Your rights while you wait for an asylum decision

Last updated: 22/1-2024

Asylum seeking children have the same rights as other children in Swedish society.

What this means, for example, is that:

  • You have the right to express your opinions and feelings. Adults have to listen to you and your needs when they are making a decision that concerns you.
  • You are entitled to medical care and dental care if you need it.
  • You have the right attend school.

Special rights while you are an asylum seeker

You have the right to attend a school, just like other children who live in Sweden do, while you are waiting for a decision on your asylum application.

If you are under 18 you have the same right to medical care and dental care as other children living in Sweden. Dental care is free for anyone who is under 18 years old, and medical care is often free for anyone who is under 18.

If you don't have any money, or if you are not earning any money, you can apply for financial support from the Migration Agency.

If you are 16 or older and have helped prove who you are during the asylum investigation you may have the right to work in Sweden during the time you are an asylum seeker.

You must have been given a certificate to prove that you may work while you wait for a decision on your asylum application. This is known as getting AT-UND. You can receive an AT-UND from the Migration Agency.

If you have an impaired functional ability that affects you physically or mentally, this is known as having a functional impairment. If you have a functional impairment you have special rights during your time as an asylum seeker:

  • You are entitled to help in talking to the Migration Agency's case officer when you apply for asylum.
  • You are entitled to support to facilitate your entry into Swedish society, if you are granted a residence permit.
  • The municipality where you live has to ensure that you receive the support you need in order to manage your everyday existence.

Children have the right to be with their family. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Sweden has signed, says so.

Swedish government agencies can help you find your family if you arrived in Sweden without them. If your parents or other family members are safe in another country you may be allowed to joint hem there.

If your family are not safe in another country, your family members can apply for residence permits in Sweden. This is only possible if you have been granted a residence permit here as a refugee or as a beneficiary of subsidiary protection status.

You have the right to appeal the Migration Agency's decision if your asylum application is refused.