Employers – You want to employ Volunteers

You represent an organisation and want to offer a citizen of a non-EU/EEA country work as a volunteer.

If you want to see what information is aimed at the volunteer worker, you can visit the page You want to apply – Visiting Sweden for more than 90 days

A person who wishes to work as a volunteer must apply for a visitor’s permit. The residence permit must be issued before they travel to Sweden.

Depending on the type of volunteer work, the inviting organisation must meet different requirements and send different documents to the volunteer.

European Solidarity Corps volunteers

In addition to the requirement that the volunteer be granted a residence permit, the volunteer organisation must be approved by the European Voluntary Service.

Learn more about which organisations are approved by the European Voluntary Service External link.

As a representative of the volunteer organisation, you must also prepare an agreement regarding participation in a volunteer programme and send it to the volunteer.

For the Swedish Migration Agency to be able to decide whether to grant a residence permit for volunteer work, an agreement regarding participation in a volunteer programme must include the following:

  • Heading indicating the subject of the agreement
    For example “Agreement regarding Participation in a Volunteer Programme”.
  • Date of issue of the agreement
  • The volunteer’s name, date of birth and citizenship
    Also provide any case number/file number with the Swedish Migration Agency, if the person has one.
  • Information about the volunteer programme
    Describe the content of the volunteer programme. To be granted a residence permit for volunteer work, the volunteer must participate in a volunteer programme under the auspices of the European Solidarity Corps.
  • Information about the volunteer work and supervision
    Describe what the volunteer will do and what supervision the volunteer will receive at work.
  • Information about the period of volunteer service
    Specify the period during which the volunteer service will take place.
  • Information about what working hours the volunteer will have
  • Information about means of subsistence and accommodation
    State how the organisation will pay for the volunteer’s subsistence and accommodation, as well as how much pocket money the volunteer will receive.
  • Training information
    State whether the volunteer will receive any training to be able to carry out the volunteer work.
  • Signature of both parties
    The agreement must be signed by both the organisation and the volunteer. Please also provide the contact details of the person who has signed the agreement.

Volunteer work not tied to the European Solidarity Corps

The company or organisation that invites the volunteer must sign a certificate specifying the purpose of the volunteer’s visit and how long it is expected to last. The certificate must then be sent to the volunteer.

The certificate must contain the following information:

  • the content of the volunteer programme or assignment
  • the length of the programme or assignment
  • the working and supervision conditions for the volunteer work
  • the hours for the volunteer work
  • the funds available to cover the costs of the volunteer’s subsistence and accommodation
  • any training that the person will receive in order to perform the volunteer work.

The volunteer can be granted a residence permit for a maximum of one year, but never for longer than their passport is valid.

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.

News

2026-06-01

New rules for work permits come into force

New rules for work permits are now coming into effect in Sweden. This affects employers who want to hire people from countries outside the EU/EEA. The changes include a new salary requirement and a possibility for the Swedish Migration Agency to reject applications because of deficiencies linked to the employer.

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.