All FAQs - working in Sweden

General questions

What happens if I want to change employer or job?
Your work permit is always limited to a certain profession and sometimes also to a particular employer. If your new job and/or employer is not covered by the permit that applies to you, you must apply for a new work permit.

If you have submitted an new application for a work permit for another job you can start working at your new job. You do not need to wait for the new application to be granted. Note that you need to submit your new application before your current work permit expires.

What happens if I lose my job?
If you lose your job and do not get a new one within three months, the Swedish Migration Board may cancel your permit. Your work permit is always limited to a certain profession and sometimes also to a particular employer. If you find a new job that is not covered by the permit that applies to you, you must apply for a new work permit.
What is SSYK?
SSYK is an abbreviation for a standard for a Swedish professional classification that has been produced to classify persons according to the work they do. Search for the correct SSYK code and read more at SCB's website, www.scb.se .
Where do I submit my application?
The main rule is that an application for a residence and work permit is made from your native country or other country outside Sweden where you are living. The permit must be valid and included in your passport before you travel to Sweden. If you need a quick decision it is advisable to apply on-line at the Swedish Migration Board website. In order to apply on-line you must pay an application fee via the Internet. You must also enclose the documents required for an application for a work permit.
Do I have to work full-time to be granted a work permit?
No, you do not have to work full-time. However, you must be able to support yourself on the wage you earn for part-time working. According to Swedish Migration Board practices, you must be able to work to such an extent that you earn at least SEK 13,000 before tax. The terms of employment must also be equivalent to those of a Swedish collective agreement or what is otherwise customary within the sector.
Can I have more than one job at the same time?
The condition is that you must satisfy the requirements for a work permit based on one job. Over the first two years, the work permit is also tied to one employer and to one profession. However, after two years the permit is only tied to one profession.
What does "come into force" mean?
Come into force means the decision can no longer be changed. A decision that is not appealed against comes into force when three weeks have elapsed after you have been served with the decision by the Swedish Migration Board or the Migration Court. A decision by the Migration Court of Appeal comes into force on the day the decision is made by the Court. A decision also comes into force if you declare that you accept the decision.
I have applied for an extension of my permit in Sweden but have not yet received my new permit. Can I travel abroad before I receive my new permit?
In order to travel you need a valid residence permit card. If your permit has expired you may not be able to enter Sweden. It is better to postpone the trip until you receive your new permit and the residence permit card.
How much does it cost to apply for a work permit?
The first time you apply for a work permit, it costs SEK 2,000. Fees
How do I find out about my decision?
The Swedish Migration Board sends your decision to the address given in your application. The Swedish Migration Board also always sends a copy of the decision to the mission abroad that you have named as the place you want to pick up from.

Asylum seekers

What documents do I need to submit with my application for a work permit as an asylum seeker?
If you are an asylum seeker, in addition to a completed application form, you must also submit:

• a copy of your passport. Your passport must be valid
• a receipt proving you have paid your application fee
• a job offer signed by your employer. Your employer must use the form Offer of employment, no. 232011
• written confirmation from your employer that proves you have been working over the last six months. The confirmation must also show how much you have worked and earned each month.

I have been an asylum seeker and plan to apply for a work permit. My family have also applied for asylum. Can they get residence permits together with me?
Your family has the possibility of getting permits if you are approved for a work permit. Each family member must apply separately. Their applications must also have been received in the stipulated time, that is within two weeks from the decisions to reject their asylum applications have come into force*.
Family members include:

• husband/wife, common law spouse or registered partner
• children under 18 of the employee or of his or her husband/wife, common law spouse or registered partner.

What does come into force mean?

My application for asylum has been refused but I have a job. What do I need to do to get a work permit?
In order to be granted a work permit you must first and foremost be exempted from the requirement to hold a work permit (AT-UND), and submit your application for a work permit within the correct time, that is within two weeks of the decision to reject your application for asylum coming into force*. You must also:

• have had your job over the last six months and have an offer to continue the same job for at least another year from the date of the application
• have terms of employment that are equal to those of a Swedish collective agreement or what is customary within the profession or sector
• be able to earn your own living. The Swedish Migration Board considers that you must earn at least SEK 13,000 a month before tax
• hold a passport with a validity period that covers the time of the permit.

*What does come into force mean?

I am an asylum seeker and have had two part-time jobs at the same time over the last six months. Can I add the wages together in order to show that I can support myself?
No, the condition is that you must satisfy the requirement for support of SEK 13,000 a month before tax from one job. The salary must also level with the current collective agreement.

Employers

What insurance must I as an employer offer the employee?
You must offer insurance terms that are at least equivalent to a collective agreement or what is customary in the sector. The employee that is covered by a collective agreement is, for example, insured against work injury, illness or death. Contractual insurance also includes pension insurance.
I want to employ a person who needs a work permit. What do I have to do as an employer?
You must:

• advertise the post in Sweden and the EU for at least ten days
• prepare a job offer. You must use the form from the Swedish Migration Board
• offer a wage, insurance cover and other terms of employment that are equal to those of a Swedish collective agreement or what is customary within the profession or sector. The work must be of such an extent that the employee can support him/herself. The lowest acceptable level for support is SEK 13,000 a month before tax
• where possible, give the relevant union organisation the opportunity of expressing an opinion on the terms that you offer your employee.

It is the employee that applies for a work permit. The employee must submit the job offer together with his/her application.

I am an employer and do not have a collective agreement. Do I still need to seek comments from the union and how do I know which union organisation to approach?
Even if you have no collective agreement, the union organisation must have been given the opportunity of expressing an opinion on the terms of employment. You can expect a smoother administration process at the Swedish Migration Board if your application is complete and comments from the union are included with your application when it is received by the Swedish Migration Board. You need to contact a union that organises the profession that the job offer concerns. 
How do I as an employer, advertise a post in Sweden and the EU?
The easiest way to advertise the post is through the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen). This will also provide access to EURES (European Employment Services). You must have advertised the post for at least ten days. You must also demonstrate to the Swedish Migration Board that the post has been advertised. You do this by specifying where and when the post has been advertised in the job offer. Also specify the ad's ad-ID in the Platsbanken job service and/or the reference number submitted in connection with the publication of the ad in EURES.

EU/EEA citizens

I have the status of long-term resident in Italy. I got a job offer in Sweden. May I start working immediately after entering Sweden?
Yes, you may start working immediately if you have the status of long-term resident in another EU country. You have to apply for a residence permit no later than three months after entering Sweden and you have to prove that you have the status of long-term resident in an EU country. For EU/EEA-citizens

 

I am from Paraguay and I am married to a person from an EU country. Now I have received  a job offer in Sweden. Can I start working before I get my residence card?
You can start working before you get your residence card provided that your husband/wife fulfills the demands of right of residence. For EU/EEA-citizens

Students

I´ve just finished my studies here in Sweden and would like to stay and work. Is it true that there are new rules that say I can stay here and look for work for six months?
No, the rules have not changed. There is a proposal that students who are going to study for at least two semesters should be granted a residence permit for 6 months after completing their studies so as to be able to look for work during that time. If you have an offer of employment and a valid residence permit for studies, you can, on the other hand, submit an application for a work permit. Read more about students who want to work
I have completed my studies at a Swedish university and college and have been offered work. Can I apply and be granted a work permit when I am in Sweden?
Yes, providing you apply for a work permit before your permit for studies has run out, and that you can show that you have at least 30 higher education credits or have completed a term of research studies. You must also satisfy the other requirements in order to be granted a work permit.

Trade unions

Where should the union organisation send its comments?
The union has ten calendar days to submit its comments to the person who has requested them.
What happens if the union organisation does not respond or assesses that the terms I am offering as an employer are inadequate?
The union organisation is to express an opinion about the terms of employment being offered including wage, insurance and other conditions. If there are no comments when your application arrives, the Swedish Migration Board gives the union organisation the opportunity of expressing an opinion about the terms being offered. The Swedish Migration Board must always make its own assessment of the terms of employment.
What happens if the union organisation assesses that the terms of employment are inferior to a collective agreement?
The union's comments are important, but the Swedish Migration Board must always nevertheless make its own independent assessment on the terms of employment.

Residence permit cards

I have a new passport from my country of origin. What should I do to get a new residence permit card?
If you have a valid residence permit card you do not need to do anything. You should now get a residence permit card only if you had a sticker in your old passport. Visit the Migration Board to be fingerprinted and photographed in order to obtain a residence permit card.
How long do I have to wait until I receive my residence permit card if I have had my photograph and fingerprints taken at the embassy?
The waiting time is about four weeks. For information about how to receive your UT card, contact the embassy.
I will travel abroad but I only have a residence permit sticker in my passport. Is it still valid?
You may travel abroad if you have a valid residence permit sticker affixed in your passport. You can travel with your permit sticker during its validity period, but no later than 20 May 2015.
I have a permanent residence permit and I have a new passport. How can I receive a new permanent residence permit stickers in my passport?
Those who were granted residence permits in Sweden before 20 May 2011 received permit stickers affixed into their passports. Nowadays a residence card is issued as a proof of your residence permit instead. The card will contain your photo and fingerprints of two fingers.

You will need to visit the Swedish Migration Board to be fingerprinted and photographed. It takes about a week to produce a residence card. Note that the card is not an ID card or a travel document; it must be used with a valid passport when you travel.

I have applied for an extension of my permit and want my residence permit card sent to a Swedish embassy, as I will be abroad until I receive my extension. Is that possible?
If you have a Swedish address, the residence permit card will, without exception, be sent there. The decision can be forwarded to an embassy but the card will arrive at your home address.
Will the Swedish mission abroad send the residence permit card the same way the Migration Board Permit Units do, or is a personal visit required to collect it?
There is no fixed requirement that the residence permit card must be collected personally; this can be decided by the individual authority. The card can also be dispensed via legal representative or sent by mail. Contact the Swedish mission abroad where you submitted your application and/or your finger prints for more information.  
I have a permanent residence permit. Can I receive a residence permit card issued for 5 years even if my passport expires before then?
Yes, you can receive a residence permit card issued for 5 years even if your passport expires earlier.
I've got married and changed my name. How do I get a new residence card with my new name?
You must first go to the Swedish Tax Agency, which is responsible for national registration, to register your new name. When the information is registered, you can visit the Migration Board to be fingerprinted and photographed for a new residence permit card. It is especially important when crossing the border that the same information in the passport is found in the national registration and on the residence permit card.
The information on my residence permit card is incorrect. What should I do?
Contact the Swedish mission abroad or the Migration Board's office where you submitted your application, or where you were photographed and fingerprinted. To obtain a new card with the correct information, you must be fingerprinted and photographed again.
I have been waiting for my residence permit card for more than a week but I haven't received it at home. I'm travelling tomorrow; who should I turn to for help?
Contact the Swedish mission abroad or the Migration Board's office where you submitted your application, or where you were fingerprinted and photographed to find out if they have received your residence permit card. It is not possible to speed up the production of a residence permit card.
I've had a residence permit card for a while and have now registered in the national registry. Do I need a new residence permit card?
No, you do not need a new card. Your national ID number is not printed on the residence permit card.
What should I do if I lose my card?
You must first notify the police. To get a new residence permit card, you must bring the police report, as well as be fingerprinted and photographed, in order for a new residence permit card to be issued.   
I have to travel a long way to get to the embassy. Is there no other way?
No, unfortunately. Since the residence permit card contains your finger prints, you must go there personally to submit them and be photographed.
Who must submit finger prints?
Finger prints must be submitted by persons over the age of 6 at the time of application, or when the biometric data is collected. Persons with permanent physical impediments — permanent damage on the fingers, for example — are exempt. Difficulty in getting to a Swedish mission abroad is not grounds for exemption due to physical impediment.
Where do I go to be photographed and fingerprinted?
If you are in Sweden, contact the Migration Board. If you are abroad, visit the Swedish mission abroad where you live to be fingerprinted and photographed.