Making Sweden home when only one partner earns
A couple planning a future in Sweden has to think about residence as well as household finances.
One salary can support a couple while the other partner finds work after moving to Sweden. When they want to make the country their permanent home, how will their applications be assessed?
An adult who came as a worker's partner generally needs an income of their own to qualify for permanent residence. The Migration Agency assesses whether that person can support themselves. A partner's salary cannot simply make up the difference, even if it comfortably covers the household bills.
The distinction matters for couples who have divided paid work and care between them. Money shared at home is treated differently when each adult's application is assessed. One partner may therefore qualify for permanent residence while the other continues on a temporary permit.
Under the current work-permit route, an accompanying family member can apply for permanent residence after at least three years with a residence permit. The other requirements still apply. If permanent residence is refused, the agency considers whether another temporary permit can be granted.
From 1 October, a separate family-support check will also apply when permits for accompanying family members are extended. Family members' income may count towards that assessment, although unemployment benefits and income from subsidised employment will not. That check concerns the family's living costs; it does not replace the adult applicant's own-income requirement for permanent residence.
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