A good living – maintenance requirement for work permits

The government decided in 2023 to increase the maintenance requirement for work permits. To be granted a permit, your job must enable you to make a good living. This means that you must have a monthly salary that amounts to at least 80 per cent of the median salary in Sweden.

The median salary is published by Statistics Sweden (SCB), and the monthly salary must amount to at least 80 per cent of the median salary that was current when you applied for a work permit. The monthly salary must also be in line with collective agreements or common practice in the relevant profession or industry.

Current maintenance requirement

Based on the current median salary, the current maintenance requirement for a work permit is

SEK 29,680 per month.

This corresponds to 80 per cent of the median salary in Sweden, according to the statistics of Statistics Sweden (SCB).

Read more on SCB’s website (in Swedish) External link.

Who is not subject to the requirement to make a good living?

These groups do not need to meet the requirement to make a good living:

• EU/EEA citizens and their family members
• EU Blue Card applicants
• ICT permit applicants
• seasonal workers
• athletes and coaches
• au pairs
• trainees/interns through an international exchange programme
• trainees/interns in higher education
• researchers.

It is the median salary at the time of application that counts

The Swedish Migration Agency bases its calculations on the current median salary at the time of application.