Hiring a performer

Performers include singers, musicians, dancers, circus performers, actors, directors and filmmakers. Accompanying technicians and the like are also included in this category. Performers who are citizens of a country outside the EU need a work permit.

Swedish (svenska)
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Requi­re­ments for perfor­mers

As the organiser, you must

  • draw up a contract that includes the fee, time and place of the engagement as well as any tour plan. The contract must be signed by both you and the artist
  • provide information about the employment
  • give the relevant trade union an opportunity to comment on the conditions of employment
  • have agreed with the employee on terms of employment that are at least at the same level as Swedish collective agreements or whatever is customary in the profession or industry
  • have agreed with the performer on work to such an extent that the salary amounts to at least 80 percent of the median salary published by Statistics Sweden (SCB) and which was valid at the time of application. Read about current maintenance requirement here

For work lasting less than three months, citizens in some countries must also have a visa. External link, opens in new window.

In order for the Swedish Migration Agency to assess whether the employment meets the conditions for a work permit an employment contract should contain, among other things, the following information:

  • the employee’s name and address
  • the employer’s name and address
  • information about the workplace
  • brief description of tasks and title
  • form of employment (permanent, fixed-term or probationary employment)
  • start date of employment or time of start 
  • notice period, length of probationary period or end of employment
  • salary, other salary benefits and how often the salary is to be paid
  • working hours
  • what applies to overtime or additional hours and payment for such work
  • vacation days or vacation pay
  • which collective agreement applies if the employer has signed a collective agreement.

You can avoid extra proces­sing through a flex­ible start to the employment

If the processing of your case takes time, the start date you specified in the employment contract may be passed. Then the Swedish Migration Agency may need to obtain a new start date from you - something that risks extending the processing time.

To avoid this, you can formulate the employment contract so that it does not specify a specific start date, but instead states that the employment starts from the day the Swedish Migration Agency grants the work permit.

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 hire.

The trade union that organises employees in the professional field concerned must be given the opportunity to express its opinion on the terms of employment contained in the information about the employment. It is the trade union in question, not the central organisation, that must provide a statement concerning the terms of employment.

Once you have completed the information about the employment the e-service, select the trade union that is relevant to the work that the employee will perform. You submit the information for a statement via the e-service. The trade union reviews the terms of employment and sends its statement to you via the e-service.

If you do not use the e-service, send the form Information about the employment and the union statement form to the trade union organisation that is relevant to the work that the employee is to perform. They will then send their statement back to you.

LO trade unions External link, opens in new window.

SACO trade unions External link, opens in new window.

TCO trade unions External link, opens in new window.

Once the decision has been made, you and the artist will be sent a letter 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 artist. If the person is granted a permit, it will be valid for the same period of time that the engagement is ongoing but never longer than the person’s passport is valid. The permit only allows the person to work for you.

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.

If the contract is extended, the artist must apply for an extension of his/her permit. If the person has had a work permit for at least six months and has applied for an extension before the current permit expires, he/she has the right to continue working during the waiting period. A work permit for artists can be granted for maximum 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.

When you hire 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 only need to notify the Swedish Tax Agency when you hire a person for the first time. If you are applying for an extension, you do not need to notify the Swedish Tax Agency.

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.

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.

The following do not require a work permit:

  • Artists who have a temporary engagement for a radio or television broadcast by Sveriges Radio AB, Sveriges Television AB, Sveriges Utbildningsradio AB or Nordisk Television AB
  • Artists, his or her technicians and other tour staff working temporarily in Sweden for a maximum of fourteen days over a period of twelve months. This is on condition that there is an invitation from an established organiser.

As the employer, you must fill in the form Information about the employment 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 to the application.

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 information about the employment, you must state

  • the company’s registration number
  • the SSYK code
  • the personal details of the person you are hiring
  • 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 fill in the 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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