How to apply for a Sweden Schengen visa from the UAE

Where you apply

Apply to Sweden if it is your main destination. The Embassy of Sweden in Abu Dhabi sends UAE residents to VFS Global, by appointment, at the World Trade Center Mall (level B2) in Abu Dhabi or Wafi Mall (first floor) in Dubai. Every application then goes to the Regional Migration Hub in Amman for the decision; some are referred to the Swedish Migration Agency.

You can apply no earlier than six months before the trip, and no later than 15 days before it; the embassy advises applying as far in advance as possible.

Step by step

1. 1

   Fill in the Schengen form

   There is no online form from the UAE: download the application form in English or Swedish from Sweden's VFS page for the UAE, complete it on screen, then print and sign it. Both parents sign for a minor. A handwritten form is accepted, but VFS says it takes longer at the counter.
2. 2

   Book at VFS Global

   In Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Each family member needs their own appointment.
3. 3

   Gather the documents

   Against the embassy's list for your purpose, in English or Swedish and on A4 paper.
4. 4

   Attend the appointment

   Hand in the form and documents, give fingerprints, and pay the visa fee and the VFS service fee at the centre. VFS says the service fee must be paid in cash, so bring enough.
5. 5

   Wait for the decision

   15 working days once the file reaches Amman. VFS Global says to allow at least 25 to 30 days from submission until you can collect the passport.

Documents

The country's own checklist is the one that counts. The core of it:

• Passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages.
• UAE residence visa and Emirates ID, valid beyond your return.
• The signed application form and a photo to the ICAO passport standard.
• Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip.
• Recent bank statements, and a salary certificate or employer letter if you are employed.
• A flight reservation, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter.

On top of that, the Swedish embassy's tourism list for UAE residents asks for:

• A UAE residence permit and Emirates ID valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area, with a copy.
• Bank statements for the last three months, or other proof of funds such as payslips. The Swedish Migration Agency asks for SEK 700 for each day in Sweden, less in some cases, for example if you stay with family or friends.
• An employment letter or NOC on company letterhead, no older than one month, giving your salary, role, joining date, approved leave dates and the purpose of the trip, signed by an authorised signatory and showing the employer's address, phone and email.
• For the self-employed, a valid trade licence; for dependants, copies of the sponsor's passport and UAE residence visa, and a letter from the sponsor.
• A full itinerary of planned tourist activities, and a return flight reservation that matches the hotel booking and the insurance dates.

Fees and processing time

Visa fee, adults

€90 (AED 365), paid at the centre

Children aged 6 to 11

€45 (AED 183)

VFS service fee

EUR 35 (AED 146.16), paid in cash at the centre (VFS Global, November 2026)

Processing

15 working days once the file reaches Amman; 25 to 30 days or more in total

VFS Global advises submitting at least 30 days before you travel. For Russian, Gambian, Somali and Guinean nationals, processing is extended to 45 days under EU rules.

Applications and refusals

In 2025, the consulates of Sweden in the UAE received 6,312 short-stay Schengen visa applications: 2.1% of all those lodged in the UAE, and the 15th most of any Schengen country. They refused 40.7% of the applications they decided; across every Schengen country in the UAE the rate was 24.2%, according to the European Commission's visa statistics.

Applications, 2025

6,312

Rank in the UAE

15th of 27 Schengen countries

Refused

40.7%

All Schengen countries in the UAE

24.2% refused

The Commission counts applications where they are lodged, not by nationality, so in the UAE they come mostly from residents of other nationalities. A refusal rate is an average over every applicant and says little about any one file; and the country you apply to is set by your main destination, not by its refusal rate.

What applicants reported

Not enough applicants in the UAE have reported a Sweden visa yet to show their own figures; these are the 28 reports from every origin. The median time from appointment to passport back was 14 days.

Reports

28

Appointment to passport back (median)

14 days; typically 10–17 days

Approved

79% of 28 with a known outcome

Validity granted (median)

1 year

Multiple entry

68%

See every Sweden report · how the statistics work

How often new dates appear

Dubai. Our monitors saw new Sweden appointments appear in Dubai 3 times in the last 90 days, on 2 different days. The latest release we saw was on 3 November at 16:46 UAE time.

Abu Dhabi. Our monitors saw new Sweden appointments appear in Abu Dhabi 3 times in the last 90 days, on 3 different days. The latest release we saw was on 3 November at 12:45 UAE time.

Getting the appointment

The form is the easy part. The hard part is a free date at the Sweden visa application centre: when demand is high the calendar can stay empty, and new dates go quickly when they appear.

These are the ways to get a date, including ours:

The live status of each Sweden route is on its own page, and every UAE route is on the UAE appointment board. For how the booking portal itself works, see how to book a VFS Global appointment in the UAE.

• Sweden visa appointment, Dubai
• Sweden visa appointment, Abu Dhabi

Questions

Who decides Swedish visa applications from the UAE?

The Regional Migration Hub at the Embassy of Sweden in Amman, Jordan. VFS Global takes the applications in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and some cases are referred to the Swedish Migration Agency.

How long does a Sweden visa take from the UAE?

Fifteen working days once the application reaches Amman, according to VFS Global, which says to allow at least 25 to 30 days in total from submission to collecting the passport, and to apply at least 30 days before you travel.

Is there an online application form for a Sweden visa from the UAE?

No. You download the Schengen application form from VFS Global’s Sweden page for the UAE, fill it in, print and sign it, and bring it to the appointment.

How much money do I need to show for a Sweden visa?

The Swedish Migration Agency asks for SEK 700 for each day of the visit, less in some cases, such as when you stay with family or friends. The Swedish embassy’s list for UAE residents asks for bank statements for the last three months.

What is the refusal rate for Sweden Schengen visas in the UAE?

In 2025, the consulates of Sweden in the UAE refused 40.7% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 24.2% across all Schengen countries in the UAE, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 6,312 applications, the 15th most of any Schengen country.

Sources

• Embassy of Sweden in Abu Dhabi: applying for a visa to Sweden
• Embassy of Sweden in Abu Dhabi: basic facts about visiting Sweden
• Embassy of Sweden in Abu Dhabi: tourism, required documents
• Embassy of Sweden in Abu Dhabi: warning about false agents
• Swedish Migration Agency: Schengen visa for visits of up to 90 days
• VFS Global Sweden, UAE: tourist visa, fees, documents and processing time
• VFS Global Sweden, UAE: how to apply
• VFS Global Sweden, UAE: processing times (June 2026)
• EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (consolidated text of 28 June 2024)
• European Commission: visa policy and the short-stay visa fee
• European Commission: Schengen visa statistics for consulates, 2025 (2025-consulates-schengen-visa-statistics.xlsx)

Rules and fees are set by the consulates and VFS Global and can change; check the official pages above before you apply. Route status and our prices on this page are live. Visa Catcher is an independent appointment-tracking service, not affiliated with VFS Global or any embassy, consulate or government.