November 7, 2026

Overview Studying in Sweden offers academic and professional opportunities. However, married students and students with children may also wish to relocate with their families. International students holding or applying for an eligible residence permit for higher education or doctoral studies can apply for permits for qualifying family members. These include spouses, registered partners, cohabiting partners and unmarried children under 18. Applicants must meet specific relationship, financial and documentation requirements. They must also consider the new rules introduced on 1 October 2026. Can Bangladeshi students bring their family to Sweden? Yes. Bangladeshi students who have applied for or received a Swedish residence permit for eligible higher education or doctoral studies can apply for residence permits for qualifying family members. Admission to a Swedish university alone does not guarantee eligibility or approval. The route is a residence permit for a family member of a student, rather than a separate “dependent visa” category. It can cover a spouse, registered partner, cohabiting partner and unmarried children under 18. The student and family members must meet the relevant requirements, including proof of their relationship, sufficient funds and, where applicable, health insurance. Approval is not automatic simply because the student has been admitted to a Swedish university. The rules discussed here apply to students with a Swedish residence permit for first- or second-cycle higher education, such as bachelor’s and master’s studies, and doctoral studies. Family members of people attending other types of courses may be subject to different rules. A short visit is also different from moving to Sweden to live with the student. Who qualifies as a family member? Spouse or registered partner A legally married spouse may apply to join the student. The Swedish Migration Agency also includes a registered partner in its definition of a family member. Applicants should provide an official marriage or partnership record that clearly identifies both parties. Names and personal details should match across passports and civil documents. Cohabiting partner A cohabiting partner may qualify if the couple can provide evidence that they have lived together as partners. Examples include population registration certificates, a joint rental contract or documents showing joint ownership of a home. The Migration Agency assesses the evidence provided; a relationship statement alone may not establish that the couple has lived together. Children Unmarried children under 18 may qualify as family members. Applicants should provide the child’s birth record or birth certificate and, where relevant, documents showing legal guardianship, consent from the other parent or guardian, or adoption. The child’s permit cannot be granted beyond the validity of their passport. What changed on 1 October 2026? The Swedish Migration Agency announced specific changes for family members accompanying students from 1 October 2026. The changes concern comprehensive health insurance for certain family members and the legal guardianship of children. Importantly, the Agency states that the maintenance requirement for family members of students has not changed. These rules should not be confused with separate changes affecting family members of workers or other immigration categories. Comprehensive health insurance for stays of up to one year From 1 October 2026, family members staying in Sweden for a period covered by the Migration Agency’s short-stay insurance requirement must have, or have applied for, comprehensive health insurance. The Agency’s announcement describes this as a stay of up to one year, while its detailed application guidance refers to stays of less than one year for people who are not registered in the Swedish Population Register. Applicants planning a stay of exactly one year should confirm the insurance requirement directly with the Agency. The Agency says the insurance must cover, for example, medical treatment and hospital care in Sweden. Applicants should check the policy wording, coverage period, exclusions and geographical validity rather than relying only on a policy label such as “travel insurance”. The insurance evidence is relevant where the family member will stay for less than a year and is not registered in the Swedish Population Register. People intending to live in Sweden for at least one year should generally notify the Swedish Tax Agency of their move and apply to be registered in the Swedish Population Register. Registration provides access to a Swedish personal identity number and is relevant to access to healthcare. The Tax Agency determines whether the person meets the registration requirements. Legal guardianship where a child is not the couple’s shared child A further rule applies when a child accompanying the student is not a child that the student and their accompanying family member have together. In that situation, the parent of the child must also be the child’s legal guardian for a residence permit to be granted. This makes it especially important for parents bringing a child from a previous relationship to provide clear legal evidence of guardianship. If the applicant has sole custody of the child, a court order confirming sole custody must be submitted. If the other parent is deceased, the application must include the death certificate. If the child has two parents or legal guardians and the other parent or guardian will remain in Bangladesh, the application must include their written consent for the child to move to Sweden. Where custody is shared, a copy of the other parent’s or guardian’s passport or another identity document must also be provided. The Migration Agency publishes a specific consent form for this purpose. What did not change? The 1 October 2026 changes did not increase the maintenance requirement. Students must still demonstrate sufficient funds for themselves and their accompanying family members throughout the requested permit period. How much money must a student show? For applications made in 2026, the student maintenance amount for higher education is at least SEK 10,656 per month. If the family applies with the student, the required amount increases by SEK 4,440 per month for a spouse or cohabiting partner and SEK 2,664 per month for each child. The Migration Agency assesses the family’s overall ability to support itself. The amounts are monthly figures and must cover the period for which the