How it works

Illustration av en kvinna som sitter vid en dator.

You advertise the vacancy

You advertise the vacancy for at least ten days, so that all residents of Sweden, EU/EEA and Switzerland can apply for the job. For example, you can post it on the Swedish Public Employment Service’s job placement portal.

Illustration som visar ett anställningsavtal.

You sign an employment agreement with the employee

Once you have found the right person for the position, you and the employee sign an employment agreement. You must do this before applying for a permit. The agreement must be signed by you and the employee. You should also review which insurance policies you or the employee may need to take out.

You start the permit application

As the employer, you start your part of the application by providing information about the employment in the e-service.

Be sure to provide complete information. The Swedish Migration Agency prioritises complete cases.

Illustration av ett fackligt yttrande.

The relevant trade union organisation gets to comment

You send information to the trade union relevant to the industry into which the job falls, and give them the opportunity to comment on the terms of employment.

Illustration av en ung kvinna som gör en ansökan på datorn.

The employee completes their part of the application

The employee receives a link to the e-service and fills in their part of the application. They attach the required documents and complete the application.

Illustration av en man som sitter vid en dator och jobbar på Migrationsverket.

The application is registered with the Swedish Migration Agency

The application is not registered until the employee has completed their part of it.

Waiting time before we start examining the application

Now follows a period of waiting until the Swedish Migration Agency takes a closer look at the application.

Illustration av en man som tittar på en ansökan.

The Swedish Migration Agency reviews the application

The Swedish Migration Agency reviews the application. If we can immediately see that the employee does not meet the requirements for a work permit, we may already make a decision to refuse the application. We will contact you or the employee if we need more information.

The employee will be asked to present their passport, either at a Swedish embassy, at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s service centres, or via a digital passport control.

Illustration av en man som jobbar som handläggare på Migrationsverket.

The Swedish Migration Agency processes the application

Once the employee has presented their passport, the Swedish Migration Agency reviews all information relating to the application and investigates whether they can be granted a work permit. We will contact you or the employee if we need more information.

Waiting time while we process your application

Now you must wait.

Read more about waiting times

Illustration av en ung kvinna som håller i ett beslut.

You will be notified when the decision is ready

Once the Swedish Migration Agency has made a decision, the employer will be notified by post. The employee will be notified by email or post.

After the decision

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.