June | 2014 | Moving to Stockholm

You’ve applied, interviewed, now you wait. In my particular case I did not wait very long. The very same evening of the interview (Swedish morning) I received an email (see image below) from Migrationsverket indicating a decision had been made in my case, and what to do once I find out the decision.

The email also mentioned the decision could only be attained from the Swedish Embassy. The next day I phoned the Swedish Embassy in Washington D.C. to find out the decision. As a side note – I was put on hold – the hold music playing was Avicci Levels (ha). Once put through to the visa department of the Embassy, they asked for my name and case number and I was then sent an email with details of the decision. In my particular case the decision was yes, and I received my residence/ visa that is valid for two years.

For whatever reason the Swedish Embassy visa department has very limited hours each day. Prior to calling it is best to double check when you are able to reach someone. The person you are moving to in Sweden will also receive a notice of the decision in the mail, however, you still must call your nearest Swedish Embassy to confirm you (the applicant) has received the decision.

Once you receive the decision (assuming it is a yes) you have two options. Option one – you go to the Swedish Embassy in your country to get fingerprinted, residence/ visa card, etc. OR if Sweden does not require you to have a visa prior to entrance in the country (US residents can stay 90 days without a visa), you can leave for Sweden as soon as you get the decision, and take care of the fingerprints, residence/ visa card, etc. when you arrive in Sweden. You can read more detailed information about what you can do once you have been granted a residence permit/ visa here.

In the next posts I will be covering arriving in Sweden, the person number, SFI, working, and an ongoing commentary on life in Sweden. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to comment or send an email at movingtostockholm@gmail.com.

Cheers,

//Karl

You have applied for your residence permit/ visa to move to Sweden, you have received notice your application has been received, reviewed, and now you are told to schedule an appointment at the nearest Swedish Consulate in your country. What does this mean?

As mentioned in a previous post, I received my notice (see image below) to schedule an appointment with a Swedish Consulate January 2, 2014, only a few days after receiving notice my application had been received. As you can clearly see in the image, all you need to do is follow this link to Sweden Abroad choose your country, and view the nearest Swedish Mission abroad. In the US there are Swedish Missions throughout the country. View the US list of Swedish Missions here.

While it was not the consulate nearest to me, I had never been to San Francisco, so I phoned them on January 3rd, to check availability for an interview. As it turned out, I was able to schedule the interview the exact day and time I wanted. On the phone, I felt the San Fransico Consulate was great and extremely accommodating. Fast forward a few days, I showed up at the consulate not entirely certain what to expect. I had brought my passport to confirm I was who I say, and that is it.

The interview was very straightforward and simple. The woman from the consulate had a printed copy of my application with a few notes throughout. In less than ten minutes we had completed the interview. They had a few questions regarding my relationship, my family, my girlfriends family, and maybe a question about my future plans in Sweden. The remaining twenty minutes where spent just talking about Sweden, Stockholm, and San Francisco. We ended the conversation, she told me everything looked and sounded great and the “report” would be filed immediately and I should get a decision within the next few days.

Final thoughts – the entire process was very easy. From the scheduling to the interview I felt it was all a very simple and streamlined process.

In the next posts I will be covering receiving the decision and what to do once you arrive in Sweden. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to comment or send an email at movingtostockholm@gmail.com

Cheers,

//Karl