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Employing people from countries outside the EU

If you want to employ a person who is a citizen of a country outside the EU, he or she must in most cases have a work permit to work in Sweden. As the employer, it is up to you to decide whether you need to employ a person who is required to have a work permit.
The requirement for a work permit also applies to employees posted from another country as well as those who move within a company group to work. However, if the employee is resident in another EU/EEA Member State and has been posted from there, no work permit is required.

Certain groups and certain occupational categories are exempt from the requirement to have a work permit if the work in Sweden is only for a short period. See the heading Exemptions to the work permit requirement to the left.

People who will be working in Sweden for more than three months also need a residence permit. Citizens of certain countries who will be working in Sweden for less than three months must have a visa. For information about which nationalities are covered by this rule, see link in the right column.

As from January, 2012, employers in certain industries will face more stringent requirements, as will all newly started businesses. You can read more about these requirements under the header For employers in the left column.

Self-employed persons do not need a work permit, but must have a residence permit.

Below you will find information about what is required in order for you to be able to employ someone from a country outside the EU, and what you need to do so that the person you employ can obtain a work permit.  

Requirements to be granted a work permit


In order for a person who you want to employ to get a work permit, the employer or client must have
  • prepared an offer of employment
  • advertised the job in Sweden and the EU for ten days (Applies to new recruitments).

It is also required that

  • the terms of employment must be equal to or better than those provided under a Swedish collective agreement or that are customary for the occupation or sector, and the employee must earn enough from the employment to support himself/herself
  • the work is to such an extent that the wage is at least SEK 13,000 per month
  • the relevant trade union has been given the opportunity to express an opinion on the terms of employment.

The employee must hold a valid passport.
 

Employer responsibility


Step 1. Advertise the job vacancy


For new recruitments, you must make it possible for residents of Sweden, other EU/EEA countries and Switzerland to apply for the job.

The easiest way is to advertise the job with the Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) for a period of ten days. This will also provide access to EURES (The European Job Mobility Portal).

You can register job vacancies using the “Annonsera Direkt" at the Public Employment Service website by contacting Customer Service at the Public Employment Service or by contacting the local Public Employment Service office.

The Public Employment Service can also offer you job matching services in order to determine the supply of available labour within the EU/EEA and Switzerland.

More information is available at the Public Employment Service website, see link in the right column.

You must show the Swedish Migration Board that the job has been advertised. You do this by stating on the offer of employment when and where the job was advertised, the reference number for the Public Employment Service job portal and/or the EURES reference number provided when the advertisement was published.
 

Step 2. Prepare an offer of employment


You must complete the Swedish Migration Board form Offer of employment, no. 232011. If the offer applies to more than one person with the same job description and terms of employment, fill out form Name list, no. 234011, and attach it to the offer of employment.

Details about the employment are an important basis for the Swedish Migration Board's decision. It is important that you fill out the form completely. You must classify the occupation according to the Swedish Standard Classification of Occupations (SSYK). More information about SSYK is available on the Statistics Sweden website, see link in the right column.

Step 3. Request an opinion from the union


The relevant trade union must be given the opportunity to express an opinion on the terms you are offering the employee. Wages, insurance cover and other terms of employment must at least be equivalent to a Swedish collective agreement or what is customary for the occupation or the sector.

If you have a collective agreement, the union with which you have agreed must state an opinion if the union organises the relevant occupation. If you do not have a collective agreement, the statement must be made by a union that organises the occupation.

Processing will be faster if you obtain the statement yourself. You can do this by sending the offer of employment to the appropriate union, which will complete the relevant information and return it to you. Click on the links in the right column to find the appropriate union.
 

Step 4. Send the offer of employment to the employee


You must send the offer of employment to the employee, who must attach it to his or her application for a work permit. You will receive a decision faster if the application is complete and all documents are provided.
 

Applying for a work permit


The person looking to work in Sweden must, in the majority of cases, apply for a work permit in his/her country of origin or other country outside Sweden where he/she is resident. However, in certain cases he/she may apply for a work permit in Sweden, see link in the right column.

Permit validity period


The employee will get a residence and work permit that only covers the relevant period. Maximum validity period for the employee's permit is two years. That means that the employee will get a permit for two years even if the employment lasts until further notice. He/she will get a shorter permit if it is difficult to decide for how long the employment lasts, for instance if the work is to build a newly started company. When the old permit expires he/she can apply for an extension.  

After 48 months, the employee will be eligible for a permanent residence permit.

Change of occupation


A work permit is always restricted to a specific occupation. For this reason, the employee must apply for a new work permit if you offer him/her new employment in another occupation. In that case, you must prepare a new offer of employment.
 

Application fee


Most people have to pay an application fee, see page on fees.

Right to appeal


A rejection of an application for a work permit cannot be appealed unless the employee was given a decision on refusal of entry or deportation at the same time.
Page updated: 2012-01-03