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Sweden · Business visa

Sweden visa guide

Sweden Business Visa

A Schengen type C visa for business meetings, conferences and business events in Sweden, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, decided in New Delhi.

Business Visitor

₹4,999all-in · GST included

Visa refused? Our consultancy fee is refunded under the Refund Policy. Embassy and VFS fees are never ours to refund. How the refund works

Pay & startAsk on WhatsApp first
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What’s included

  • Filing + business cover letter
  • Host invitation coordination
  • GST + ITR documentation review
  • Interview prep (US B1 / UK)

Your file is ready to submit within 3 working days of us receiving your complete documents.

Government and VFS fees are paid to them at cost: the embassy visa fee is €90 per adult, set uniformly by the EU for all 29 Schengen states.

What you pay, line by line
Our fee
₹4,999
All-in, GST included. Paid to us.
Embassy visa fee
€90 per adult
Set uniformly by the EU for all 29 Schengen states. Paid to the embassy at cost.
VFS / appointment charge
Varies by centre
Paid to VFS (or the appointment partner) at cost.

Nothing is added to our fee. The number on the page is the number.

Licence No. 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC‑3/20245.0 · 112 Google reviewsPatiala office, Nabha Road

Processing
Usually 15 calendar days from the day the file reaches the Embassy
Support
Your own consultant

Your journey with Lifeset

Sweden business visa, from first message to passport back.

  1. 1Day 0Tell us your planWhatsApp or a call. A consultant asks the right questions and says plainly whether a Sweden business visa is realistic for you.
  2. 2Same dayYour tailored checklistA document list for your case, not a generic one, including the invitation and company papers. You collect; we answer every "which one?" on WhatsApp.
  3. 3As documents arriveReview and refusal checkEvery paper is checked. Gaps in funds, ties or travel history are flagged and fixed before anything is submitted.
  4. 4Within 3 working daysFile ready, appointment bookedForms and cover letter done; your the visa centre appointment is booked, subject to the slots the centre has open.
  5. 5Appointment dayBiometrics and submissionYou attend the visa centre with a file assembled in the order the officer reads it.
  6. 6DecisionDecision receivedWe track the file to the decision. Approved: your passport comes back with the visa. Refused: our professional fee comes back under the Refund Policy and we plan the reapplication.

Side by side

Three ways to file your Sweden business visa. Here is what each one includes.

  • Government licence you can verify

    Licence No. 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024, District Magistrate Patiala

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • One fixed, all-in fee quoted upfront

    GST included; embassy and centre fees at cost

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Professional fee back if refused

    Under the published Refund Policy

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Refusal-trigger check before filing

    Funds, ties and history checked against the refusal reasons we see most

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Cover letter written for your case

    Not a template

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Appointment or interview booked for you

    VFS, BLS or consulate, at your nearest centre

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Named consultant on WhatsApp till decision

    The person who reads your file is the one who answers

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • GST invoice from a registered Pvt Ltd

    Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd · GSTIN 03AAOCP3999C1Z5

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

“Varies” means it depends on the agent; ask for their licence number and refund terms in writing. The full, sourced comparison

Sweden Business Visa — overview

Start here

A Sweden business visa is the Schengen short-stay visa (type C) for business meetings, conferences and business events, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. You apply on paper form 119031 at a VFS Global centre, New Delhi being the nearest for Punjab, and the Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi decides, normally within 15 calendar days.

Sweden wants the trade behind the trip: an invitation that states the purpose, dates and who pays, plus invoices, orders or business correspondence proving the relationship, and an employer's letter signed by an authorised signatory. Conference delegates add their enrolment confirmation and fee receipt.

Do Indians need a visa for a business trip to Sweden, and which one?

Yes. Business meetings, conferences and business events in Sweden all use the Schengen short-stay visa, type C, which Sweden files under its Business and Conference visa checklist. Each stay can last up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across all Schengen countries. The application is made on paper, on Sweden's form 119031, and lodged at VFS Global. The Embassy in New Delhi takes most decisions, and a few files are referred to the Migration Agency in Sweden.

A business visa does not make paid work legal. The Migration Agency says it is only in exceptional cases that you may work in Sweden on an entry visa without a work permit, so keep the trip to meetings, negotiations, conferences and events, and describe them precisely.

Sweden business visa in brief

VisaPaper form 119031
Schengen type C, business or conference
Stay allowed
Up to 90 days in any 180
Decided byA few files are referred to Migrationsverket
Embassy of Sweden, New Delhi
Key extra proofShowing a real business relationship
Invoices, orders or correspondence
Employer letterA line manager's signature is not enough
Signed by an authorised signatory
Nearest centre to PunjabNo Sweden centre in Chandigarh
VFS New Delhi

Sweden's Embassy in India, VFS Global and Migrationsverket; checked 14 Oct 2026

Where do applicants from Punjab apply?

Sweden takes visa applications at nine VFS Global centres in India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune. There is no Sweden centre in Chandigarh, so business travellers from Punjab and Haryana normally lodge in New Delhi. That is also the fastest route, because files from the other eight centres spend two more days in the post before they reach the Embassy.

Ways in for a business traveller:

  • Appointment, booked on the VFS Sweden site.
  • Walk-in, between noon and 2 pm on weekdays, at every Sweden centre in India. VFS suspends this now and then, as it did between 21 and 25 September 2026; look at its notices first.
  • A representative, if you have travelled recently. If your fingerprints are already on record from a Schengen application in the last five years, the Migration Agency lets someone else lodge the file for you. The Embassy then needs the power of attorney in original, signed by you, plus a copy of that person's Indian government photo ID. For a company that sends staff to Sweden often, this saves a trip to Delhi.

Complete form 119031 in the fillable PDF, print it double-sided, then sign and date it. Our Sweden appointment availability page tracks how dates are moving.

Which documents depend on your situation?

The standard documents are listed further down. Sweden's business checklist then asks to see the trade behind the trip, with the paperwork to prove it.

The invitation. A personal invitation from the company, commercial organisation or event that invited you. It gives the purpose of the trip, the period and place of the stay, and, if the host is paying, a written commitment to cover your expenses.

Proof of the purpose. The checklist asks for any other documents that may prove the purpose of the visit, and for a business trip it names them: invoices, business correspondence or orders proving that a business relationship exists. A recent purchase order, a commercial invoice between the two firms and the emails arranging the visit do this job.

Your employer's letter. A document from your employer certifying your travel to Sweden, signed by an authorised signatory. In practice that means a director, HR head or company secretary on letterhead, with name and designation.

Then by situation:

  • Employee

    What Sweden's checklist adds
    Pay slips for three months, the employment contract, and the employer's approval of the leave

  • Self-employed or owner

    What Sweden's checklist adds
    PAN registration and bank statements for three months, or company registration proof

  • Conference or training delegate

    What Sweden's checklist adds
    Confirmation of your enrolment and, if there is a fee, proof that it has been paid

  • Civil servant on official duty

    What Sweden's checklist adds
    The original travel order; for an official or service passport, the original Note Verbale from the foreign ministry

  • Retired, travelling on business

    What Sweden's checklist adds
    Pension statements covering three months, or evidence of steady property or business income

All applicants also show bank statements for the past three months, any further evidence of solvency, ITRs (income tax declarations) for two assessment years and, where someone else pays, proof of sponsorship. Hotel bookings must cover the entire stay. Documents not in English or Swedish need an authorised translation, and the Embassy accepts only A4 paper. No affidavits: the Embassy of Sweden does not treat an affidavit as evidence.

How much is the Sweden business visa fee for Indians?

A business visa costs €90, the standard Schengen fee, or €45 for a child aged 6 to 11. On top, VFS charges €19 per application, GST included. You pay both at the counter, by cash or card, with the euro fee converted to rupees on the day; a refusal brings no refund of either. Some delegates pay no visa fee at all: researchers travelling for scientific research, and representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 or under attending seminars, conferences or events organised by non-profits. Our filing fee is shown at the top of this page.

How long does it take, and when should you apply?

The Embassy works to 15 calendar days, counted from the date your file arrives in New Delhi, and files from centres outside Delhi spend two more days in the post. A case needing closer scrutiny can stretch to 45 calendar days, and the Embassy warns that an exceptional one may need as long as 60 days.

  • Earliest: 6 months before the trip.
  • Latest: leave far more than 15 days. The checklist you sign at VFS warns that a travel date inside the 15-day standard processing period can lead to the file being rejected or written off.
  • Conferences: register for the event early, because the enrolment confirmation and fee receipt belong in the file.

Why do Sweden business visas get refused for Indian applicants?

Sweden decides under the EU Visa Code, and the Embassy adds that an application whose real purpose differs from the one stated will be dismissed or refused. Business files fail in these places.

A relationship that is claimed, not shown

Two friendly letters do not prove trade. Sweden's checklist asks for invoices, business correspondence or orders. Without them, the officer can find the purpose of the trip unjustified.

An employer letter signed by the wrong person

The checklist wants the travel certified by an authorised signatory. A letter from a team leader with no designation, or with no letterhead, is weak evidence that the company stands behind the trip.

Activities that look like work

Paid work needs a work permit, except in narrow cases. If the invitation describes hands-on paid work, or a long stay with no clear agenda, the officer sees employment rather than a business visit.

Financial papers replaced by an affidavit

The checklist demands bank statements, solvency documents and two years of income tax declarations. An affidavit cannot stand in for any of them, and the Embassy decides an incomplete file on whatever it holds.

Filing too close to the meeting

Lodge inside the 15-day processing window and the Embassy can reject the file or write it off, with no refund. Book the VFS slot as soon as the meeting dates are fixed.

The standard grounds are explained one by one in the refusal-reasons guide for Schengen visas.

Tips for a stronger file

  • Brief the Swedish host. Ask for an invitation that gives the purpose, the dates, the city and who pays your costs, on letterhead and signed.
  • Attach the paper trail. A purchase order, an invoice and the emails arranging the visit.
  • Get the right signature. Your employer's letter signed by an authorised signatory, naming your position and confirming the trip and your return.
  • Match all dates. Invitation, employer letter, hotel booking for the entire stay, return flight reservation and insurance should agree to the day.
  • Insure through an approved company. The Embassy accepts medical travel insurance only from Indian insurers on the Schengen-approved list, with cover of at least €30,000 in all Schengen countries.
  • Bring every passport. All previous passports, whatever their condition, with a note for any that are lost. Handwritten Indian passports are not accepted.
  • Carry copies to the border. A visa does not guarantee entry; carry the invitation and bookings so you can answer the border officer's questions.

Can frequent business travellers get a longer Sweden visa?

Yes, if the record supports it. Since 22 April 2024 Sweden has fully applied the EU cascade for Indian nationals. Someone who has had two Schengen visas in the previous three years, and used both lawfully, receives a two-year multiple-entry visa when they meet the entry conditions. The Migration Agency notes that a multiple-entry Schengen visa can be valid for up to five years, with each stay limited to 90 days in any 180.

Two practical points. First, the visa cannot outlast your passport: under the cascade rules its validity ends three months before the passport expires, so renew an old passport before applying. Second, once you have given fingerprints within the past five years, a representative can lodge later applications for you with your power of attorney.

If you are refused, you can send a written appeal to the Embassy within three weeks of receiving the decision; if the Embassy does not change it, the case goes to the Administrative Court in Stockholm. For holiday and family trips, see the Sweden tourist visa guide and the guide to visiting relatives in Sweden.

Official sources

Documents you need

13 items

  • Application form 119031

    Typed, printed back to back, signed and dated, with one photo attached: white background, 3.5 cm × 4.5 cm, under six months old.

  • Passport, original and copy

    Valid at least three months after you leave, with copies of any extension and observation pages. Handwritten Indian passports are not accepted.

  • All previous passports

    Every earlier passport available, whatever its condition. A note if one is lost.

  • Personal invitation

    From the company, commercial organisation or event that invited you, with the purpose, period and place of stay, and its commitment to cover expenses if it pays.

  • Proof of the business relationship

    Invoices, business correspondence or orders showing that the two companies really trade.

  • Employer's letter

    Certifying your travel to Sweden, signed by an authorised signatory on company letterhead.

  • Conference or training papers

    Confirmation of your enrolment and, if applicable, proof that the enrolment fee has been paid.

  • Hotel booking

    Covering the entire planned stay in the Schengen area.

  • Flight reservation

    A return reservation, plus intra-Schengen flight, train or car-hire bookings if you visit several states.

  • Travel medical insurance

    From an approved Indian insurer, valid in all Schengen countries, at least €30,000, covering the whole trip including arrival and departure dates.

  • Proof of your occupation

    Employees: three months of pay slips, contract and leave approval. Self-employed: PAN registration with three months of statements, or company registration. Retired: three months of pension statements.

  • Proof of financial means

    Three months of bank statements, other proof of solvency, income tax declarations for two assessment years, and proof of sponsorship if sponsored.

  • Government officials

    The original travel order; for an official or service passport, the original Note Verbale.

How the process works

6 steps

Typical processing: Usually 15 calendar days from the day the file reaches the Embassy. Plus 2 days from centres outside Delhi; up to 45, or 60 in exceptional cases

  1. Step 1

    Collect the business proof first

    The Swedish invitation, invoices or orders between the companies, and your employer's letter from an authorised signatory.

  2. Step 2

    Fill in form 119031 on the computer

    Use the editable PDF, print back to back, sign and date it, and attach your photo.

  3. Step 3

    Assemble the rest of the checklist

    All passports, hotel and flight bookings, approved insurance, financial papers and translations, on A4.

  4. Step 4

    Lodge at VFS New Delhi

    By appointment or as a walk-in from noon to 2 pm; a representative can lodge if your fingerprints are under five years old.

  5. Step 5

    Pay and give biometrics

    Pay the €90 visa fee and €19 VFS charge, and sign the checklist remark about late travel dates.

  6. Step 6

    Decision and collection

    15 calendar days from the file reaching the Embassy. Check the sticker's dates, entries and passport number when you collect it.

Costs & fees

Transparent

Item

Amount

Schengen visa fee, business (adult)

Paid at VFS in rupees at the current exchange rate, in cash or by card. Not refunded if refused.

€90

Schengen visa fee (child aged 6 to 11)

No visa fee under 6.

€45

VFS service charge

Per application, including GST. Non-refundable.

€19

Courier (optional)

VFS extra; can be added after submission.

€7

Government and third-party fees change often — we confirm the exact current amounts for your case before you pay anything.

Official sourcesLast verified

Frequently asked questions

12 answers

  • More than the invitation. Sweden's business checklist asks for any other documents that may prove the purpose of the visit, and for a business trip it names invoices, business correspondence or orders proving that a business relationship exists. A recent purchase order, a commercial invoice between the two companies and the emails arranging the visit show the officer that the trade is real.

  • Sweden asks for a personal invitation from the company, commercial organisation or event that invited you. It should state the purpose of the trip and the period and place of the intended stay, and, if the host is bearing your expenses, its written commitment to cover them. Ask for it on letterhead, signed, with dates that match your bookings.

  • An authorised signatory. Sweden's checklist asks for a document from your employer certifying your travel to Sweden, signed by someone authorised to sign for the company, such as a director, HR head or company secretary, on letterhead with name and designation. A letter from a line manager without that authority is weak evidence that the company stands behind the trip.

  • Confirmation of your enrolment and, if there is a fee, proof that it has been paid, along with the organiser's invitation, your employer's signed letter, a hotel booking for the entire stay, a return flight reservation and approved travel insurance. Researchers travelling for scientific research, and non-profit representatives aged 25 or under at events organised by non-profits, are exempt from the visa fee.

  • No. Sweden's VFS Global centres in India are in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Ahmedabad, so business travellers from Punjab and Haryana usually lodge in New Delhi. Files from New Delhi reach the Embassy faster, because applications from other centres take two more days by post.

  • Yes, if you gave fingerprints for a Schengen visa within the past five years. The Swedish Migration Agency then allows a representative to submit for you with your power of attorney. The Embassy asks for the original power of attorney signed by you and a copy of the representative's Indian government photo ID. First-time applicants must go in person for biometrics.

  • No. The checklist states that an affidavit will not be considered as a document of evidence by the Embassy of Sweden. Financial means must be shown with bank statements, solvency documents and income tax declarations for the last two assessment years, and identity or name questions with official certificates. An incomplete file is decided on the documents already submitted.

  • Generally not. The Swedish Migration Agency says it is only in exceptional cases that you may work in Sweden on an entry visa without a work permit. Business meetings, negotiations, conferences and events are fine; a job, or hands-on paid work for a Swedish client, needs a work permit. Describe your agenda precisely in both letters so the purpose is clear.

  • As soon as the dates are firm, and up to 6 months ahead. At VFS you sign a remark that if your travel date falls within 15 calendar days of the standard processing time, the Embassy may not process the file in time and it may be rejected or written off. Add two days of post if you apply outside New Delhi.

  • Yes, if your record supports it. Sweden fully applies the EU's cascade rules for Indians: after two Schengen visas obtained and lawfully used within the previous three years, a two-year multiple-entry visa is issued, provided the entry conditions are met. The visa's validity ends three months before your passport expires, so renew an old passport first.

  • Yes, usually. VFS accepts walk-in applications between noon and 2 pm, Monday to Friday except holidays, at all its Sweden centres in India. It occasionally suspends walk-ins, as it did across India from 21 to 25 September 2026, so check the VFS Sweden news page before you travel. An appointment is the safer choice for a fixed meeting date.

  • The decision explains why, and you can send a written appeal to the Embassy in Swedish or English within three weeks of receiving it, stating what you want changed and adding any new evidence. If the Embassy does not change its decision, it forwards the case to the Administrative Court in Stockholm. A fresh application with the missing proof of trade is often faster.

Going it alone vs filing with us

Why it matters

On your own

  • Guessing the document list — one missing or wrongly formatted paper triggers a refusal.
  • Generic cover letters copied from the internet that officers recognise and flag.
  • No read on peak rejection windows or what this visa post is strict about.
  • Government and VFS fees are non-refundable — money lost if you are refused.
  • A refusal stamp follows you and weakens every future visa application.

With Lifeset Overseas

  • An honest case assessment before you spend a rupee on government fees.
  • A file built to the embassy's exact checklist and in the exact order.
  • Weak finances, ties or purpose identified and fixed before submission.
  • Previously refused? We can rescue and rebuild the file.
  • Every case handled by one consultant, end to end.

A refusal isn't the end

Refused before?

A refusal is not a permanent bar — but it only improves if the actual reason is found and answered, and nobody can tell you a second application will succeed. If a Sweden visa has been refused, we:

  • Read the actual refusal letter and pinpoint the real gaps.
  • Advise whether to pull the officer's notes (CAIPS / GCMS) for the true reason.
  • Identify which part was weak — funds, employment, purpose or ties.
  • Tell you honestly whether to reapply now or strengthen the file first.

Visa refused? Our consultancy fee is refunded under the Refund Policy. Embassy and VFS fees are never ours to refund. Read the refund policy

Get refusal support Ask about my refusal

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Start small. Go as far as you need.

Every price is all-in with GST included. Embassy and VFS fees are paid to them, at cost.

  1. / 01Free

    Free readiness check

    A few questions, a plain score. See where your Sweden file is weak before you spend anything.

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  2. / 02₹499

    Visa File Readiness Report

    A consultant reads your actual papers and writes down what is missing and what an officer will doubt.

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  3. / 03Priced per fix

    Fix one problem

    Checklist, cover letter, financial proof, SOP or a slot — buy only the piece you need.

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  4. / 04From ₹4,999

    Full filing, done for you

    Every form, every document, VFS booking and tracking until the decision — one consultant end to end.

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Other Sweden visas

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