Working holiday visa for young people

Sweden has entered agreements with a number of countries regarding working holidays. The agreements mean that young people aged 18 to 30 years old are able to stay in Sweden for up to one year for a working holiday.

The working holiday visa programme between Sweden and Argentina, Chile and Uruguay has been suspended for the time being, due to the ongoing pandemic. You who come from one of these counties can therefore not obtain a working holiday visa in Sweden. This also applies to those who have already submitted an application but who have not yet received a decision. If the decision has already been made you can not get the application fee back.

Requi­re­ments for resi­dence permit

To obtain a residence permit for a working holiday, you must

  • be a citizen of Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, Japan, New Zealand or South Korea
  • be between 18 and 30 years old
  • have a valid passport (if your passport is about to expire, you should extend it because you cannot get a permit for longer than your passport is valid)
  • have enough money so you can provide for yourself initially in Sweden (at least SEK 15,000)
  • have a return ticket or enough money to buy one
  • have comprehensive health insurance that covers healthcare in Sweden (not applicable to citizens of Australia)
  • in most cases pay a fee (application fees for working holiday permits)
  • not have any accompanying children.

Requi­re­ments for using the e-service

In order to use the e-service, you need

  • copies of the pages in your passport that show your personal data, photo, signature, passport number, issuing country, validity period and if you have permission to live in countries other than your home country
  • a bank statement showing you can support yourself initially in Sweden
  • a copy of a return ticket or a document showing that you have sufficient funds to buy one
  • documents showing that you have health insurance that is valid in Sweden (does not apply to citizens of Australia).

The various agreements clarify the rules that apply for health insurance in each country.

Sweden has entered agreements with a number of countries concerning working holidays. The agreements mean that young people aged between 18 and 30 years of age are able to live in Sweden for up to one year for a working holiday. The aim is to give young people the opportunity to, among other things, experience life in Sweden and Swedish culture.

Working holiday

During your stay, you are allowed to work. The work must be temporary and you do not need to have any offer of employment when you apply for a residence permit. You can look for work after you have come to Sweden. Apply for a residence permit online from your home country or any other country outside Sweden where you live.

Check your appli­ca­tion

You can check that your application has been registered with the Swedish Migration Agency or whether you have received a decision on the page Check your application.

You cannot enter Sweden until you have your permit

You cannot enter Sweden before a decision has been made. Your permit must be granted before you travel to Sweden.

You must show your passport

The Swedish Migration Agency must check your passport before a decision can be made. You may therefore need to show your passport at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general if you are outside Sweden, or one of the Migration Agency's service centres if you are in Sweden.

In some cases, you will not be required to show your passport, for example, if we have already checked your passport during a previous visit.

If you need to show your passport, we will contact you with information on how and when to do so.

The decision will be sent to the embassy or consulate-general you selected in your online application. You must take your passport with you when you go to get your decision.

Swedish embassies and consulates-general External link, opens in new window.

You can get a permit for one year but never for longer than your passport is valid.

Travel­ling to Sweden

When you enter Sweden, you must present your residence permit decision and a valid passport.

Resi­dence permit card

If you are granted a permit for more than three months, you will be given a residence permit card. The card is proof that you have permission to be in Sweden and contains, among other things, your fingerprints and photograph.

If you need an entry visa or residence permit card to travel to Sweden, you will in most cases have your fingerprints taken and be photographed when you show your passport at an embassy or consulate-general. If you need an entry visa to travel to Sweden and you were not photographed and had your fingerprints taken in connection with showing your passport, you must visit the embassy or consulate-general so that a residence permit card can be made for you. 

Read more about residence permit cards

Book an appointment at the Swedish Migration Agency to have your fingerprints and photograph taken

A working holiday permit cannot be extended

It is not possible to extend a permit for a working holiday. Normally, it is not possible to apply for a different permit from inside Sweden when your working holiday permit is about to expire.

If the Swedish Migration Agency rejects your application

If the Swedish Migration Agency rejects your application, it means you are not entitled to a residence permit for Sweden. You may lodge an appeal against the decision within three weeks of the date when you received notification of the decision. Information on how to lodge an appeal can be found in your decision. If you have given someone a power of attorney document that authorises him/her to represent you, this person is able to lodge an appeal on your behalf.

Read more about how to appeal

If you are still in Sweden when your application is rejected, you must leave the country within the timescale given in the decision.

Read more about what you need to know if you have had your application rejected and are still in Sweden

If you apply online, you will get clear instructions on how to fill in your application and what documents you need to enclose. This makes it easier to do things correctly right from the start which increases your chances of getting a decision faster.

If you cannot apply online, fill in the form Application for working holiday visa for young people, 155011, and submit it to a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in the country where you live. The application form states which documents you must enclose. Contact the embassy or consulate-general before submitting your application.

Application for working holiday visa for young people, form 155011 Pdf, 1.5 MB, opens in new window.

If you apply at an embassy or consulate-general, you pay the fee when you submit your application. For information about the fee, please contact the embassy or consulate in question since they do not follow the same fee regulations as the Swedish Migration Agency.

Swedish embassies and consulates-general External link, opens in new window.

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