Sweden: New Passport Checking Stations Available for Visa-Exempt Individuals Applying for Work and Study Residence Permits

Throughout July, the Swedish Migration Agency will allow visa-exempt foreign nationals applying for a residence permit to work or study in Sweden to have their passports checked at various locations in Canada and the United States. The temporary facilities will be open at the following locations and dates: on July 5 and 6 at the University of California Berkeley in Berkeley, California; on July 7 at the University of California Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California; on July 10 and 11 at Rice University in Houston, Texas; on July 12, at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois; and on July 13, at the Swedish Consulate in Chicago, Illinois. Since November 1, 2022, Swedish authorities have required residence permit applicants to appear in person at a consulate to have their passports checked. By providing these temporary passport check facilities, Swedish authorities seek to reduce the inconvenience for eligible individuals traveling to a consulate to have their passport checked – the temporary locations were chosen based on where the demand was greatest as well as distance from a consulate post. Visa nationals applying for residence permits for work and study and all applicants applying for all other residence permit types cannot use these temporary facilities and must have their passports checked at the consulates in Washington, D.C., United States, or Ottawa, Canada (which have the necessary biometrics equipment for passport verification and biometrics processes).