Sweden Visa from Dubai: VFS, AED 365 Fee, Documents and Timeline

The short answer: Emiratis don't need a visa for Sweden: they can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals living in the UAE need a Schengen visa. You apply at VFS Global in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, but since March 2026 it is the Embassy of Sweden in Amman, Sweden's regional migration hub, that decides, not the embassy in Abu Dhabi. The visa fee is AED 365 for adults, plus a VFS service fee of AED 149.72. Processing normally takes 15 calendar days, and the checklist asks for three months of bank statements.

Stockholm's old town, the Vasa Museum and the archipelago, and the northern lights in Swedish Lapland in winter, are why most UAE residents go. Sweden issues Schengen visas, so a Swedish visa also covers the other Schengen countries, as long as Sweden is your main destination.

Sweden visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati passport	No visa, up to 90 days in any 180
India, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka	Schengen visa before travel
Who decides	The Embassy of Sweden in Amman, Jordan, Sweden's regional migration hub, since March 2026
Where to apply	VFS Global, Wafi Mall in Dubai or the World Trade Centre Mall in Abu Dhabi
Visa fee	AED 365 adults, AED 183 children aged 6 to 11, free under 6
VFS service fee	AED 149.72
Processing	Normally 15 calendar days, up to 45 in individual cases
Bank statements	Last 3 months, or other evidence such as payslips

Who needs a visa for Sweden

Whether you need a visa depends on your passport. UAE citizens have been able to visit Sweden and the rest of the Schengen area without a visa since May 2015. They will need the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation once it starts; it hasn't yet, and the EU says it will announce the date several months ahead.

Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals need a Schengen visa, and so do most other nationalities living in the UAE. You apply in the country where you legally live, so UAE residents apply in the UAE.

Apply to Sweden if it is your main destination, where you spend the most nights. Five nights in Stockholm and two in Copenhagen is a Swedish application; the reverse is a Danish one. See our Schengen visa guide for how the rule works.

How to apply from Dubai or Abu Dhabi

1. Fill in the Schengen application form online, in English or Swedish, then print it and sign it. For a child under 18, both parents or legal guardians sign.
2. Book an appointment through VFS Global's online booking system for Sweden visas in the UAE.
3. Attend your appointment at VFS in Wafi Mall, Dubai (first floor, Phase 5, Horus) or the World Trade Centre Mall, Abu Dhabi (level B2, lower ground). You hand in your documents, give biometrics and pay the fees.
4. Wait at least 15 calendar days. VFS forwards your file to the Embassy of Sweden in Amman, Jordan, which decides it.

The Embassy of Sweden in Abu Dhabi still exists, and still handles passports, ID cards and a Wednesday walk-in slot for fingerprints the Migration Agency has asked for, but it stopped deciding visa and migration cases when responsibility moved to the Amman hub, effective March 2026. Some older pages still describe Abu Dhabi deciding Schengen visas directly; VFS's current UAE checklist, dated 27 February 2026, is already headed "Amman" instead.

Documents

VFS's tourism checklist for Sweden, dated 27 February 2026, asks for:

• The signed application form
• Passport and a recent copy, signed, with at least two blank pages, issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen area
• UAE residence permit and Emirates ID, copies, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen area
• One recent photo, 35mm x 45mm, white background, no older than six months
• Flight reservation showing the return flight, matching your accommodation and insurance dates
• Proof of accommodation: a hotel booking, or proof of a rental or property you own
• Bank statements for the last three months, or other evidence such as payslips
• An employer letter or NOC, on letterhead, signed, no older than one month, stating your salary, employment details, approved leave dates and the purpose of your visit (a trade licence if you're self-employed; dependants submit their sponsor's passport copy, UAE residence visa copy and a letter from the sponsor instead)
• Travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of cover, valid for the whole Schengen area and your whole stay
• A full travel itinerary showing your planned activities

Visiting family or friends

If you're staying with family or friends rather than a hotel, Migrationsverket's general process asks your host to fill in an invitation form (form 241011), enclose a copy of their own ID document (a residence permit card doesn't count) and order an extract from the Swedish Population Register through the Swedish Tax Agency. If your host is covering your costs instead of you showing your own funds, they also show their income and assets. Ask VFS or the embassy for the current family and friends checklist for the UAE before your appointment, since this is the general process and the UAE list may add its own items.

Children

If a child travels without one of their parents or legal guardians, VFS asks for an original consent letter signed by the parents or guardians in front of a visa officer, or legalised, plus a copy of the non-travelling parent's passport and UAE residence permit. If one parent has sole custody, bring a copy of the court decision or other proof of custody.

How much money you need to show

Migrationsverket's current guidance says you need SEK 700 for each day of your stay in Sweden, though older pages from Migrationsverket and some other Swedish missions still show SEK 450: the figure varies by source, so go with the current 700 figure and confirm it when you apply. For a family or friends visit, your host can cover this instead by promising in writing to pay your costs and showing their own income and assets. The UAE checklist itself just asks for three months of bank statements or equivalent evidence such as payslips.

Fees and processing time

Fee	Amount
Visa fee, adults	AED 365
Visa fee, children aged 6 to 11	AED 183
Visa fee, children under 6	Free
VFS service fee, every applicant, tax included	AED 149.72
Total for one adult	AED 514.72

VFS says the dirham amounts follow the exchange rate and can change without notice, and that no fee is refunded. Processing normally takes 15 calendar days from when the Amman hub receives your application, and can take up to 45 days in individual cases. You can apply up to six months before you travel, and the application should be submitted at least 15 days before you intend to travel. Sweden doesn't publish a way to speed up a decision.

If you're refused, you can appeal in writing within three weeks of being told the decision. Send your signed appeal to the Embassy of Sweden in Amman, and add any new documents you didn't submit the first time: you don't need to resend what you already gave VFS. If the embassy doesn't reverse the refusal, it sends the appeal to the Migration Court in Stockholm. The embassy says calling or emailing to chase an appeal doesn't speed it up.

At the border

Since April 2026, Sweden and every other Schengen country register non-EU visitors in the EU's Entry/Exit System. On your first trip since it started, you give fingerprints and a photo at passport control instead of getting a stamp.

Flights from the UAE

• Emirates flies non-stop from Dubai to Stockholm Arlanda, in about seven hours (flight EK157). It suspended the route earlier in 2026 and restarted it on 31 July 2026; reports on how many times a week it flies conflict, so check the current timetable before booking.
• Etihad doesn't fly non-stop from Abu Dhabi to Stockholm. It started a seasonal Abu Dhabi to Gothenburg service on 17 December 2026, later extended to run year-round, which may suit a trip to western Sweden.

Flights between the UAE and Europe were disrupted for much of 2026, so check your flight with the airline before you book, and make sure the reservation you submit matches your application dates.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I apply for a Sweden visa in Dubai?

At VFS Global's Sweden visa centre in Wafi Mall, first floor, Phase 5 (Horus), or at VFS in the World Trade Centre Mall, Abu Dhabi. The Embassy of Sweden in Amman, Jordan, decides.

How much is the Sweden visa fee in Dubai?

AED 365 for adults and AED 183 for children aged 6 to 11, plus VFS's service fee of AED 149.72: AED 514.72 for one adult. Children under 6 pay no visa fee.

How long does a Sweden visa take from Dubai?

Normally 15 calendar days, according to VFS. It can take up to 45 days in individual cases, so apply early.

Why does the Embassy of Sweden in Amman decide my Sweden visa?

Since March 2026, Sweden has routed migration and visa decisions for the UAE through its regional migration hub in Amman, Jordan. The Embassy of Sweden in Abu Dhabi still takes passport and ID applications, but no longer decides visas.

How many months of bank statements do I need for a Sweden visa?

Three months, or other evidence such as payslips. Sweden's current published daily amount is SEK 700, though you'll see SEK 450 quoted on older pages.

Do Emiratis need a visa for Sweden?

No. UAE citizens can visit Sweden without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. They will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once the EU starts it.

Planning a trip to Sweden

Four days covers Stockholm's old town, the Vasa Museum and a boat trip round the archipelago; a week adds Gothenburg on the west coast or a flight north to Swedish Lapland for the northern lights in winter. Copenhagen is a short flight from Stockholm, or a train ride over the Öresund Bridge from Malmö, and it's in Schengen too, so one visa covers both. See our Schengen visa services for help preparing your Sweden application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights and hotels.

Related guides

• Schengen visa for UAE residents
• Norway visa from Dubai
• Denmark visa from Dubai
• Finland visa from Dubai

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the websites of the Embassy of Sweden in Abu Dhabi and the Embassy of Sweden in Amman, VFS Global's Sweden pages and tourism checklist for the UAE (dated 27 February 2026), the Swedish Migration Agency's (Migrationsverket) visiting-Sweden pages, the EU Visa Code and fee regulation, the European Commission's ETIAS page, eu-LISA on the Entry/Exit System, and airline schedules and reports. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with VFS Global or the Embassy of Sweden before you apply.