Work permit requirements – information for employers

Information about the regulations that apply to prospective employees for obtaining a work permit, and your role as an employer.

Infor­ma­tion for employers wishing to hire 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.

For the prospective employee to obtain a work permit you, as the employer, must satisfy the following conditions:

  • advertise the position in Sweden and within EU/EES and Switzerland for a minimum of ten days
  • have signed an employment contract with the employee, signed by both parties
  • have agreed with the employee on terms of employment of employment that are at least on par with those set by Swedish collective agreements or which are customary within the occupation or industry
  • have agreed with the employee on a salary that is at least on par with those set by Swedish collective agreements or which is customary within the occupation or industry
  • intend to provide health insurance, life insurance, occupational injury insurance and occupational pension insurance when the employee begins to work
  • have agreed with the employee on terms of employment that enables the employee to support oneself. In order to satisfy this support requirement, the employee needs to work to an extent that will result in a salary of at least SEK 13,000 per month before taxes
  • provide information about the employment and allow the relevant trade union to provide a statement of opinion regarding the terms of employment.

According to the Employment Protection Act, an employment contract must contain at least the following information:

  • the employee’s name and address
  • the employer’s name and address
  • information about the workplace
  • brief description of tasks and title
  • form of employment
  • start date of employment
  • notice period, length of probationary period or end of employment
  • salary, other salary benefits and how often the salary is to be paid
  • working hours
  • vacation days or vacation pay
  • which collective agreement applies if the employer has signed a collective agreement.

Specific regulations are in effect for certain occupations and citizens of certain countries.

Within certain industries, more stringent requirements can be placed on the employer. Remember to check whether you or your prospective employee is affected by these regulations.

Newly established compa­nies

If your company is newly established and you would like to employ a citizen of a non-EU country, special regulations are in effect. The Swedish Migration Agency considers any business that has been operational for less than one year to be newly established. In addition to the regulations above, as a newly established company you must document how the business will guarantee the salary of the prospective employee seeking a work permit. For more information, see When you are employing someone from a country outside the EU.

Newly established companies registered in a non-EU country but which operate in Sweden must have a subsidiary branch registered in Sweden. The subsidiary branch is responsible for documenting the applicable terms of employment when the information about the employment is provided, as well as providing further information to the Migration Agency where necessary.

Important information regarding insurance

In order for an employee to receive a work permit, the employer must provide health insurance, life insurance, industrial injury insurance and occupational pension insurance for the employee when they begin working.

In order for an employee to extend their work permit, they must have been provided with health insurance, life insurance, industrial injury insurance and occupational pension insurance for the entire period in which they have had a work permit in Sweden.

To show that the insurance has been valid throughout the employment period, the document must state the start date of the policies and their terms and conditions.

Someone who has been in Sweden for less than one year does not have the same rights to social benefits as someone who is a resident of Sweden. For this reason, it is important that the person in question has been provided with insurance to cover any costs that may arise in the event of illness or an accident.

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