Family immigration from 1 October 2026: the two-year wait explained

The rules now in force

The family-immigration changes took effect on 1 October 2026. Start with the sponsor’s permit category: the general family route and accompanying families of workers, students and researchers have different provisions.

Two years: assessed when the family applies

Under the general rule, a sponsor with a temporary permit must have lived in Sweden with a permit for two years when the family applies. This is not a condition you can expect to complete while the application waits. Workers, researchers, doctoral students, EU Blue Card and ICT holders and specified unaccompanied-child cases are outside this rule; some refugee cases have exceptions.

Maintenance and the renewal transition

Maintenance is checked at renewal too, and a family member’s income can normally be considered. For the general family route, the higher amount does not apply when renewing a permit granted before 1 October 2026 if the extension application is submitted by 1 October 2027. Do not apply this exception to an unrelated permit category without checking its own rules.

Young adults: an extension, not a universal age change

People previously granted a child’s family permit can apply to extend it at ages 18–20. At 21 or over, cohabitation and a special dependency beyond normal parent–adult-child ties are required. Temporary in-country application possibilities run through 31 December 2027 for specified cases. This is not automatic permission to stay or a blanket first-application age limit of 21.

Prepare for your route

Keep the sponsor’s decision, your relationship documents and up-to-date income and housing records. Check the official page for your category before submitting, especially for renewals or a previous removal decision.