Work Permit
If you are an EU/EEA citizen, you are entitled to work in Sweden without a work permit. If you work and have enough means to support yourself, you automatically have right of residence in Sweden. With that you do not need to register with or apply for a residence permit at the Swedish Migration Board. You are entitled to start working immediately upon arrival in Sweden. You are also entitled to come to Sweden to search for work. More information may be found at www.migrationsverket.se
Non-EU
You cannot obtain a work permit to go to Sweden to look for a job. To obtain a work permit you must have been offered a job in Sweden, employees cannot enter the country until the permit is granted. To be eligible for a work permit you must;
- Have a valid passport
- Have been offered terms of employment that are at least on par with those set by Swedish collective agreements or which are customary within the occupation or industry
- Have been offered a salary that is at least on par with that set by Swedish collective agreements or which is customary within the occupation or industry
- Have been offered a position that will enable you to support yourself. In order to satisfy this support requirement, you need to work to an extent that will result in a salary of at least SEK 13,000 per month before taxes
- Have an employer who intends to provide insurance covering health, life, employment and pension when you begin to work.
Where To Apply
You need to apply with the Swedish Migration Agency. The easiest way to apply is through an online application at; https://www.migrationsverket.se/download/18.5e83388f141c129ba6312e9d/1535449030680/atinifran_151011_en.pdf
Extending Your Work Permit
In order to extend your work permit, your salary and other terms of employment must have been at least equivalent to what is stated in the collective agreement or is considered the practice in your profession or industry. You must also have worked to the extent that your wages reached at least SEK 13,000 per month, before taxes. These conditions must have been met during the entire time that you have held a work permit in Sweden.
Permanent Residence Permit
You must live in Sweden for 4 years on a work permit before you would be eligible for permanent residency. You apply for a residence permit by submitting an application to your local Embassy or Consulate or in some cases directly to the Swedish Migration Board – Migrationsverket. One year after you obtain your permanent residency you will be eligible to apply for citizenship.
How long does it take to get a decision from Migrationsverket?
You will have to be patient, because processing times are quite long, especially for first time applicants. The current waiting time for first time applicants are between 14 – 18 months. However, processing times for second time applicants are generally shorter, around a work week. Yet, this completely depends on the complexity of your application
EU Blue Card
If you are a non-EU national and have received an offer of a highly qualified job, you can apply for an EU Blue Card. You must have a university education equivalent to 180 university credits, or five years’ professional experience and a salary equal to at least one and a half times the average gross salary in Sweden.
In order to obtain an EU Blue Card, you must have;
- A valid passport
- A university education equivalent to 180 university credits, or five years’ relevant professional experience
- Taken out or applied for a comprehensive health insurance policy that covers health and medical care in Sweden
- An employment contract or offer of highly qualified employment lasting at least one year
- No less than one and a half times the average gross salary in Sweden, before taxes.
More information
To read more information please visit: https://www.eu-bluecard.com/how-to-apply/
Posted by Adam Dunne on 10 June 2019