Employers – You want to employ Researchers

You want to employ someone who is a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA and needs a residence permit to conduct research.

If you want to see what information is aimed at the employee, you can visit the page You want to apply – Researchers

The information on this page is aimed at employers who want to employ someone who needs a residence permit to conduct research in Sweden.

It is the person you will be employing who must apply for a residence permit.

Who must apply for a residence permit for research?

A researcher is a person who has a doctorate or is qualified to start a doctoral programme and who is invited here by a research principal approved by the Swedish Research Council. A research principal can be a Swedish university, institution or company.

A person who has a residence permit for research in another EU country and will be conducting part of their research in Sweden over an extended period of time must apply for a residence permit for research with extended-stay mobility. The researcher applies in the same e-service as other researchers.

Who does not need to apply for a residence permit for research?

People who will be researching for less than three months

If the research will last less than three months, no residence permit is required. However, citizens of certain countries need an entry visa to travel to Sweden.

Countries whose citizens need an entry visa to travel to Sweden External link.

People who have a permit for research in another EU country and who will be researching in Sweden for a brief period

If the researcher has a valid residence permit for research in another EU country and part of the research is to be conducted in Sweden for a maximum of 180 days during a 360-day period, no residence permit is needed.

People admitted to doctoral/third-cycle studies in Sweden

If the person is admitted to doctoral/third-cycle studies in Sweden, they must instead apply for a residence permit for studies in higher education.

People admitted to doctoral/third-cycle studies in another country who will be conducting part of their education in Sweden

If the person is admitted to doctoral/third-cycle studies in another country and will be conducting part of their education in Sweden, they must instead apply for a visitor’s permit.

In addition to the requirements imposed on the researcher, as an employer you must meet the following requirements:

You must be approved as the responsible research principal
You must be approved as a responsible research principal by the Swedish Research Council External link..

The researcher must devote at least 50 per cent of their working hours to research
More than half of the researcher’s working hours must be devoted to research. Teaching or administrative work in the research group is not considered to constitute research.

You must have signed a hosting agreement with the researcher

Sign a reception agreement with the researcher

Fill in the form:

Hosting agreement for researchers in Sweden (231011) pdf, 742.1 kB.

Send the form to the researcher, who must attach it to their application for a residence permit.

The researcher can be granted a permit for a maximum of four years at a time, but not for longer than the period of validity of the hosting agreement. They can never be granted a residence permit for longer than their passport is valid. If the researcher’s family applies with them, they can be granted a residence permit for the same period as the researcher, but never longer than the period of validity of their passports.

The permit can be extended.

If an application for a residence permit for research is complete, we will make a decision within 30 days.

It is not possible to say exactly how long it takes to receive a decision. There are many things that affect the waiting time, for example whether the application is complete to begin with or whether we need to request more information, or whether we need to check with other authorities when investigating the case.

Here we show statistics on how long it has taken for people who have applied for this permit. The statistics are based on cases decided in the last 12 months.

Complete applications

75% of recently decided cases have been decided within:1 months

Incomplete applications

75% of recently decided cases have been decided within:3 months

For most residence permits, a first-time applicant must be outside Sweden when they receive a decision about their application. In some cases, the researcher has the opportunity to apply for a residence permit from within Sweden. This applies if they

  • have a valid residence permit for studies in higher education
  • have a valid residence permit for research in another EU country and will conduct some of their research in Sweden (have a permit with extended-stay mobility)
  • have a residence permit for work or to run their own company.

If the researcher applies from within Sweden, the conditions for their previous permit must have been met.

News

2025-05-23

Median salary to be updated on 17 June

On 17 June, Statistics Sweden (SCB) will update the median salary in Sweden. This will affect the salary level requirement for people applying for a work permit.

2025-04-01

The possibility of changing tracks ends on 1 April

On 1 April, the Swedish Parliaments decision to remove the possibility of changing tracks will come into force. This affects people who have been granted, or applied for, a residence permit on the basis of work after their asylum application has been rejected through a so-called change of track.

2025-03-05

The Swedish Migration Agency's new website has now been launched

On 5 March, the Swedish Migration Agency launched a completely new version of migrationsverket.se, with a new structure and a more user-friendly navigation. The purpose of the new website is primarily to make it easier for visitors to find the information they need.

2025-01-07

New EU Blue Card rules now apply

As of 1 January, new requirements and rules apply for anyone who wants to apply for an EU Blue Card and existing Blue Card holders.

The Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for considering applications from people who want to live in Sweden, seek protection or become Swedish citizens. Our work is based on Swedish laws and international conventions, with a focus on legal certainty and effective reception and return.