Sweden raises the income bar for family reunification

Sweden will raise the maintenance threshold for family reunification from 1 October, requiring sponsors covered by the rule to retain 30% more than the standard living allowance after paying for housing.

The ordinance, signed by Migration Minister Johan Forssell and published on 5 September, sets the threshold at 130% of the normal living allowance plus housing costs. The calculation must cover the sponsor and the joining family member.

Income from subsidised employment, unemployment insurance, activity support and other unemployment-related payments will not count. Temporary work-related compensation while employment continues may count. Self-employment income or sufficient assets can also meet the requirement.

For permit renewals, the applicant’s income and income from other family members in the household must also be considered.

Families of work-permit and EU Blue Card holders follow separate provisions. Their threshold remains the normal living allowance plus housing costs, although the same income exclusions apply.

Transitional rules preserve the older requirements for renewals under the family-reunification provisions and for families of long-term residents in another EU state, if the permit was granted before 1 October 2026 and the renewal application is registered by 1 October 2027.

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