China → Sweden
Short stay is limited by the granted Schengen short-stay visa; a visa does not itself guarantee entry.
China is listed in Annex I of EU Regulation 2018/1806, so a visa is required before travel for a short visit to Sweden/the Schengen external border. The passport should normally be valid at least 3 months after intended departure from the Schengen area and issued within the previous 10 years; traveller must also justify purpose, accommodation/itinerary, return or onward travel, sufficient funds, and not be subject to a Schengen refusal-of-entry alert.
Based on passport-specific data. · as of 2026-06-18
Official source ↗Documents that change the outcome
- Visa-free· schengen_visa · 90 days
For passports that otherwise require a visa, a valid Schengen short-stay visa covering Sweden/the Schengen area permits entry subject to the visa's entries, validity and duration of stay; total stay remains subject to the 90 days in any 180-day rule. This does not change the outcome for passports already visa-free.
source ↗
Documents & how to apply
- Schengen visa application form — Completed and signed in English or Swedish; VFS advises completing the editable PDF electronically and printing it.
- Personal data processing consent form — VFS states this must be printed, completed, signed and submitted with the visa application form.
- Passport-size photo · optional — Listed for applicants whose Schengen biometrics were collected in the past 59 months and children under 12; recent color photo, light background, bareheaded unless religious reasons apply.
- Passport or other travel document and copies — Must be valid at least 3 months after departure from the Schengen area, signed by the holder, and have at least 2 blank pages; include two identity-page copies and copies of previous Schengen visa and entry/exit stamp pages in current and old passports.
- Old passport if a new passport was issued within the last year · optional — If a new passport was issued within the last year, show the old passport and submit copies of its identity page and all pages with stamps and visas.
- Chinese identity card — Original plus copy of both sides; no translation required.
- Household registration book / hukou · optional — The tourism checklist lists original hukou and photocopy of all pages; no translation required.
- Travel medical insurance — Must cover all Schengen states and the full stay, minimum coverage EUR 30,000, including medical repatriation, urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment or death; printed certificate required.
- Round-trip flight reservation · optional — The tourism checklist lists a round-trip reservation showing route and return to China; it notes tickets should be bought only after visa issuance.
- Proof of accommodation · optional — The tourism checklist lists proof of accommodation for the whole intended stay, such as hotel booking or other accommodation proof.
- Travel programme / itinerary · optional — Tourism applications require a programme clarifying purpose and destinations; business invitation letters must include stay duration, visit reason, schedule and itinerary.
- Proof of solvency — Required amount is SEK 450 per day. Tourism requires bank statements from the last 3 months and no deposit certificate; business requires bank statements if self-funded, or expense coverage stated in the dispatch/invitation letter.
- Employment, retirement, unemployed, student or minor status documents · optional — The tourism checklist lists documents by applicant status, including employer letter, company license/code certificate copy, pension/retirement and regular income proof, spouse/other income proof, school letter, and notarized/legalized family or guardianship and travel consent documents for minors.
- Invitation letter from Swedish business partner · optional — Required for business visits: original signed invitation on Swedish company letterhead stating company contact details, signer name and position, intended duration, reason, schedule/itinerary, and whether expenses or return financial guarantee are covered.
- Dispatch letter from employer · optional — Required for business visits: original English dispatch letter on employer letterhead, signed and stamped, with company details, signer details, applicant position/salary/service years, leave approval, intended stay and purpose, confirmation of position after return, and whether expenses are covered.
- Business license or organization code certificate copies for both companies · optional — Required for business visits: copies for both Chinese and Swedish companies; Swedish company registration printout must be issued within one year of application and stamped.
⏱ Usually 15 calendar days from the date the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing or Consulate General of Sweden in Shanghai receives the application documents; in some cases up to 45 calendar days. 💳 90 EUR (government fee) 📍 Apply through VFS Global Sweden Visa Application Centres; in general applicants submit in person, while applicants with Schengen biometrics collected in the past 59 months may authorize a third party subject to VFS requirements. Applications submitted in Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou are sent to the Consulate General of Sweden in Shanghai; other centres send applications to the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing.
Apply early: applications may be submitted up to 6 months before intended arrival in the Schengen area and should normally be submitted at least 15 calendar days before travel. Chinese documents generally need an authorized translation unless the checklist says no translation is needed.
Requirements vary by consulate — verify with the official source. official ↗
Regional stay rules
Short stays are generally limited to up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across the Schengen Area as a shared area.
Common questions
No. China is listed in EU Annex I, so a visa is required for a short visit to Sweden; EU/Swedish rules do not list a U.S. visa as a substitute for a Schengen visa.
No. A U.S. permanent resident card is not listed as a Schengen short-stay visa waiver under EU Regulation 2018/1806; a Chinese passport holder still needs a Schengen visa.
British citizen passports are visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. As of 2026-06-18, ETIAS was not yet mandatory.
As of 2026-06-18, a Hong Kong SAR passport holder is visa-free for short visits to Sweden for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; ETIAS was not yet mandatory.
Usually no, provided the Taiwan passport includes an identity card number; stay is up to 90 days in any 180-day period. As of 2026-06-18, ETIAS was not yet mandatory.
Verify with official sources
Visa policy changes without notice and this page is reference information that may contain errors. Before travel, verify via the official sources below or contact the destination country's embassy / consulate / immigration authority directly; final admission is at the destination government's discretion.