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Gamla stan, Stockholm (from Slussen)

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Sweden

Sweden visit visa for Pakistan passport holders

VisitVisaInfo Editorial Team

Guides built from official government and embassy sources.

Last updated

On this page
  1. Document requirements
  2. Fees and timeline
  3. Fees
  4. Timeline
  5. How to apply
  6. Visa ratio
  7. FAQ
  8. Official sources
  9. Related guides

Sweden · Gamla stan, Stockholm (from Slussen) · Arild Vågen · CC BY-SA 4.0

Summary

Embassy visa required
Visa type
Schengen short-stay visa (type C) — tourism, family visit or business
Stay limit
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Validity
As printed on the visa sticker (single or multiple entry, set by the consulate)
Entries
Single or multiple, decided by the consulate
Biometrics
Biometrics are required.
Interview
Fingerprints and photo at lodging; the consulate may call you for an interview

Pakistani citizens need a Schengen visa (type C) to visit Sweden. Since 7 July 2025 you can apply in Pakistan for visits of up to 90 days, at the VFS Global centre in Islamabad.

Since 7 July 2025, Pakistani citizens and residents of Pakistan can submit a Schengen visa application in Islamabad for visits to Sweden of up to 90 days, the Embassy of Sweden in Islamabad announced. VFS Global handles the application. When we checked, VFS Global's Sweden pages showed the Islamabad centre as open and its Karachi and Lahore centres as temporarily closed, so plan to go to Islamabad for your appointment.

Book your appointment with VFS Global, and send questions about appointments and documents to VFS too, as the Embassy advises. VFS Global says its call centre gives only general information and cannot help with booking or tracking an application. The Embassy's migration section has its own email address, ambassaden.islamabad-visum@gov.se, and the Embassy's general switchboard does not handle visa questions.

Sweden puts weight on who you are visiting. The Swedish Migration Agency says that anyone who needs an entry visa to visit a person in Sweden for up to 90 days must have an invitation from that person. Ask your host to prepare an invitation before you apply. The Migration Agency's Visiting Sweden pages also list the supporting documents for visits to family, visits to friends and tourism, so use them alongside the general Schengen checklist.

The core Schengen documents set by the European Commission still apply. Your passport must remain valid for three months beyond your exit from the Schengen area, and your photo must meet ICAO standards. Your medical insurance must pay for emergency treatment, hospital stays and repatriation. You also need evidence of why you are travelling, where you will sleep, how you will pay, and why you will come back to Pakistan. Apply to Sweden only if it is your main destination. If your stays in several countries are equal, apply to the first one you enter. You can apply up to six months before travel and no later than 15 days before.

If you plan to stay longer than 90 days, a Schengen visa is the wrong route. The Migration Agency says longer visits need a visitor's residence permit. The European Commission's 2024 statistics show that only 4 of 206 decided applications at Sweden's consulates in Pakistan were not issued. That is a small number of past decisions, made before the current Islamabad arrangement began, and it does not predict any individual result.

Checklist

Document requirements

  • Pakistani passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, with at least 2 blank pages
  • Completed and signed Schengen visa application form
  • One recent ICAO-standard colour photo
  • Travel medical insurance covering emergency care, hospitalisation and repatriation across the Schengen area (minimum cover €30,000)
  • Proof of the purpose of the trip (hotel bookings and itinerary, invitation letter, or business letter)
  • Proof of accommodation for the whole stay
  • Proof of financial means, such as recent personal bank statements
  • Evidence you will return to Pakistan (employment letter or business registration, study enrolment, family or property ties)
  • Flight reservation (return or onward)
  • Visa fee payment receipt
  • Fingerprints and photo taken when you lodge the application (unless given in the last 59 months)

The Embassy of Sweden in Islamabad says short-stay Schengen visas can be applied for at the VFS Global centre in Islamabad. The Swedish Migration Agency lists the supporting documents for visits to family, friends or for tourism.

Checklist source: swedenabroad.se, migrationsverket.se, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu

Money and time

Fees and timeline

Fees

  • Official fee

    €90

    Adults; €45 for children aged 6–12; free under 6. Visa centre service fees are extra where a centre is used.

    Fee source

  • Service or extra charges

    Set by the visa centre, if one is used — shown on the centre's website

    Fee source

Timeline

  • Decision time (official)

    Normally 15 calendar days from lodging; can be extended to 45 days if more examination or documents are needed (EU Visa Code)

  • Processing and appointments

    Book the appointment with the mission or its visa centre first; waiting times depend on capacity and are not fixed by the Visa Code.

  • When to apply

    No earlier than 6 months and at least 15 days before the trip

Official links

How to apply

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Passport country first, then destination. Pages only show fees, timelines, and refusal rates that official sources have published.

Official statistics

Visa ratio

1.9%

Share of Schengen visa applications not issued at Sweden consulates in Pakistan (Islamabad) · 2024

Official EC figure by place of application (consulates in Pakistan), not strictly by nationality: 4 of 206 decided applications were not issued in 2024. It describes past decisions and does not predict any single application.

European Commission — Schengen visa statistics for consulates, 2024

  • Wider official statistic — not this passport × destination

    14.6%

    Schengen-wide short-stay refusal rate, 2025

    This is the published Schengen-wide rate. It is not this passport and destination.

    Source

Quick answers

FAQ

Do Pakistani passport holders need a visa for Sweden?

Yes. Pakistan is on the EU list of nationalities that need a Schengen visa. A short-stay (type C) visa covers visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Where do Pakistanis apply for a Sweden visa?

At the VFS Global centre in Islamabad. The Embassy of Sweden says Pakistani citizens and residents have been able to apply there since 7 July 2025.

Can I apply for a Sweden visa in Lahore or Karachi?

Not at the moment. VFS Global's Sweden pages showed the Karachi and Lahore centres as temporarily closed when we checked, with Islamabad open.

Do I need an invitation to visit family or friends in Sweden?

Yes. The Swedish Migration Agency says a person who needs an entry visa to visit someone in Sweden for up to 90 days must have an invitation from that person.

What if I want to stay in Sweden longer than 90 days?

You need a visitor's residence permit instead of a Schengen visa, according to the Swedish Migration Agency.

How much is a Sweden Schengen visa fee?

€90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6–12, per the European Commission. VFS Global adds a service fee.

What is the Sweden visa refusal rate in Pakistan?

The European Commission's 2024 statistics show 1.9% (4 of 206) of Schengen visa applications decided at Sweden consulates in Pakistan were not issued. This is a small, past sample, not a prediction for you.

Checked against

Official sources

Last checked 3 October 2026. Rules change without notice, so confirm on the official pages before you apply or travel.