When were post-Brexit residency cards issued?
The first post-Brexit residency cards were issued, always with a five-year validity, in the middle of December 2020, with the majority of British people receiving their cards over the next few months.
Many British people will have already had their cards taken by the Migration Agency when they applied for citizenship (which some argue the Migration Agency should not have done), and others will already have had them replaced with new cards to show permanent post-Brexit residency.
When can I apply for a renewal and what happens if I miss the deadline?
As your post-Brexit residency rights are permanent and continue even after your card has expired, there is no application process as you might expect from applying for citizenship or a residency permit.
This is less a renewal process than a card replacement process.
You do not need to wait for it to expire to order a replacement and it does not affect your residency rights if you wait for months, or even years, after it expires before ordering a replacement. It has been possible to replace cards (if lost or stolen) since November 2020.
Reader Question: Will my Swedish post-Brexit residence status expire?
How do I get a replacement card?
All you need to do is book an appointment at your nearest Migration Agency service centre, but following this link here.
You then need to sign in with your BankID, which will take to a page where you can book an appointment time.
Once you've got your appointment, you need to visit your nearest Migration Agency Service Centre (you can find them in most Swedish cities), where you will have to have your photo taken and leave fingerprints.
You can, but do not need to, bring your expired card. You do, however, need to bring a valid ID document.
There is no charge for renewing the card.
Why you should probably be applying for a permanent residence card
By definition, if your five-year card is expiring, you will already have been living in Sweden for the five years necessary to become eligible for a card proving permanent residence.
The overwhelming majority of Brits will have been eligible for several years already. You can apply for a card proving permanent residence as soon as you have been living in Sweden for five years. You do not need to wait for your post-Brexit residency card to expire.
What do I need to do to apply for a permanent residence card?
To upgrade to permanent residence and get a permanent residence card to prove it takes considerably more paperwork than replacing a temporary card.
You will need to be able to document five years of legal residence with no absences from Sweden of more than six months.
You will need to prove you have either been resident as a worker (employed or self-employed), self-sufficient, or a student.
If you are a student or self-sufficient, will need to prove that you held comprehensive health coverage throughout the five years leading up to acquiring permanent residence and that there were no gaps in that health insurance coverage.
You apply on the Migration Agency website here, and find a list of documents that you might need here.
How long does it take to get a permanent residence card?
Anecdotal evidence from the Brits in Sweden Facebook group suggests that it takes between three and six months for the Migration Agency to process a request for recognition of permanent residence.
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