Sweden does not offer a generic work visa; you apply for a work permit tied directly to a single employer and specific occupation. Your employer must initiate the process by advertising the role and submitting an offer through the authorities before you can complete your application from abroad. Since June 2026, you must also earn at least 90 per cent of Sweden's median salary to qualify.

Who needs a Swedish work permit and who does not

Citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA generally need a permit to work in Sweden, whether they are employed by a Swedish company or an employer based abroad. EU/EEA citizens exercising their right of residence through employment do not need a residence permit to live and work in the country.

You do not need a separate work permit if you already hold:

As a rule, you must apply for your first work permit from outside Sweden. Submitting the application from within the country can lead to a refusal. Exceptions to this rule exist only for specific groups, such as students who have completed at least two semesters of higher education in Sweden and individuals holding a look-for-work permit. For an overview of moving steps, see our guide on moving to Sweden.

The salary requirement in 2026

Since 1 June 2026, obtaining a work permit requires a monthly salary equal to at least 90 per cent of the national median salary at the time you apply. This rule fully replaced the previous 'good living' standard. Statistics Sweden updated the median salary to SEK 38,300 on 16 June 2026, so the salary requirement is at least SEK 34,470 a month from 16 June 2026. The official median figure published on the day you submit your application is the benchmark used to assess your case. This requirement applies to every decision issued on or after 1 June 2026, even if you submitted the application before that date.

Meeting the statutory threshold alone is not always enough. Your salary must also match Swedish collective agreements (kollektivavtal) or standard practice for your occupation, meaning your required salary may be higher than SEK 34,470. You can check how your contract compares against general benchmarks in our overview of minimum wage and salaries in Sweden.

When calculating whether your pay meets the threshold, the following rules apply:

Transitional rules apply to existing permit holders. If you received your current work permit before 1 June 2026 and apply for an extension between 1 June and 1 December 2026, you remain under the previous 80 per cent maintenance requirement. For these transitional extensions, the salary floor is SEK 30,640 per month. However, all extension applications registered from 2 December 2026 onwards must satisfy the full 90 per cent requirement.

Occupations and groups with a lower floor, and jobs that no longer qualify

Certain occupations and categories are exempt from the standard salary threshold. These qualifying groups must instead earn at least 75 per cent of the median salary at the time of application.

Exempt occupations listed in the Aliens Ordinance (utlänningsförordningen) include:

The reduced 75 per cent threshold also covers:

Conversely, some occupations are completely excluded. Since 1 June 2026, no regular work permit can be granted for work as a personal assistant or as a forest berry picker. Berry pickers working for an employer established in Sweden can apply for a seasonal work permit instead. Seasonal permits now allow stays of up to nine months within a twelve-month period (up from six months previously), and the employer must pay at least the full-time collective agreement minimum even if the employment is part-time.

What the employer has to do before you apply

Your employer must complete several mandatory steps before your application can proceed:

  1. Advertise the role: The position must be advertised across Sweden, the EU/EEA and Switzerland for at least ten days. Listing the vacancy on the Arbetsförmedlingen portal automatically shares it with EURES. A private job posting, such as a LinkedIn ad alone, is usually insufficient. The employment contract can only be signed after this ten-day advertising window closes.
  2. Offer standard terms: Compensation and working conditions must align with Swedish collective agreements or established industry standards.
  3. Arrange insurance: By the start date, the employer must have arranged health insurance, life insurance, industrial injury insurance and occupational pension insurance. If you later apply for an extension, your employer must prove these insurance policies remained active throughout your entire permit term. Furthermore, since 1 June 2026, any employee staying in Sweden for up to one year must show comprehensive health insurance that they hold or have requested.
  4. Union consultation: The relevant trade union must be given the opportunity to review and comment on the employment terms. If the union does not reply, Migrationsverket decides independently whether the terms reflect collective agreements.

Certain sectors face higher scrutiny, including cleaning, hotel and restaurant, construction, trade, agriculture and forestry, car repair, some services and staffing. Employers in these industries must prove upfront that they can pay your salary for at least three months. Public-sector employers are exempt from this extra financial check.

Since 1 June 2026, Migrationsverket may also reject an application due to employer-related issues, including criminal conduct or official sanctions.

Applying, fees and how long it takes

The employer starts the application in Migrationsverket's e-service; the worker, who must be 18 or older and pay by Visa or Mastercard, completes their part, and only then is it registered. Most applicants then present their passport through a digital passport check in an app.

Fees are non-refundable even if your application is refused:

Under Swedish law, a decision on a complete work permit application must be issued within four months unless special grounds apply. Official statistics published by Migrationsverket as of October 2026 show that three out of four cases were resolved within 120 days. For highly qualified workers (SSYK occupational groups 1 to 3 outside high-scrutiny sectors, as well as EU Blue Card applicants), complete applications are processed within 30 days; an incomplete file can take up to four months. Across all permits decided over the preceding 12 months, 75 per cent of complete files for highly qualified staff were processed within one month (two months if incomplete). For other roles, 75 per cent were decided within four months if complete and nine months if incomplete.

Since 13 July 2026, stricter good-conduct requirements apply to residence permit applicants, including those applying on the basis of employment, such as checks on unpaid debts and benefit claims.

How long the permit lasts, changing jobs and losing your job

A standard work permit is issued for a maximum of two years at a time. It cannot exceed the validity of your employment contract or your passport. You can apply to extend the permit no earlier than two months before it expires. As long as you submit an extension application before your current permit runs out, you may continue working for your employer while awaiting the decision.

During your first two years, your permit is tied to both a specific employer and a specific occupation. If you switch employers, change your occupational role, or take on significantly different tasks, you must submit a new permit application. You are permitted to start the new job as soon as that application is filed, provided you applied before your old permit expired. Once you have held a work permit for more than two years, you only need to apply for a new permit if you change occupations; changing employers within the same role is permitted.

If your employment ends prematurely, your permit is not cancelled immediately. You are allowed to remain in Sweden for three months following your final day of work to seek new employment, provided your permit has not already expired. However, your permit may be revoked if you fail to find a job within that window, or if you fail to begin your approved employment within four months of the permit being granted.

Bringing your family

You may include qualifying family members in your application. Eligible dependants comprise your spouse, registered partner, cohabiting partner (sambo) and children under 21. Adult family members and children turning 16 that year may work.

To bring family, you must prove you earn enough to meet a maintenance requirement covering living costs and housing. From 1 October 2026, this maintenance requirement is evaluated not just in your initial application, but also whenever you apply to extend your family's permits. Unemployment benefits and subsidised employment do not count towards this threshold. To plan your household budget, see our guide to the cost of living in Sweden.

EU Blue Card and the look-for-work permit

Highly qualified professionals and international graduates have access to alternative residence routes:

EU Blue Card

If you have a high-earning contract, you may qualify for an EU Blue Card. To be eligible, you must have completed a higher education programme of at least 180 higher education credits (högskolepoäng), or possess at least five years of relevant professional experience, and hold an employment offer for highly qualified work lasting at least six months.

The salary threshold is set at 1.25 times the national gross average wage published by the National Mediation Office (Medlingsinstitutet). Since 15 July 2026, this threshold is SEK 53,625 per month. An initial EU Blue Card is granted for between nine months and four years, and the application fee is SEK 2,000.

Look-for-work permit

If you have completed an advanced higher education degree equivalent to a master's level (second-cycle qualification), you can apply for a permit to seek employment or explore starting a business in Sweden. This permit is granted for up to nine months. You must hold comprehensive health insurance and prove you have at least SEK 13,000 for each month of your stay. The application fee is SEK 2,200.

You must submit this application from abroad. If you secure a qualifying job during your stay, you can apply for a standard work permit from within Sweden and begin working while the case is being processed.