Ægteskabudengrænser.dk

Greetings,

I've been so lucky, to meet a wonderful woman from the Philippines. I’m a Danish citizen, and since I’m a student, it doesn’t seem possible for us to live in Denmark, under the restrictive rules of the country.

So, our plan was to move to Sweden (we’re both over the age of 25), so we can finally live together.

My questions are as follows:

What’s required for me to acquire an apartment in Malmø?

Is there anything else which is required besides Swedish residency to qualify for getting my girlfriend to live with me in Malmø?

Will it be possible to keep my Danish citizenship living in Sweden, with the benefits of still attending university in Copenhagen and receiving SU? (I still have many years left, before I get my degree)

Also, any advice for how we should go about doing this would be greatly appreciated. I’ve been looking over the threads on the forum, and I see many are in sort of the same position, it has been quite educational reading it and any guidance from those respective individuals, would make the both of us happy.

Thanks in advance!

First of all, if you do not want to get married, you - or rather your girlfriend - will have to apply for residence permit according to Swedish law. It requires that you move to Sweden first, and that she applies from her home country.

Under the Swedish rules there are very few requirements you have to fulfill.

You can only use the EU-rules if you are married or can prove legitimate cohabitation for app. 18 months.

As a Danish citizen you can just move when you have found an apartment that you can afford and where you will be permitted to and able to stand to live 2 persons for 18 months, until you can use the EU-rules to move back to DK.

Read the info under RÅDGIVNING - FLYTTE TIL SVERIGE/EU-LAND.

I fully agree in mh's answer. I just want to add these informations:

You do not lose your Danish - respectively Filipino - citizenship, just because you move to another country. You will only lose it, if you after a number of years in the host country apply for another citizenship and that application will be approved by the relevant authorities.

As a student, you have to show your educational plan and you have to show the papers from Statens Uddannelsesstøtte (educational benefit documents) to Migrationsverket (Swedish immigration authorities) along with your written signature on a paper, where you promise that you are able to support the both of you without any help from the Swedish social benefit system.

I made a similar move a couple years back, though I went from Germany to Sweden for a similar reason—my partner’s residency situation made things tricky. Getting an apartment in Malmö isn’t hugely complicated, but it can take time, especially if you're aiming for something affordable or close to transport. I found mine through Boplats Syd, but many people also use private rental websites. Just be prepared with all your documents upfront—proof of income, ID, and maybe reference letters from previous landlords if you’ve rented elsewhere.

Also, keeping your Danish citizenship and SU while living in Sweden should be fine, but you should stay in close contact with SU regarding regulations. I had to provide proof that I was still actively enrolled and attending classes, so that might be something to get ahead of. Sorting out moving logistics between countries isn’t too hard either—but for help on that side, I’m working with Three Movers right now for an international move. Way more efficient than doing it myself.