Sweden PUT Rejection: Reasons, Fees, and How to Appeal

A rejection of a PUT (Permanent Uppehållstillstånd) application is not the end of the road, but it is serious — because it usually means Migrationsverket has flagged a specific compliance failure in your four-year history that does not simply correct itself. The applicant who receives a rejection letter without understanding why it happened is at serious risk of reapplying with the same underlying problem and receiving the same outcome.

This article covers the cost of applying, what the most common rejection reasons actually look like in a decision letter, and what the appeal and reapplication process involves.

The Application Fee

The fee for a permanent residency application is SEK 2,000, payable at the time of online submission through Migrationsverket's e-service. This fee is non-refundable regardless of the outcome. It applies to each individual applicant — a family of four submitting four separate PUT applications pays SEK 8,000 in total application fees.

There is no additional fee for the biometrics appointment that follows submission, or for the permit card itself if the application is approved.

If your application is rejected and you appeal, the appeal to the Migration Court (Migrationsdomstolen) is free of charge. There are no court fees. If you engage a lawyer for the appeal — which is advisable for cases involving complex compliance questions — lawyer fees at Swedish immigration law firms typically run SEK 15,000–30,000 for a PUT-related appeal, depending on complexity.

Why PUT Applications Get Rejected

Migrationsverket rejection decisions typically fall into one of five categories. Each category produces a different response strategy.

1. Insurance Gap

The most common rejection reason. One of the four mandatory employer insurances (occupational pension, occupational injury TFA, life insurance TGL, or health insurance AGS) was not continuously active throughout the permit period.

What this looks like in a decision: Migrationsverket will specify the time period and the insurance type they identified as lapsed. They obtain this information from Fora, Collectum, AFA Försäkring, and similar providers. Common triggers include:

• Pension contributions delayed during a company restructuring or payroll system change
• Insurance coverage that lapsed when an employer switched providers and the new policy was not back-dated
• Insurance policies that did not start on the first day of the permit (a common error for employees who started before all HR paperwork was finalized)

Response options: If the insurance gap was genuine, the employer can sometimes retroactively correct the coverage by paying outstanding premiums and obtaining a backdated certificate. This works if the insurance provider agrees and the gap was short. You then appeal with evidence of the corrected coverage. If the gap cannot be corrected retroactively, the appeal is harder — you would be arguing that the gap was minor and the policy of strict rejection is disproportionate.

2. Income Shortfall

The net income after tax did not meet the Kronofogden normalbelopp requirement when combined with the applicant's housing costs, or the gross salary did not meet the threshold applicable during a particular permit period.

What this looks like: Migrationsverket will show their calculation — net income minus housing costs minus normalbelopp — and demonstrate a negative figure for one or more months.

This typically happens when:

• Part-time work reduced income during a portion of the four-year period
• Rental costs increased significantly, narrowing the surplus
• Tax rates were higher than expected, reducing net income below the threshold
• The applicant did not account for a dependent's normalbelopp

Response options: If the calculation is wrong — for example, Migrationsverket used incorrect rent figures or did not account for a partner's income — this is correctable on appeal with documentation. If the income genuinely did not meet the requirement, a successful appeal is unlikely.

3. Employment or Permit Gap

A period of time within the four-year window where the applicant did not have a valid permit (or had a permit but was not employed under it), reducing total qualifying months below the required threshold.

What this looks like: Migrationsverket identifies a gap between two permit periods — sometimes just days — and excludes that period from the qualifying count.

Response options: If the gap arose from an error in permit processing (Migrationsverket's own delay) rather than a failure by the applicant to apply in time, this is arguable on appeal. If the gap arose because the applicant filed the extension application after the prior permit expired, the appeal is more difficult.

4. Contract Does Not Satisfy the 18-Month Prospective Rule

At the time of Migrationsverket's decision, the applicant's employment contract does not extend for at least 18 months into the future.

What this looks like: The decision is issued in, say, September 2026, and the applicant's fixed-term contract ends in March 2027 — only six months away. The application is rejected.

Response options: This is one of the more recoverable rejection reasons. If your situation has changed and you now have a permanent contract or a contract with a longer remaining period, you can reapply with updated employment documentation. An appeal of the original decision is less useful here than a new application with the corrected documentation.

5. Employer Compliance Failure

From June 2026, Migrationsverket can reject a PUT application if the employer has been subject to tax sanctions, work environment violations, or criminal proceedings. This is distinct from the insurance gap — it reflects the employer's broader compliance record.

Response options: This is the hardest category to overcome on appeal because the failure is external to the applicant. If you have changed employers since the violation period, argue that you are no longer associated with the non-compliant entity. If you are still with the same employer, the options are limited unless the employer has substantially corrected their conduct.

The Appeal Process

Step 1: Reconsideration Request or Direct Appeal?

When Migrationsverket issues a rejection, it includes a legal review period. In some cases, you can request reconsideration (omprövning) from Migrationsverket itself if you have new evidence to submit that was not available at the time of the decision. Migrationsverket can change its own decision at this stage.

If reconsideration does not succeed or is not appropriate, you appeal (överklagande) to the Migration Court (Migrationsdomstolen). The appeal deadline is three weeks from the date the decision was served to you.

Step 2: Filing the Appeal

Appeals are filed in writing and submitted to Migrationsverket (not directly to the court — Migrationsverket forwards the appeal file to the court). Your appeal document should:

• State clearly which decision you are appealing (with case number)
• Explain the grounds for appeal: which specific element of the rejection you contest and why
• Attach all supporting evidence that addresses the rejection reason

The appeal is not a new application. You are asking the court to overturn Migrationsverket's decision based on an error of law or a factual error. You cannot introduce entirely new facts that change the basis of your claim; you contest the conclusion drawn from the existing record.

Step 3: Migration Court Proceedings

Migration courts in Sweden (located in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, and Sundsvall) hear immigration appeals. Written proceedings are standard; oral hearings are granted in cases where there is disputed evidence that benefits from direct examination.

Processing times for Migration Court appeals currently run six to twelve months. During the appeal period, you typically retain the right to remain in Sweden under a new permit extension application or, if Migrationsverket explicitly states it, under a suspensive effect of the appeal.

Step 4: Further Appeal to the Migration Court of Appeal

If the Migration Court rejects your appeal, you can apply for leave to appeal to the Migration Court of Appeal (Migrationsöverdomstolen). Leave is granted only in cases of significant precedent value. Most individual PUT cases involving factual disputes (insurance gaps, income levels) do not qualify. Cases raising questions of how new law applies to specific circumstances have a better chance.

Should You Hire a Lawyer for an Appeal?

For cases involving straightforward documentation corrections — a new employment contract, a corrected insurance certificate — you may be able to conduct the appeal yourself with clear documentation. For cases involving legal arguments about proportionality, the interpretation of "minor" errors, or employer compliance issues, legal advice is worth the cost. A lawyer's fee of SEK 15,000–20,000 is small relative to the value of the residency status at stake.

For the full PUT application process — how to build a clean file before submission and reduce the probability of rejection — see the Sweden Permanent Residency Guide.

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