Sweden tightens family reunification: two-year wait from October
Parliament voted on Thursday to tighten the rules for bringing family members to Sweden. The government won the vote with the support of the Sweden Democrats, carrying one of the key points by 176 to 171 against a united opposition. The new conditions take effect on 1 October 2026.
The central change concerns how long you must have been here. If you hold a time-limited residence permit, you will as a rule need to have lived in Sweden with a permit for at least two years before a relative can be granted a permit on the basis of their connection to you. There are exceptions, including for unaccompanied children and for refugees in certain situations. Different and less restrictive rules continue to apply where the person in Sweden is a Swedish or other Nordic citizen, or holds permanent right of residence.
The income test is also being tightened. The maintenance requirement will apply in more situations than before, and importantly it will now also be assessed when someone applies for a continued permit, not only on a first application. Families who cleared the requirement once should not assume an extension is automatic.
The same law settles the question of so-called teenage deportations. Someone under 21 who was previously granted a permit as a child on the basis of family connection, but who has since turned 18, can still be granted a permit. Separately, the possibility for certain relatives to apply from inside Sweden rather than from abroad is being widened, but only temporarily: that route, and the related power to halt an expulsion decision, expires on 1 January 2028.
If you are planning an application, the practical question is where you stand on 1 October. Check how long you have held your permit, and whether your income clears the new requirement, before applications and extensions start being judged under the new rules.