Reader Question: How can Brits in Sweden apply for proof of permanent residence?
Brits who have been living in Sweden for five years or more, who applied for and were granted post-Brexit residency status, qualify for permanent residency status. However, our readers are confused as to how to apply for proof of this. Here's what we know.
Under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, as interpreted by Swedish authorities, British people who were living in Sweden before the UK left the European Union are eligible for two forms of residence, post-Brexit residence status (uppehållstatus) and permanent post-Brexit residence status (permanent uppehållstatus or (PUS)).
The former is given to everyone who fulfilled the conditions for residence, including the five-year requirement, who applied before the deadline of December 31st, 2021. The latter is granted automatically once anyone holding post-Brexit residence status completes their fifth year in Sweden.
However, to gain some of the benefits of permanent residence status, you need to be able to prove that you have it.
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Several readers who answered The Local's recent Brexit survey expressed confusion over how to apply for this, as almost a full year after the deadline for applying for post-Brexit residence status has passed, the Migration Agency has yet to put up a guide on its website.
"We are currently working on a website update regarding the extension of residence status and what the applicants need to do to in order to renew their cards," Franceska Leichert, a lawyer for the Migration Agency specialising in post-Brexit residence issues, told The Local.
She advised Brits who wanted to apply for proof to fill in this form here or use the online application system here.
Strictly speaking, the first form is for people who already had permanent residency at the time the UK left the EU and who want to exchange this for post-Brexit permanent residence status.
The online form is probably a better choice as it at least allows applicants for proof of permanent residence status to provide the information the Migration Agency needs, which is that they have been compliant with the residence law for five years.
Leichert advised people not to use this form, which is for EU citizens seeking the equivalent proof of permanent residence right, permanent uppehållsrätt, as "this site is for EU/EEA-citizens only".
The Local has been informed by a member of the Brits in Sweden Facebook group that several people have been able to successfully apply for proof of permanent residence status using the forms Leichert suggests.
Do you have a question on life in Sweden? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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Under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, as interpreted by Swedish authorities, British people who were living in Sweden before the UK left the European Union are eligible for two forms of residence, post-Brexit residence status (uppehållstatus) and permanent post-Brexit residence status (permanent uppehållstatus or (PUS)).
The former is given to everyone who fulfilled the conditions for residence, including the five-year requirement, who applied before the deadline of December 31st, 2021. The latter is granted automatically once anyone holding post-Brexit residence status completes their fifth year in Sweden.
However, to gain some of the benefits of permanent residence status, you need to be able to prove that you have it.
READ ALSO:
- Card, status, or permit? The different types of permanent residence document in Sweden
- What are The Local's Reader Questions?
Several readers who answered The Local's recent Brexit survey expressed confusion over how to apply for this, as almost a full year after the deadline for applying for post-Brexit residence status has passed, the Migration Agency has yet to put up a guide on its website.
"We are currently working on a website update regarding the extension of residence status and what the applicants need to do to in order to renew their cards," Franceska Leichert, a lawyer for the Migration Agency specialising in post-Brexit residence issues, told The Local.
She advised Brits who wanted to apply for proof to fill in this form here or use the online application system here.
Strictly speaking, the first form is for people who already had permanent residency at the time the UK left the EU and who want to exchange this for post-Brexit permanent residence status.
The online form is probably a better choice as it at least allows applicants for proof of permanent residence status to provide the information the Migration Agency needs, which is that they have been compliant with the residence law for five years.
Leichert advised people not to use this form, which is for EU citizens seeking the equivalent proof of permanent residence right, permanent uppehållsrätt, as "this site is for EU/EEA-citizens only".
The Local has been informed by a member of the Brits in Sweden Facebook group that several people have been able to successfully apply for proof of permanent residence status using the forms Leichert suggests.
Do you have a question on life in Sweden? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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