When you are employing someone from a country outside the EU
When you are employing someone who is a non-EU national, the person will in most cases need a work permit. You must also have advertised the position before you can agree on an employment with the employee.
Information for employers wishing to employ holders of work permits in Sweden who are applying for extensions
In the case of an application for an extension of a work permit, the Migration Agency checks that the conditions for a work permit have been met during the periods of validity of the prospective employee’s previous work permit periods. For applications to be complete, the employee needs to submit documents that show that salary and insurance requirements have been met for each month you have held a work permit in Sweden.
When applying for an extension, the employee may work during the processing time if he or she has had a work permit for at least six months and the application is submitted to the Swedish Migration Agency before the previous permit has expired.
Sometimes other rules applies
If you are employing a person who has been an asylum seeker, a person who has travelled to Sweden as your prospective employee, or if the job comes under the heading of Special Rules for Certain Occupations, other rules apply.
Application for work permit for certain occupations and countries
When employing a person who has been an asylum seeker
Employing someone who has travelled to Sweden as your prospective employee
1
Advertising
When recruiting new employees you must advertise the position so that all residents in Sweden, the EU/EEA and Switzerland can apply for the job. You do this by advertising for at least ten days in the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) job bank. Advertisements in Arbetsförmedlingen's job bank are also visible in the European job bank EURES.
If you choose to advertise in some other way you must show that this advertising corresponds to EURES and has been accessible in all EU/EEA countries and Switzerland.
The advertising requirement only applies when recruiting new employees. Advertising is not required if a person with an overseas employer is assigned to perform work in Sweden. Nor is it required if an employee is transferred within a company group as long as the position remains abroad. However, if the position is moved to Sweden this counts as a new recruitment and this means that the position must be advertised and the person you intend to employ must apply for a new work permit.
The Swedish Public Employment Service's website
External link, opens in new window.
2
Provide information about the employment
Log in using e-legitimation to complete provide information about the employment . When you have begun working in the e-service, you can at any time log out for later, log in to continue.
In the e-service you provide information about the company, the position and the person you intend to employ. You will need the name, date of birth, citizenship, education and email address for the person who will be working for you, as well as the Swedish Standard Classification of Occupations (SSYK) code (according to SSYK2012) for the relevant profession or occupation. You can find the SSYK codes below, or on the Statistics Sweden (SCB) website.
It is important that you provide a valid email address for your intended employee as this will be the address through which he or she will later apply for a work permit.
For a company with a subsidiary branch in Sweden, the branch is responsible for documenting the applicable terms of employment in the information about the employment, as well as providing further information to the Swedish Migration Agency where necessary.
Read more about e-legitimation External link, opens in new window.
Search for SSYK2012 code
Pdf, 447.9 kB, opens in new window.
3
Send the information about the employment to the relevant trade union
Once you have provided information about the employment in the e-service, select the trade union that is relevant to the work that the employee will perform. You submit the information for a statement via the e-service. The trade union reviews the terms of employment and sends its statement to you via the e-service.
If you do not use the e-service, send the job offer and the union statement form to the trade union organisation that is relevant to the work that the employee is to perform. They will then send their statement back to you.
Once you have provided information about the employment via the e-service, an email with a link will be sent to the person you wish to hire. The employee then submits an application for a work permit via the link.
As an employer, you can track the case by logging in to the e-service.
LO trade unions External link, opens in new window.
SACO trade unions External link, opens in new window.
TCO trade unions External link, opens in new window.
Find the trade union relevant for a specific occupation External link, opens in new window.
4
Enclose documents
When you receive the trade union statement, scan or photograph it. Then log back in and upload the statement.
Industries with higher demands
If your company operates in an industry where higher demands apply you must also enclose documents showing that you have the means to pay salaries for at least three months for the persons you intend to employ. Ways of doing this include for example:
- annual reports or annual accounts for the previous financial year
- balance sheets and income statements for the current fiscal year
- liquid fund on deposit with the bank or an overdraft checking line of credit
- contracts for ongoing and future assignments.
If you have previously employed persons who have been granted work permits by working for you, you must also enclose the company's tax account statements for the last three months. The tax account statement shall show paid social security contributions. You should also enclose documents showing that the previous employees had health insurance, life insurance, occupational injury insurance and occupational pension insurance throughout the period in which they had work permits in Sweden.
When employees later apply for a work permit they will only be able to see the offer of employment and the trade union statement. Other uploaded documents will not be visible to the employee.
Industries where higher demands applies
Newly founded businesses
If you are running a newly founded business (one which has been operating for less than a year) you must enclose documents showing that you have the means to pay salaries for at least three months for the persons you intend to employ. Ways of doing this include for example:
- documents showing liquid assets or cheque credits
- balance sheets and income statements for the current year
- agreements entered regarding ongoing or forthcoming assignments.
If you have previously employed persons who have been granted work permits by working for you, you must also enclose the company's tax account statements for the last three months. The tax account statement shall show paid social security contributions. You should also enclose documents showing that the previous employees had health insurance, life insurance, occupational injury insurance and occupational pension insurance throughout the period in which they had work permits in Sweden.
When employees later apply for a work permit they will only be able to see the information about the employment and the trade union statement. Other uploaded documents will not be visible to the employee.
As agent for the employer
If you are the employer's agent you should include a power of attorney from the employer stating that you are authorised to represent the employer.
Power of Attorney, form number 107011 Pdf, 739.4 kB, opens in new window.
5
Complete the employer's part of the application
When you have enclosed all documents your part of the application is completed. The person who is to work for you will receive an email with instructions on how to fill in their part of the application.
In the e-service you can see if the employee has begun their application and when it is submitted.
Certified employers and relocation companies
If the employer is certified by the Migration Agency or if the relocation company representing the employer is certified you can, if you wish, continue filling in information about the employer and apply for a work permit. The certified employer or relocation company will then need a power of attorney from the employer and copies of the pages in the employee's passport which show personal information, period of validity and whether the person has permission to live in countries other than their country of origin.
If the employee's family is also coming to Sweden you apply for residence permits for them at the same time. You will also need a power of attorney from the family as well as copies of the family members' passports and documents showing how they are related to each other, for example marriage certificates and birth certificates. You complete the application by paying the application fee using a Visa or Mastercard. The card must be enabled for Internet payment. Contact your bank for more information.
Read more about certification with the Swedish Migration Agency (in Swedish)
6
The Migration Agency processes the application
You and the intended employee will receive an email once the employee's application is received by the Swedish Migration Agency. The Migration Agency will contact you or the employee if it needs more information.
For the Swedish Migration Agency to make a decision about your application, all the details need to be filled in and all necessary documents enclosed. This means that the processing time will be shorter if all the necessary information is included from the start than if information is added afterwards. Note that the Migration Agency may in some cases need to further examine the application even if you have included all the required information and documents.
The Swedish Migration Agency must check the employee’s passport before a decision can be made. They may therefore need to show their passport at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general if they are outside Sweden, or one of the Migration Agency's service centres if they are in Sweden.
In some cases, the employee will not be required to show their passport, for example, if we have already checked the passport during a previous visit.
If the employee needs to show their passport, we will contact them with information on how and when to do so.
If the employee's family also applies for a residence permit, the Swedish Migration Agency must check their passports as well.
7
Decision
As the employer you are notified by mail once a decision is made. If you want to know the reasons for the decision, you will need a power of attorney from the employee. The employee will receive an email confirming that a decision has been made. The actual decision is given to the employee by the Swedish embassy or consulate-general in their country. If the employee is in Sweden, the decision will be sent by mail to the address they have stated.
The employee should have their work permit granted before travelling to Sweden and starting work. Persons granted permits for three months or more will also receive a residence permit card. Persons who need entry visas to travel to Sweden are given their card by the embassy or consulate-general. The card is to be presented along with the passport upon entry and proves that the person has the right to reside in Sweden. It takes up to four weeks to produce and deliver the card.
Persons able to travel to Sweden without an entry visa submit documentation for a residence permit card at the Migration Agency in Sweden. However, the employee must request and have their work permit issued before they travel to Sweden.
Read more about residence permit cards
Countries whose citizens need an entry visa for travel to Sweden External link, opens in new window.
8
Notify the Swedish Tax Agency
When you employ someone from a country outside the EU, you must inform the Swedish Tax Agency. You do this by filling in the form "Notification – Employment of a Foreigner SKV 1160" stating the name, address and period of employment of the person who is going to work for you. The form can be found on the Swedish Tax Agency’s website.
You must keep copies of any documents proving that the person has the right to stay and work in Sweden. These documents must be kept on file during the entire employment period and for 12 months after the employment has ended.
You only need to inform the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) when you employ a person for the first time. With an application for an extension, you do not need to inform Skatteverket.
Form for notifying the Swedish Tax Agency External link, opens in new window.
Read more about the rules that apply once a person has received their decision
I you cannot use the e-service
If you are unable to provide information about the employment in the e-service, fill out Information about the employment, number 232511.
If the employment is for more than one person with the same tasks and terms of employment, fill out Namnlista, number 234011 (Name List), as well and enclose it with the Information about the employment, number 232511. Send the form to the employee, to be submitted along with their application for a work permit at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general.
Information about the employment, form number 232511 Pdf, 2.4 MB, opens in new window.
Namnlista, form number 234011 (only in Swedish) Pdf, 1.2 MB, opens in new window.
