After the decision has been made – if your potential employee is given a work permit
Here you will find information about which rules apply when you have employed a person who has a work permit.
A work permit is granted for the duration of the employment in question, but for a maximum of two years at a time. This means that even if the employment is for an indefinite period, the employee is granted a permit for two years at a time. If the person who is to work for you has received a shorter permit, this may be due to their passport expiring before the end of their employment. A permit shorter than two years may also be due to the Swedish Migration Agency's difficulty in determining how long the employment will last. This is, for example, the case if the work is building up operations in a newly founded company.
Swedish population register
In order for the employee to be registered in the Swedish population register, they must have a residence permit for at least one year. If the employment is for a shorter period than one year or if the employee's passport expires within one year, this may result in the employee or their family members not being able to be registered in the Swedish population register. The Migration Agency cannot change decisions retroactively solely on the grounds that a person cannot registered in the Swedish population register. It is therefore important to ensure that the passport is valid throughout the entire period of employment.
Notify the Swedish Tax Agency
When you employ someone who is a citizen of a non-EU country, you have to notify the Swedish Tax Agency. You use a special form, SKV 1160, where you enter details of the name, address and period of employment of the person who is going to work for you. You can find the form on the Swedish Tax Agency's website.
You only need to inform the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) when you employ a person for the first time. With an application for an extension, you do not need to inform Skatteverket.
Swedish Tax Agency's website
External link, opens in new window.
Save documents
Save copies of documents showing that the person has the right to stay and work in Sweden. These documents have to be archived throughout the period of employment and for 12 months after the end of the employment.
If you employ someone who does not have the right to work
A person who, deliberately or on account of negligence, employs someone who does not have the right to stay or work in Sweden may have to pay a penalty charge or be sentenced to a fine or imprisonment. An employer can also be stripped of the right to some or all public support, grants or benefits and be liable to repay grants paid previously. The right to take part in public procurement may also be affected for a party who has employed someone who is not entitled to work in Sweden.
An employer that does not notify the Swedish Tax Agency of the employment of a person who is a citizen of a non-EU country can be sentenced to a fine or imprisonment.
It is important that, as an employer, you save the documents from the worker about their right to stay and work in Sweden. You may need to present them to prove that you have made the checks you are obliged to make as an employer.
You may be required to report changes in the terms of employment (reporting obligation)
Employers in certain sectors may be obliged to report to the Swedish Migration Agency if the terms of employment of their employees who have a work permit worsen. This duty is known as the “reporting obligation”.
The Swedish Migration Agency may decide to impose the reporting obligation in connection with its decision to grant a work permit. In such instance, it will then notify the employer about this.
The reporting obligation means that while the employee has a permit to work for you, you are obliged to report if any of the terms of employment change for the worse, compared to the information in the employment contract that formed the basis for the work permit.
If you have received a decision imposing the reporting obligation, but despite this do not report any worsened terms of employment, you may be sentenced to a fine or imprisonment.
If the terms of employment worsen to such an extent that they no longer meet the requirements for a work permit, the Swedish Migration Agency may revoke the work permit.
The Swedish Migration Agency can exercise supervisory control
The Migration Agency can perform a supervisory control, which means control of the work permit conditions. During a supervisory control, the Migration Agency checks whether the employee has received the salary and the insurance cover that form the basis for the permit.
During the supervisory control, you as an employer should provide information on payroll and employee insurance cover. The information must be provided solemnly. The Swedish Migration Agency may impose a penalty payment if you do not provide the information we have requested.
If the Migration Agency, during the control, discovers that the terms of employment, which form the basis for the permit, have not been met, the agency starts a case of withdraw of the permit.
An employee, who chooses to change the employer while the Migration Agency investigates whether the work permit should be withdrawn, has four months to apply for a new work permit with the new employer.
Extending permits
If the person is going to keep working for you after the permit has expired they must apply for an extension to the permit. The person is entitled to keep working during the waiting period if they has had a work permit for at least six months and the application is submitted before the previous permit expires. This also applies if the previous permit expires before the person has received a decision regarding their extension application.
When extending a work permit, you as employer must provide information about the employment again about which the relevant trade union must make a statement, but you do not need to advertise the position again. You can provide information about the employment in the e-service. When you have provided information about the employment, the employee must apply for an extension to their work permit.
If it receives an application for an extended work permit, the Swedish Migration Agency will check that the conditions for the work permit have been met during the previous permit period. If the conditions on which the previous permit was based have not been met during the entire permit period, the Swedish Migration Agency will not grant an extended work permit.
Read more about what is required to get a work permit
Industries that is subject to higher demands
Change of occupation
A work permit is always limited to a specific occupation. This means that if you offer a new position in another occupation you must provide information about the employment and the employee must apply for a new work permit. You can provide information about the employment in the e-service. The employee may start working for you immediately after submitting the application, provided that they apply before the previous permit has expired.
Change of company registration number or change of ownership
The employee's work permit will cease to be valid if the company changes its registration number or if their employer, work duties or terms of employment change. You therefore need to provide information about the employment and the employee should then apply for a new work permit. You can create an offer of employment in the e-service. The employee may begin working before the new work permit is granted, provided that they apply before their old permit expired.
Permanent residence permit
When a person has held a permit and worked for 48 months, they can apply for a permanent residence permit. The employee applies for an extension of their work permit, and can apply for a permanent residence permit at the same time. If the employee applies for a permanent residence permit as well as an extension of their work permit, the Migration Agency may need to wait to process the application. The reason for this is that a decision of a permanent residence permit can only be made when the temporary permit has expired. If we need to wait, we cannot fulfil the goal of processing applications regarding highly qualified workers within 30 days.
Therefore, we recommend that an application for extended work permit and permanent residence permit not be submitted more than 30 days prior to the expiration of the current permit.
To be granted a permanent residence permit, the employee must meet the requirements for an extended work permit, and must also
- have had a work permit as an employee and have worked in Sweden for four years over the past seven years
- be able to support himself/herself financially
- be living an orderly life.
A permanent residence permit gives a person the right to work in any occupation in Sweden without any time limit.
If the employment is terminated
If you terminate the employment, the employee may stay in Sweden for three months while looking for new work during the current employment period. Otherwise, the Migration Agency may recall the work permit.
If the Migration Agency refuses the application
A decision concerning a work permit can be appealed against within three weeks. Information on how to do this can be found in the decision.
You must provide insurances
In order for an employee to receive a work permit, the employer must provide health insurance, life insurance, industrial injury insurance and occupational pension insurance for the employee when they begin working.
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance that provides financial support if the insured becomes ill or injured. A health insurance should not be confused with a healthcare insurance, which helps the insured to get faster access to care.
Life insurance
Life insurance provides financial security if the insured dies. The money that is then paid out can for example ensure that the family can afford to stay in the house or cooperative home.
Occupational injury insurance
Occupational injury insurance means that the insuranceholder can receive compensation in the event of unemployment or sick leave for a longer period. The insurance provides compensation if the insuranceholder is injured at work or on the way to or on the way home from the workplace.
Occupational pension insurance
Occupational pension insurance is an insurance solution to secure an occupational pension. It can be signed by the employer for the benefit of the employee, or signed by the employee, but then paid by the employer. When occupational pension insurance is taken out can vary between different collective agreements.
In order for an employee to extend their work permit, they must have been provided with health insurance, life insurance, industrial injury insurance and occupational pension insurance for the entire period in which they have had a work permit in Sweden. To show that the insurance has been valid throughout the employment period, the document must state the start date of the policies and their terms and conditions.
Someone who has been in Sweden for less than one year does not have the same rights to social benefits as someone who is a resident of Sweden. For this reason, it is important that the person in question has been provided with insurance to cover any costs that may arise in the event of illness or an accident.
