Work
Here you will find information about work in Sweden.
Work
You need a coordination number
If you are not registered in Sweden, you cannot obtain a Swedish personal identity number. However, you can receive a coordination number.
You need a coordination number to register as a job seeker with the Swedish Public Employment Service, open a bank account in Sweden and to pay taxes if you work.
The Swedish Migration Agency will request a coordination number for you if you have
- received a decision on a residence permit with protection under the Temporary Protection Directive
- presented identity documents (such as a national passport, an alien’s passport, a travel document or a Ukrainian domestic passport) in connection with your application
- been fingerprinted and photographed for your residence permit card
- an address where you live that is not short term
The Swedish Tax Agency will decide if you should receive a coordination number and send it to you. In order for the Swedish Tax Agency to be able to send you the coordination number by letter, we give them the address that you have given us.
Get a bank account
A bank account is usually needed if you work, because an employer cannot deposit your salary on the bank card that you have received from the Swedish Migration Agency. You normally have the right to open a bank account in Sweden, but some conditions need to be met. Different banks may have different requirements and you may need to contact several different banks.
If you find a job
If you find a job, an employment contract should be drawn up between you and the employer stating what salary you receive. You and the employer should notify the Swedish Migration Agency when you start work.
If you become unemployed after working in Sweden for a certain period of time, you may be entitled to unemployment benefit.
Film tip from the Swedish Public Employment Service
Benefit fraud
You are obliged to notify the Swedish Migration Agency that you have received an income, since it will affect your daily allowance. If you do not notify the Swedish Migration Agency of your own income, you may be reported for benefit fraud, which is punishable by law.
If your employment ends, you may be entitled to daily allowance again. In that case, you need to submit a new application for daily allowance and show when the employment ended and when you received your last salary.
Labour market – equal participation in the labour market
A job and an income are required to be able to contribute financially to society. In order for as many people as possible to be able to contribute regardless of prior circumstances, Sweden is continually working to increase diversity in working life from the perspectives of gender, age, class, disability, sexual orientation and ethnic background.
Through diversity on the labour market, society and the labour market can benefit from the many experiences and skills that different individuals have.
Sweden predicts an increasing labour shortage so if more people, regardless of conditions and background, can participate in the labour market, it will lead to an addition to the workforce, which in turn generates tax revenue to society.
All people who have the opportunity to establish themselves and develop on the labour market become largely self-sufficient; it gives a person both confidence and the feeling of being independent. Independence is a quality that is highly valued in Sweden.
Exploitation in the labour market
Unfortunately, there are entrepreneurs who exploit people who come from other countries and do not know what Swedish labour law looks like. It is important not to be deceived into working under the table, that is, to work without the employer paying taxes to the Swedish Tax Agency. Of course, it is also important to receive a reasonable salary for the work you do. More information about this can be found at the Swedish Gender Equality Agency. The information is mainly aimed at people who have not yet arrived in Sweden, but you who are already in Sweden can also benefit from it.
Read more on the Swedish Gender Equality Agency's website
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