Employing an athlete or a coach

Here you will find information for clubs and associations that are affiliated with the Swedish Sports Confederation and which have signed a contract with a person who is a citizen of a non-EU country.

Swedish (svenska)
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Requi­re­ments for work permit

The club or association must

Moreover, the Swedish Sports Confederation must certify that the employment is of vital importance for the positive development of the sport.

Specific rules

There are special rules for athletes in football, basketball and hockey. To be eligible, the athlete must

  • play in at least Division 1 (for men) or in Damallsvenskan or Elitettan (for women) if the athlete is a football player. The same requirements apply to those who will work as football coaches
  • play or coach in the men's or women's basketball league or basketball competition if the athlete is a basketball player. The same requirements apply to those who will work as basketball coaches
  • play in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), Hockeyallsvenskan and Hockeyettan (for men) or in the Women's Hockey League for women if the athlete is a hockey player. The same requirements apply to those who will work as hockey coaches.

Requi­re­ments for using the e-service

In order to use the e-service and provide information about the employment, you must

  • have an e-identification
  • know the email address of the person you want to employ.

When you as the employer have provided information about the employment via the e-service, an email with a link is sent to the person you want to employ. That person then applies for a work permit via the link.

As the employer, you can follow the case by logging in to the e-service.

When a decision has been made, a copy will be sent to you as the employer stating whether or not a permit has been granted. If you want to know the reasons for the decision, you will need a power of attorney from the athlete or coach. If the person is granted a permit, it will be for the same period of time as the contract but never for longer than the passport is valid. The permit applies only for work for the club and the sport specified in the information about the employment.

People who are granted a permit for three months or more will also be given a residence permit card which is issued by the embassy or consulate-general. The card must be presented together with a passport upon entry to Sweden and it is proof of the person’s right to be in Sweden. It takes up to four weeks to manufacture and deliver the card.

Read more about residence permit cards

When you employ someone from a country outside the EU, you must inform the Swedish Tax Agency. You do this by filling in the form "Notification – Employment of a Foreigner SKV 1160" stating the name, address and period of employment of the person who is going to work for you. The form can be found on the Swedish Tax Agency’s website.

Form for notifying the Swedish Tax Agency External link, opens in new window.

You must save copies of documents that show that the person has the right to be and work in Sweden. The documents must be archived for the entire period of employment and for 12 months thereafter.

As a professional athlete or sports official, you can participate in international competitions for a maximum of three months over a period of 12 months without a work permit. However, citizens in some countries need a visa to enter Sweden.

Countries whose citizens must have a visa for Sweden External link, opens in new window.

Read more about applying for a visa

It is the employer who initiates an application for extension for the athlete or coach. If the person has had a work permit for at least six months and an application for extension has been made before the current permit expires, he or she has the right to continue working during the waiting period. A work permit for an athlete or coach can be granted for a maximum of two years at a time for a total of four years. If there is still a contract after four years, the person can get a permanent residence permit.

Read more about applying for a permanent residence permit for an athlete or a coach

As the employer, you must fill in the information about the employment form and send it together with the statement from the trade union to the employee who then submits them with the application for a work permit.

You must fill in the form called Information about the employment, number 232511. If the offer is for several persons with the same work tasks and conditions of employment, you must also fill in the form called Name List, number 234011, and attach it.

Information about the employment, form 232511 Pdf, 818.4 kB, opens in new window.

Name List, form 234011 (in Swedish) Pdf, 1.2 MB, opens in new window.

In the form Information about the employment, you must state

  • the company’s registration number
  • the SSYK code
  • the personal details of the person you are employing
  • how and when you have advertised the job and the reference number or ID number of the advertisement (when new staff are being recruited).

When applying for a work permit, use Statistics Sweden's (SCB) codes according to the Swedish Standard Classification of Occupations (SSYK2012).

You will find the SSYK codes on Statistics Sweden's (SCB’s) website External link, opens in new window.

Statistics Sweden (SCB) External link, opens in new window.

If you use the e-service, you will be given clear instructions on how to provide information about the employment and what other documents you need to submit. It will be easier to do things correctly right from the start which increases your chances of getting a decision faster.

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