The UK/Sweden Double Taxation Convention offers provisions that exempt payments of interest and royalties from UK taxation. However, it's important to note that certain UK pensions (including government pensions), annuities, and social security disbursements are taxable in the UK and are not eligible for tax relief.
Moving to Sweden from UK with family
If you are a citizen of a non-EU country and a family member of a person who has been granted a residence permit as a self-employed person in Sweden, you can apply for a residence permit for the same duration. It's essential to demonstrate financial support. If the self-employed person's permit is for more than six months, you may also be eligible for a work permit.
Family members are defined as spouses, cohabiting partners, registered partners, and unmarried children under the age of 18.
To apply for a family permit, you must provide copies of passport pages showing personal details, passport validity, and residence permits for countries other than your home country (if applicable). In cases of marriage or cohabitation, a copy of the marriage certificate or its equivalent is required. Cohabiting partners should provide proof of national registration, a lease, or proof of residence in the home country. If you are not applying for a permit at the same time, a short letter from the person in Sweden confirming your intention to live together in Sweden is necessary.
For children under 18 moving to Sweden with you, you must enclose a copy of the child's passport, their birth certificate, consent from the other legal guardian (if applicable), and relevant documents in cases of sole custody or death of the other parent. If the child was adopted, adoption documents should also be included.
The Swedish Migration Agency must inspect your passport before making a decision. In some cases, you may be required to visit a Swedish embassy or consulate-general outside Sweden or one of the Migration Agency's service centers within Sweden.
If you need to show your passport, you will likely have your fingerprints taken and be photographed when visiting an embassy or consulate-general to receive an entry visa or residence permit card.
You can apply for an extension while in Sweden. If the whole family applies together, the self-employed person should apply for the family in their online application. If the self-employed person has already received an extension, you can make your application using the e-service.
When the self-employed person is granted a permanent residence permit, different requirements apply to family members applying for a residence permit at the same time. In most cases, a maintenance requirement for the self-employed person must be met.
To be eligible for a permanent residence permit, you must have held a residence permit in Sweden for a minimum of three years. You should apply before your current permit expires.
A power of attorney can be used if someone else is representing you in the application process. It must be signed by the person giving the power of attorney and presented in its original form if required by the Swedish Migration Agency.
To provide someone with power of attorney, a letter must be sent to the Swedish Migration Agency specifying the type of power of attorney, the names, dates of birth, and addresses of both parties, and the actions the authorized person is allowed to take. Sign and date the letter accordingly.
For those who can travel to Sweden without a visa, a copy of the decision is usually sufficient when entering the country. You must visit the Migration Agency for fingerprinting and photographs upon arrival in Sweden. You will be given a residence permit card, which contains your photo and fingerprints, and this card must be presented along with a valid passport when traveling to Sweden.
Important to note is that if you need medical care in Sweden, you may need to pay for the care yourself if you are not registered in Sweden's Population Register and lack a Swedish Personal Identity Number. Therefore, registering in the Swedish Population Register as soon as possible is recommended, especially if you intend to reside in Sweden for a year or longer.
If your application is denied by the Migration Agency, you have the right to appeal the decision within three weeks from the date of receiving it. Instructions for appealing can be found in the decision.
For family members who want to apply after the self-employed person has completed their application and received their work permit, the process can be completed online through the E-service for family members of self-employed persons.
If you cannot apply online, you must fill out the Application for a permit for family members of workers, researchers, athletes, or coaches and self-employed persons (form 133011) and submit it to a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in your country of residence. Each person moving to Sweden must make their application, and for children under 18, the legal guardian should apply on their behalf. Contact the embassy or consulate-general before submission.
If there is no opportunity to submit the application in your country, you must apply at the embassy or consulate-general closest to your country of residence. For fee information, contact the specific embassy or consulate-general to which you are applying.
This overview provides a detailed look at the process and requirements for family members seeking residence permits in Sweden.
Reddit: Moving to Sweden from UK
Dina from London says: "Moving to Sweden from the UK can be quite a journey, especially if you're going through the process of applying for a spouse visa or "sambo visa." In our case, it took my partner a rather lengthy 13 months from the time she submitted her application until she received acceptance. Keep in mind that she's a non-EU citizen, and during this waiting period, you're generally not allowed to stay in Sweden, as others who've been through this process pointed out to us.
One of the significant aspects of this process is the interview you'll have to go through. The interview typically covers a wide range of topics, such as where and how you met, your plans for the future, and more. An interesting thing to note is that this interview cannot take place in Sweden, so my spouse had to fly to the Swedish consulate in Athens.
One of the reasons we chose Athens was the comparatively "short" waiting time, which was around 5 months. After enduring the wait and successfully completing the interview, there was still more to come. When my spouse finally made it to Sweden, we faced another waiting period of around two months for the Personnummer (PN). The Swedish Migration Agency, or Migrationsverket, made a mistake when printing her Tillfällig uppehållstillstånd card, and her name was spelled wrong. This meant multiple bus trips to another city where the Migrationsverket office was located just to get this issue resolved.
Our experience was filled with ups and downs, from the long wait to the interview process in Athens, and even the administrative challenges upon arriving in Sweden. Moving to Sweden from the UK as a non-EU citizen requires patience, resilience, and a good sense of humor to navigate the bureaucratic hurdles along the way."