Swedish Consulate NYC, New York – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Sweden Schengen Visa

Sweden is a beautiful country in the Schengen area and one that has a lot to offer its visitors. Beautiful cities, like Stockholm, has a lively nightlife and plenty of restaurants to enjoy fun evenings. It’s the countryside that has many more attractions and you’ll find national parks and nature reserves where you can go in search of some of the most stunning scenery in this part of the world – waterfalls, lakes, forests, and mountains. Sweden has it all! In this article learn more about how to apply for Sweden visa at the Swedish consulate in NYC, New York, Sweden visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Sweden visa application center, flight itinerary for Sweden visa, hotel bookings for Sweden visa, Schengen travel insurance for Sweden visa application, and Sweden Visa Application Process at the NYC Consulate.

Sweden Schengen Visa

Last year, there were a total of 248,347 Sweden Schengen visa applications received. 9.90% of these were denied. The consulate in New York does not deal with visa applications. They are received by VFS Global and reviewed by the embassy in Washington DC. The embassy received  3,225 applications and rejected 91 of them.

Applying for Sweden Schengen Visa from the United States

If you are a US citizen by birth, you do NOT need a visa to go to Sweden. If you are a non-US citizen and you are currently living in the United States on a permanent basis, you DO need to apply for a Sweden visa. However, you need to prove your legal residence status if you wish to apply from the US.

 You have to make sure you apply at the right Swedish embassy and consulate. The Consulate General of Sweden in New York does NOT handle visa applications, so if you wish to apply, you need to contact the Embassy of Sweden in Washington. If you reside in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia, you may apply through the visa office in Washington.

Please note, the embassy in Washington DC has outsourced its dealings with visa applications to VFS Global, so you will submit your application to their office in Washington. However, it will be the embassy that makes the final decision about your visa application.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at VFS Global in New York/the Embassy of Sweden in Washington DC

There are 2 types of visas that you can apply for. The one you need will depend on the duration of your trip and why you wish to go to Sweden:

1. Schengen visa – this is for stays up to a maximum of 90 days for the purposes of tourism, business, conference, sports, visiting family/friends and airport transit. These visas are issued as single, double, or multiple entry
2. National visa – this is a long-stay visa for over 90 days for the purposes of employment, study, residence etc. They are issued as single or multiple entry. For this type of visa, you may also need to get a work permit and/or residence permit. Your application can be submitted to the Embassy in Washington, but they will forward your documents to the Swedish Migration Agency for processing. For further information, go to the Swedish Migration Agency’s website for details on how to apply

Schengen Visa Application Process at VFS Global in New York/Embassy of Sweden in Washington DC

Visa applications are processed within 15 days. You can submit your application 90 days ahead of your intended departure date. Applications that are older than 90 days will NOT be accepted. Rush processing is not available, so don’t leave it too late.

Step 1: Complete your application

Applications for Schengen visas are made through VFS Global in New York. Go to their website and click on: “How to apply”:

You will see that you have 2 options:

1. Apply by mail – see VFS Global’s website to see whether you are able to do this
2. Visit VFS Global to submit your file – see their website for further details

You need to complete your visa application form, so click on whichever link applies to you and you will be directed to a step-by-step guide about what you need to do. You will find the link for the application form here:

For National visas, you can complete your application on the Swedish Migration Agency’s website.

Step 2: Make an appointment 

Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can also make an appointment on your own by following the below steps:

1. For Schengen visa applications, go to VFS Global’s website and click on: “Schedule an appointment”:
2. Next, create an account:
3. Or log in:
4. You’ll then be able to book a suitable day and time for your appointment.

Make sure you print your appointment letter as you will need this when you go for your appointment at VFS Global in New York.

For long-term visas, once you have received notification from the Swedish Migration Agency that they have received your application, you can contact the Swedish Embassy in Washington and schedule an appointment through their office

Step 3: Prepare your documents for submission to VFS Global in New York/Embassy of Sweden in Washington DC

Step 3 is to prepare your documents for your visa application. If you submit your application with anything missing, VFS Global will ask you whether you wish to proceed. It’s not a good idea to do so if you have not provided everything because the embassy will reject your application or, at the very least, it will cause delays.

Check VFS Global’s website for the documents required for each type of Schengen visa. For National visas, go to the Swedish Migration Agency’s website for information about the requirements.

You must also provide originals as well as photocopies, so remember to this part too!

Documents include:

1. Completed and signed visa application form
2. Passport – valid for 3 months past trip, issued no longer than 10 years ago and has 2 blank pages for visa
3. Residence card or valid US visa including re-entry permit
4. Passport-sized photo
5. Proof of professional status – employer letter/last 3 pay slips OR a letter from school/university OR business license and tax return OR proof of pension income
6. 3 x bank statements to prove sufficient financial means
   
7. Flight booking
8. Proof of hotel booking or other accommodation
9. Schengen travel insurance with a minimum of €30,000 to cover medical costs, emergency treatment, and repatriation
10. Birth certificate/Marriage certificate
11. Parental consent form/parent’s ID/declaration of consent (for minors)
12. Details of sponsorship/event
13. FBI record check
14. Work contract/enrollment letter/proof of property ownership/letter of invitation etc.

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2. Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 4: Attend your visa interview

If you have scheduled an appointment, go to VFS Global in New York (Schengen visa applications) or the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC (National visa applications). Remember to take:

1. Completed application form
2. Appointment letter
3. Supporting documents (including photocopies)

2 more tips for your appointment:

1. Arrive early – if you are late, you may have to reschedule
2. Dress smartly – this will help you make a good impression in front of the visa staff

The staff will examine your application and supporting documents. If they need more information, they may ask you additional questions. If they do this, simply answer politely, calmly and truthfully.

Typical questions include:

1. What is your job in the US?
2. Are you meeting anyone in Sweden or the Schengen area?
3. How much do you earn?
4. Has your employer approved time off for this trip?
5. Do you have any children?

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You will also pay the fee for your visa application. This is non-refundable even if your application is rejected. There is also an additional service fee of $33 payable to VFS Global. Plus, if you wish to have your passport mailed to you, VFS Global charge $30 for this service. You can pay by credit or debit card only.

The Embassy accepts money orders or certified bank checks. These should be payable to the Embassy of Sweden.

For postal applications, you should prepare 2 money orders or cashier’s checks:

1. $65 payable to the Embassy of Sweden
2. $63 payable to VFS Services USA Inc. ($33 service charge and $30 for return by mail)

If you have applied for a Schengen visa before, your biometric data can be used again as long as it is within a 5 year period. If this does not apply to you, a scan of your fingerprints and a photograph will be taken.

Step 5: Receive your visa

Once you submit your application, you have the opportunity to track it. Go to VFS Global’s website and click on the “Track your application” tab:

Key in your reference number and date of birth and click on: “Submit”:

If a decision has been reached, you can collect your passport or have it returned to you by mail.

There are 2 outcomes:

1. Approved – you will find your visa attached to one of the pages inside your passport
2. Rejected – your visa application has been rejected for a specific reason

Common rejection reasons include:

1. Damaged passport – if your passport has missing or loose pages or it is damaged in any other way, you must obtain a new one before applying for your visa
2. There was no travel insurance – you must have travel insurance when you apply for a visa
3. The invitation letter was missing – when you apply for a visa, if the nature of your trip requires an invitation letter, e.g. you are staying with a friend or you are visiting a company in Sweden etc., you must provide an invitation letter
4. Insufficient funds – you must be able to afford your trip and the documents you provide, i.e. bank statements, payslips etc., must prove this

Contact details for VFS Global in New York

Address: 145 West 45th Street, Floor 4, New York, NY 10036

Email: Sweden.usa@vfsglobal.com

Telephone: 347-329-2738 – Call center is open Monday to Friday, 8.00 am to 6.00 pm.

Hours:

Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 3.00 pm (submission of applications)

Monday to Friday, 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm (collection of passports)

Contact details for the Embassy of Sweden in Washington DC

Address: 2900 K Street NW, Washington DC 20007

Email: ambassaden.washington@gov.se

Telephone: +1 202 467 2600

Fax: +1 202 467 2699

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 5.00 pm

Passport hours: 2.00 pm to 4.30 pm

Visa phone hours: Monday and Thursday, 11.00 am to 12.00 pm

Conclusion

There are just 5 steps to apply for your Sweden Schengen visa:

1. Complete your application
2. Make an appointment
3. Prepare your documents
4. Attend your interview
5. Receive your visa

Once you have your visa, the next step will be getting ready for your exciting trip to Sweden!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

How To Apply for Sweden Schengen Visa at Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC

Worldwide Visa Requirements