Rejected Sweden Schengen visa? Embassy explains appeal process and strict timelines

 

For Indian applicants facing rejection on their Sweden Schengen visa applications, the Embassy has laid out a structured and time-bound appeal process. The guidelines emphasise that applicants have no more than three weeks from the day they receive their decision letter to submit an appeal.

Filing the appeal

According to the Embassy, the appeal must be in writing and should state clearly:

• Which decision you wish to appeal

• How you want the decision to be changed

• Your personal details (name, date of birth, postal address, email, and phone number)

• Any new information or documents you wish to add that were not part of the original application

Applicants may write their appeal in Swedish or English and submit it by email to migration.new-delhi@gov.se, or send a physical copy directly to the Embassy. However, the Embassy cautions: “Do not send your appeal several times or in different ways.”

If someone other than the applicant signs the appeal, they must provide a valid power of attorney.

Document preparation tips

Applicants are advised to keep their appeal crisp and to the point, ideally no longer than a page. Supporting documents should be arranged as per the checklist and combined into 2–3 PDFs:

1. Signed appeal letter (matching the signature in the passport)

2. Documents originally submitted with the application

3. Additional documents supporting the appeal

Experts recommend compressing files so they remain light and easy to send, as this speeds up the Embassy’s review.

Embassy review and escalation

If the Embassy considers the decision incorrect or finds merit in the new documents, the refusal may be overturned in a matter of days. However, if the Embassy does not change its decision, the appeal is forwarded to the Administrative Court in Stockholm (Förvaltningsrätten i Stockholm).

The Embassy explains: “Your application, the decision, and all other documents submitted in the case will be sent to the court in Stockholm. The court then makes a decision and notifies you at the address you specified in the application or in the appeal.”

Once the case is transferred to the court, all inquiries must be addressed directly to the court, not the Embassy.

Timeframes and next steps

If the Embassy itself changes the decision, applicants are contacted within a few working days. If the case goes to the Administrative Court, the timeline can stretch significantly longer. The Embassy advises checking official processing times to manage expectations.

The appeal process, though technical, gives applicants a second chance to strengthen their case. But the three-week deadline is non-negotiable: if an appeal is not filed on time, it will be automatically rejected.