Increased maintenance requirement for work permits

The new maintenance requirement entered into force on 1 November 2023, without transitional rules. A person who has applied for a work permit but has not received their decision before 1 November 2023 must, from this date, have a salary of at least 80 per cent of the median salary published when the application for a work permit was received.

Se the chart on this page to learn the necessary salary, depending on when the application was made.

A person who has an ongoing work permit is only affected when they apply for an extended residence permit. It is then the latest published median salary at the time of application that will apply at the time of the examination. It is thus the application date that determines which median salary is required.

Even when the application is for an extended work permit, the Swedish Migration Agency must examine whether the requirement to earn a good income is met. If a person has been granted a work permit before 1 November 2023, the same maintenance requirement applies as when the permit was granted, i.e., SEK 13,000, for the remainder of the permit period. It is only in connection with an application for an extended work permit that the new requirement for good income must be met.

Thus, the employee’s salary does not need to be increased to fulfil the new maintenance requirement during an ongoing work permit. However, it must still comply with collective agreements or practices in the relevant profession or industry. When the employee applies for an extended work permit, the Swedish Migration Agency will re-examine their monthly salary in relation to the current median salary.

The new requirement will apply regardless of whether the employment is part-time or full-time. If an applicant has a part-time job, they must work to such an extent that they receive a salary of at least 80 per cent of the median salary that applies at the time of application. The salary must also be in line with collective agreements or practice in the relevant profession or industry.

No, the new requirement for good income does not affect processing times.

• The median salary is calculated in relation to gross salary, i.e., monthly salary before tax. Part-time salary is converted into full-time salary.
• The middle salary in a group of salaries that are sorted in order of order from the lowest to the highest are used to show a representative measure of the salary for a group.
• The median salary is calculated annually in relation to what people in the Swedish labour market earn.
• The median salary is published annually by Statistics Sweden and refers to the previous year’s salaries. In other words, the 2024 median salary is calculated based on the salaries for 2023.
• The median salary presented in June 2024 is SEK 35,600.
• 80 per cent of SEK 35,600 is SEK 28,480.

Supplements for inconvenient working hours are not normally included when the Swedish Migration Agency assesses whether an employee meets the maintenance requirement, but this is assessed on the basis of the nature of the work. In order to be included in the calculation of income, the supplement for inconvenient working hours must be regularly recurring and be a normal aspect of the profession. For example, a newspaper delivery person who always works nights and always receives a supplement for inconvenient working hours can include this in their income when they apply for a work permit..

In order to obtain a permanent residence permit, you must be able to support yourself. This maintenance requirement differs from the requirement to earn a good income (i.e.80 per cent of the median salary) in order to obtain a work permit.

When a person applies for a permanent residence permit in connection with their application for an extended work permit, the Swedish Migration Agency begins by examining whether they meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit. In such a case, you are granted a permanent residence permit and then you do not have to meet the increased requirement of good income for a work permit.

If, on the other hand, the person do not meet all the requirements for a permanent residence permit, the Swedish Migration Agency will instead examine whether they meet the requirements for an extended work permit. In that case, they must meet the increased income requirement in order to be allowed to stay in Sweden.

No, the increased maintenance requirement that came into force on 1 November only affects employees who apply for work permits. A person who has had a residence permit under the Upper Secondary School Act and found work can apply for a permanent residence permit under the Upper Secondary School Act. In this case, other maintenance requirements apply.

Read more about what is required to obtain a permanent residence permit under the Upper Secondary School Act

The new requirement to earn a good income applies to people who apply for work permits. This means a residence permit that is granted on the basis that the person from a country outside the EU/EEA is coming to Sweden to work.

For example, it does not affect people who apply for or have already been granted a residence permit on the basis of protection, close family ties, or studies are not affected by the increased maintenance requirement, nor are those covered by the Temporary Protection Directive or the Upper Secondary School Act. EU/EEA citizens and long-term residents who exercise their freedom of movement are likewise unaffected.

You can show your new salary with, for example, an employment contract. However, there is no requirement on which document to submit and it is therefore up to the applicant to decide.