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 residence permits are requested.
For example, a student applying with a spouse and one child would need to plan for SEK 17,760 per month: SEK 10,656 for the student, SEK 4,440 for the spouse and SEK 2,664 for the child. With a spouse and two children, the combined monthly figure would be SEK 20,424. These examples assume an application in 2026 and no reduction for qualifying free food or accommodation.
If a family member applies after the student has moved to Sweden, the adult maintenance requirement is SEK 4,440 per month and the requirement for each child is SEK 2,664 per month in 2026. The person in Sweden must have applied for or received an eligible residence permit for higher education, doctoral studies or post-study job seeking, with more than three months remaining when the family member applies. The family must intend to live together in Sweden, and the person already in Sweden must provide a letter confirming this arrangement.
Funds may be shown through accepted sources such as personal bank assets, a scholarship, qualifying student grants or loans, an approved sponsor, or eligible employment income. A bank statement for personal funds must meet the Agency’s requirements, including the account holder’s name, bank name, issue date, balance and currency. A statement must generally be no more than four months old when the permit is to take effect. Credit, shares and funds are not accepted as personal bank assets. Money provided by relatives should be transferred to an account in the applicant’s name and accessible to them; a private individual cannot act as an approved sponsor.
A job offer alone is not sufficient to prove employment income; applicants must provide the required employment certificate and payslips. Funds that will remain locked during the requested permit period cannot be used as available personal bank assets. The Agency also does not accept assets held in microfinance banks, investment funds or shares as personal bank assets.
Applicants should not rely on future part-time employment in Sweden as their primary source of financial maintenance. For bachelor’s and master’s students whose residence permits were granted on or after 11 June 2026, work is generally limited to 15 hours per week, subject to specified exceptions. Applicants claiming employment income must provide the evidence required by the Migration Agency.
Documents Bangladeshi applicants should prepare
The exact checklist depends on the family’s circumstances, but applicants should prepare the following documents before starting the online application:
- Valid passports for the student and every accompanying family member.
- The university’s final admission decision and evidence that any required tuition fee has been paid.
- Marriage certificate or marriage record for a married couple; evidence of shared residence for cohabiting partners.
- Birth certificate or birth record for each child, showing the parents’ names.
- Court documents confirming custody or guardianship, where relevant; death certificate if a parent is deceased.
- Written consent from the parent or legal guardian remaining in Bangladesh, where required, and a copy of that person’s identity document if custody is shared.
- Adoption documents, if applicable.
- Financial evidence covering the full period of the family’s intended stay.
- Comprehensive health insurance evidence for family members whose stay is up to one year and who are not registered in the Swedish Population Register.
- A letter from the person already in Sweden confirming that the family member will live with them, where the application is submitted later.
- Separate evidence showing that the financial maintenance of each accompanying child has been arranged, where applicable.
All submitted documents must be in Swedish or English. If a Bangladeshi document is in Bengali, provide a certified translation and include a copy of the original-language document. The Migration Agency’s published guidance requires certified translations; applicants should not assume that an informal translation is sufficient. The Agency’s student-family checklist does not set out a blanket requirement that every Bangladeshi civil document must be legalised. Check the current instructions for the specific document and case before arranging authentication or paying for additional services.
Check that spellings, dates of birth, passport numbers and names of parents match across the passports, marriage record and birth certificates. If a name has changed, include the official supporting record so that the relationship can be followed clearly.
Apply together or submit a later application?
If the family intends to move to Sweden at the same time as the student, family members can apply together with the student through the Swedish Migration Agency’s e-service. Family members can submit their applications at the same time as the student. However, each applicant must meet the relevant requirements, and the Agency makes the decision on each application.
A spouse, partner or child who wishes to join later must submit a separate application. The person in Sweden must have applied for or received a residence permit for higher education, doctoral studies or post-study job seeking, with more than three months remaining when the family member applies. The family must provide evidence of their relationship, arrange financial maintenance for the requested period and intend to live together in Sweden. The person already in Sweden must provide a letter confirming the living arrangement. Family members normally apply from outside Sweden, although exceptions may apply to those who already hold another valid Swedish residence permit.
For higher education, the student must be finally admitted to full-time, on-site studies. Tuition fees must have been paid, where applicable, before the student is considered finally admitted for the permit application. The residence permit must be granted before the student travels to Sweden.
How to apply through the Swedish Migration Agency
Start with the Migration Agency’s official study and family-member pages and select the correct route: family applying with a student, or family applying after the student has moved to Sweden. Complete the online application, upload readable copies of the required documents and pay the relevant application fees. As of November 2026, the fee is SEK 1,500 for an adult and SEK 750 for a child under 18. Fees are not refunded if an application is refused.
The Agency may ask applicants to present their passports or attend an interview at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general. Applicants should follow the instructions in their case rather than contacting an embassy unnecessarily. The Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka directs residence-permit applicants to the Migration Agency for the application process and confirms that the Agency alone decides whether passport checks, interviews or other steps are required.
If a residence permit is granted for more than three months, the family member will need a residence permit card. Fingerprints and a photograph are required to produce the card. Depending on the Agency’s instructions, these may be collected at the embassy prior to arrival in Sweden.
After your family arrives in Sweden
Each family member must comply with the conditions and validity period of their own residence permit. A family member’s permit can generally be granted for the same period as the student’s permit, but not beyond the validity of that person’s passport. If the student’s studies continue and an extension is needed, apply in good time and follow the current extension requirements.
Adult family members granted a residence permit may work in Sweden while the permit is valid. Family members intending to live in Sweden for at least one year should also notify the Swedish Tax Agency of their move and follow its population-registration procedure.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming every study programme qualifies for family reunification.
- Underestimating the additional maintenance required for a spouse or child.
- Submitting insurance that does not meet the comprehensive-coverage requirement.
- Treating admission or an application receipt as residence-permit approval.
FAQs
Can a Bangladeshi master’s student bring a husband or wife?
Yes. A spouse can apply for a residence permit as a family member, provided the student and spouse meet the relevant relationship, financial, insurance and other requirements.
Can a student bring a child from a previous marriage?
A child under 18 may qualify. The applicant must provide evidence of parentage and legal guardianship. The 1 October 2026 rule also requires the child’s parent to be the legal guardian where the child is not the shared child of the student and the accompanying family member. Consent from the other parent or guardian may also be required.
Can a family member apply after the student has moved to Sweden?
Yes. A qualifying family member can submit a separate application if the person in Sweden has an eligible study, doctoral or post-study job-seeking permit, with more than three months remaining. The family must meet the relationship, maintenance and cohabitation requirements.
Final Words
Bangladeshi students can apply to bring eligible family members to Sweden. However, approval depends on meeting the relationship, financial and documentation requirements. Changes introduced on 1 October 2026 make health insurance and child guardianship particularly important in relevant cases. Before applying, students should check the latest Swedish Migration Agency guidelines, calculate the maintenance requirement for the whole family and prepare the required civil documents and certified translations.
