit holders, students/researchers, or long-term residents of another EU country, but we are also waiting on the Swedish Migration Agency for confirmation/clarification of this point.
Addition of a maintenance requirement when extending a permit
Under the previous rules, the maintenance requirement applied only to first-time applications for family reunion and not for renewals. Under the new law, it those renewing their permit also need to meet the requirements.
This applies to most categories of anknytningsperson in Sweden on a temporary permit, including work permit holders and students/researchers.
It means that the maintenance requirement will apply not only upon initial application for a family member to join you in Sweden, but also when renewing that family member's permit once they are in Sweden.
The income of the family member applying for the permit can contribute towards meeting the maintenance requirement.
Family members of holders of ICT permits and EU Blue Cards
Another new element, affecting family members of those holding an ICT permit or an EU Blue Card who will stay in Sweden for a maximum of one year, is that those family members will need comprehensive health insurance. According to the Migration Agency's website, this insurance must cover medical treatment and hospital care in Sweden.
Family members of Swedish citizens or Nordic citizens
As far as we can tell, this law does not affect anknytningsperson who are Swedish or Nordic citizens. We are waiting on the Swedish Migration Agency to confirm this point and will update this article as soon as we have the information.
'Teen deportation' relief measures
The law also contains the previous government's solution to the "teen deportation" problem. You can find our explainer on that aspect of the law here.