ICT permits

An ICT permit gives you as a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland the right to travel into, stay and work in Sweden at a company that is established in Sweden within the same corporate group as the host company. If you have already been granted an ICT permit by a different EU Member State, but are to work in Sweden, you can get an ICT authorisation for long-term mobility.

Manager

A manager is a person who has a leadership position and mainly manages the company’s administration and works under and receives guidance by the Board of Directors, shareholders or the equivalent. Managers are, for example, individuals who head the host company or a department of the host company, monitor and control the work done and have authorisation to hire, fire and take other action regarding staff.

Specialist

A specialist is a person who has special knowledge that is important to the company’s area of business, technology or administration. In addition to knowledge that is specific to the host company, the Swedish Migration Agency also examines if the person has a high level of qualification and suitable professional experience for the kinds of work or activities that require special knowledge, including a potential officially approved professional qualification.

A trainee is a person who

A trainee is a person who has a university degree, is relocated internally for career development or to obtain training in business techniques or methods and is paid during the relocation.

To be eligible for an ICT authorisation for long-term mobility, you must

• have a valid passport
• have an ICT permit issued by another EU Member State
• serve as a manager, specialist or trainee for more than 90 days at the company in Sweden
• have an employment contract from your employer outside the EEA. If you are a trainee, you must also send in a trainee agreement for the traineeship in Sweden (see what the agreements must contain under the heading Requirements to obtain an ICT permit)
• have signed or applied for comprehensive health insurance that is valid in Sweden. If the stay in Sweden is shorter than one year, this requirement applies for the entire stay. If the stay is longer than one year, the health insurance must be valid for three months
• be able to verify the qualification to practice the profession in Sweden if the relocation concerns a regulated profession.

Your employer must

• provide information about the employment
• offer compensation that is on the same level as the Swedish collective agreements or what is customary in the profession or industry
• offer terms of employment that are at least on the same level as for employees who are posted in Sweden
• offer an employment that gives you the possibility to support yourself.

An authorisation may be a signed letter where the person applying for a permit gives another person the possibility to represent him or her. An authorisation may for example give somebody the right to apply, receive the reasons for a decision or appeal a decision for somebody else. The authorisation must be signed by the person authorising somebody else and must be able to be presented in the original if the Swedish Migration Agency requests it.

To provide authorisation to another person, you must submit a letter to the Swedish Migration Agency which states

• that it is an authorisation
• name, date of birth and address of the person giving somebody else authorisation
• what the person who has authorisation has the right to do
• name, personal ID number and address for the person who is authorised
• signature of the person giving somebody else authorisation
• date and place of where the authorisation is signed.

Authorisation, form 107011 Pdf, 1.1 MB, opens in new window.

Your family can receive residence permits for the same time as you. Family means

• your partner (live-in partner, spouse or registered partner)
• your or your partner’s unmarried children under 18 years of age.

Maintenance requirement

In order for your family to receive a residence permit, you must be able to support yourself and your family.

Read more about the maintenance requirement for employees

How family members apply

If your family is to accompany you and you apply for them at the same time, you must also send in

• copies of the pages in their passports that show personal data, photo, signature, passport number, issuing country, period of validity, the machine-readable code on the identity page and if they have permission to live in countries other than their home country
• a copy of the marriage certificate or the equivalent (for married couples and registered partners)
• documents that show that you have lived together in the home country (for live-in partners)
• birth certificates for children
• consent from the other guardian if he or she is not accompanying you to Sweden, which states that the child may move to Sweden
• adoption documents if the child is adopted
• authorisation if you are a representative for your partner
• documents that show that you have enough income to support yourself and your family. The documents required are listed in the e-service or in the application form.

The documents should be translated to Swedish or English by an authorised translator. You must always send in both a copy of the document in the original and a copy of the translation of the documents.

If you apply together, you include your family members in your own online application.

If they are going to apply after you, they can make their own application online.

Read more about how family members make their own online application

A decision on an ICT permit and ICT authorisation for long-term mobility is made within 90 days. The decision must be issued before you travel to Sweden.

If you have an ICT permit that is granted in another EU Member State, you may travel into Sweden and work during the time you are waiting on your decision on condition that the permit period for your permit has not ended or that the 90-day time limit has passed. The time limit applies for 90 days during a 180-day period.

Follow your case in My page

If you have made your application in the e-service, you can log in to My page to follow your case and see if you have received a decision.

My page

You must show your passport

The Swedish Migration Agency must check your passport before a decision can be made. You may therefore need to show your passport at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general if you are outside Sweden, or one of the Migration Agency's service centres if you are in Sweden.

Find out which embassy or consulate-general you should contact on the page Embassies responsible for migration matters

In some cases, you can have your passport checked digitally, instead of showing it in person.

Read more about the digital passport check e-service

In some cases, you will not be required to show your passport, for example, if we have already checked your passport during a previous visit.

If you need to show your passport, we will contact you with information on how and when to do so.

If you need an entry visa or residence permit card to travel to Sweden, you will in most cases have your fingerprints taken and be photographed when you show your passport at an embassy or consulate-general.

If your family also applies for a residence permit, the Swedish Migration Agency must check their passports as well. The requirement to show your passport in person does not apply to children under the age of five, it is sufficient that the parent brings the child's passport to the visit. However, if the child needs a residence permit card, they must come along to be photographed for it.

If you have, or have applied for, an ICT permit or an ICT authorisation for long-term mobility, you must notify the Swedish Migration Agency if anything changes that affects the conditions for the permit. This may, for example, be if you do not receive the compensation you were offered or if your terms of employment have deteriorated.

If you do not report changes that affect the conditions for the permit, it can lead to a denial of your permit application or permit extension, the revocation of the permit, or that you in worst case can be punished with fines or imprisonment of up to six months.

You report changes to the Swedish Migration Agency by sending a letter to the Swedish Migration Agency where you explain what has changed. You must clearly state your name and your reference number (case number).

Send the letter to Migrationsverket, Box 3100, 903 03 Umeå.

Your employer must also notify the Swedish Migration Agency if anything changes that affects the conditions for the permit.

If you get a new job or employer, you can apply for a temporary residence and work permit when you are in Sweden. Your family members who received residence permits as members of your family can also apply for a continued residence permit in Sweden.

Read more about residence permits to work in Sweden

If you want to continue working in Sweden, you must extend your ICT permit or ICT authorisation for long-term mobility. The application must be made before the current permit expires. The permit can be extended up to three years if you work as a manager or specialist, or up to one year if you are a trainee.

In most cases, you pay a fee to extend your permit.

Application fees for ICT permits

How to apply

You apply to extend your ICT permit with an online application.

Perma­nent resi­dence permit

When you apply for an extension of your ICT permit, you can apply at the same time for a permanent residence permit. To be granted a permanent residence permit, you must meet the requirements for an extended permit, and you must also

• have had an ICT permit or a work permit as an employee and have worked in Sweden for four years over the past seven years
• be able to support yourself financially
• be living an orderly life.

When the Swedish Migra­tion Agency has received your exten­sion appli­ca­tion

You have the right to continue working while waiting on a decision if you submitted your application before your previous permit expired.

If you are granted a permit, you get a residence permit card. The card is a certification that you have permission to be in Sweden and contains your fingerprints and a photo of you, among other information. You must therefore book an appointment to submit fingerprints and be photographed as soon as possible. You also need to do so if you previously had a residence permit card because your photo and your fingerprints cannot be saved.

Check that your application has been registered or if you received a decision

Book an appointment at the Swedish Migration Agency for a residence permit card

Permit exten­sion deci­sion

The decision is sent to your home address in Sweden. If you re granted a residence permit, you need a residence permit card. When the residence permit card is ready, it is sent home to you within around a week.

Read more about residence permit cards

The e-service makes it easier to apply

If you apply online, you are given clear instructions on how to complete your application and what you have to send in with it. It is easy to do it right from the beginning, which increases your chances of getting a decision faster.

ICT permits

You can apply for an ICT permit on the form Application for ICT permit to work in Sweden, 185011, which you turn in to a Swedish embassy or consulate-general.

The application must be made before entry and you may not be resident in an EU Member State.

Application for ICT permit to work in Sweden, form 185011 Pdf, 1.3 MB, opens in new window.

Application for a permit for family members of workers, researchers, athletes or coaches and self-employed persons, form 133011 Pdf, 847.4 kB, opens in new window.

Swedish embassies and consulates-general External link, opens in new window.

If it is not possible to apply in your country, you must apply at the embassy or consulate-general that is closest to the country in which you live. For information on what applies at the embassy or consulate-general in question, see swedenabroad.com.

If you apply at an embassy or a consulate-general, you pay the fee when you submit your application. For information on fees, contact the embassy or consulate in question since they do not have the same fee regulations as the Swedish Migration Agency.

ICT permit in another EU country

If you have an ICT permit that was granted to you in another EU country, you can submit your application for ICT authorisation for long-term mobility in Sweden.

Send the application to Migrationsverket, Box 3100, 903 03 Umeå.

Application for ICT permit to work in Sweden, form 185011 Pdf, 1.3 MB, opens in new window.

Application for a permit for family members of workers, researchers, athletes or coaches and self-employed persons, form 133011 Pdf, 847.4 kB, opens in new window.

You must send in

• copies of the pages in your passport that show personal data, photo, signature, passport number, issuing country, period of validity and if you have permission to live in countries other than your home country
• information about the employment and a union declaration on the terms of employment you are being offered (you must get this from your employer)
• an employment contract from your employer outside the EEA. If you are a trainee, you must also send in a trainee agreement for the traineeship in Sweden
• degree certificate/register transcript from your university if you are a trainee
• information on what insurance company you have taken out insurance with and the insurance policy’s period of validity
• documents that verify that you have qualifications to practise the profession if the application concerns a regulated profession
• a copy of your current ICT permit if you have such a permit in another EU country
• an authorisation if you are a representative for the applicant.

Permit exten­sion

You can apply for an extension of your ICT permit on the form Application for ICT permit to work in Sweden – for applicants who are in Sweden, 185011, which you turn in to the Swedish Migration Agency.

Send the application to Migrationsverket, Box 3100, 903 03 Umeå.

Application for ICT permit to work in Sweden, form 185011 Pdf, 1.3 MB, opens in new window.

Information about the employment, form 232511
Pdf, 816.9 kB, opens in new window.

In most cases, you must pay a fee.

Application fees for ICT permits

You must send in

• the form Application for ICT permit to work in Sweden – for those who are in Sweden, form number 184011
• copies of the pages in your passport that show personal data, photo, signature, passport number, issuing country, period of validity and if you have permission to live in countries other than your home country
• a statement of earnings with information on your income for the previous year if you worked in Sweden then
• salary specifications for this year if you are now working in Sweden
• information about the employment and a union declaration on the terms of employment you are being offered (you must get this from your employer)
• a copy of your current ICT permit if you are applying for an ICT authorisation for long-term mobility
• an authorisation if you are a representative for the applicant.

Exten­ding permits for family

If you have family members who live with you in Sweden, who also need to extend their permits, they apply via the form Application for a permit for family members of workers, researchers, athletes and coaches and self-employed persons, 133011.

Application for a permit for family members of workers, researchers, athletes or coaches and self-employed persons, form 133011 Pdf, 847.4 kB, opens in new window.

There are additional new requirements if your family applies to extend their permits at the same time as you apply for a permanent residence permit.

Read more about what applies when you have or you intend to apply for a permanent residence permit and your family applies at the same time as you do

A host company is a company established outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. The host company should also be established in Sweden and be a unit that belongs to the same company, or to a company within the same corporate group. It is not important in what legal form the company is operated. The host company can therefore be operated as, for example, a limited liability company or a general partnership.

The term “remuneration” has a broader meaning than the term “wages”. “Wages” normally refers to basic wages and certain supplements the employee may be entitled to: for example, an additional amount for working unsociable hours, or overtime payment. The term “remuneration” includes the wages themselves and other payments that are typically included in wages for employees in Sweden in a comparable position. What is included in the remuneration can therefore vary depending on the industry. In order to assess an application, the Swedish Migration Agency has to check the collective agreement or what is customary for the industry in question.

You need to show that you have taken out or applied for a comprehensive health insurance policy that covers health and medical care in Sweden in order to be granted an ICT permit. You need a comprehensive health insurance if you should need medical care during your stay in Sweden.

If you are applying for a permit for a shorter term than one year, the health insurance must cover the whole period. If you are applying for a permit for a longer period than one year, you will be able to be entered into the population register and be covered by the Swedish health insurance system. In this case too, you will need to show that you have taken out or applied for health insurance for three months, to cover the time until you are entered into the population register.

Your health insurance should cover the costs of emergency as well as other health care, and also hospitalization and transport to your home country for medical reasons, if necessary.

Your employer must take out insurances for you. You should therefore be covered by occupational injury insurance, occupational pension insurance, health insurance and life insurance through your employer.

In addition to these insurances you need to apply for a comprehensive health insurance that covers health and medical care in Sweden if you should need it. Read more in the questions Why do I need a comprehensive health insurance? and What is a comprehensive health insurance?

If your application is complete, ICT applications are processed within 30 days. If we need more information from you, it may take up to 90 days before you can get a decision.

If you have, or have applied for, an ICT permit, or have an extended-stay mobility ICT permit, you must notify the Swedish Migration Agency if anything changes that affects the terms of the permit. It might be, for example, that you are not receiving the remuneration you were offered, or your terms of employment are downgraded.

If you do not report changes that affect the terms of the permit, your application for a permit or extension of a permit may be rejected, your permit may be withdrawn, or you may, in the worst case, be fined or imprisoned for up to six months.

A host company must also inform the Swedish Migration Agency of changes that affect the terms of extended-stay mobility ICT permits.

No. The Swedish Migration Agency may not grant a work permit, according to Chapter 6, Sec. 2 of the Aliens Act, if you intend to work in Sweden on an ICT permit.

An exception to this is if you are going to work in Sweden for less than 90 days. In such a case, you can get a work permit in accordance with the national regulations.

You may not be granted an ICT permit if you

• reside in the EU. You are usually considered as resident in the EU if you have a residence permit in another EU country on grounds other than to visit
  
• are an EEA citizen or a citizen of Switzerland
  
• are a visiting researcher
  
• have been posted by a company that is established in an EEA state or Switzerland, in accordance with the Act (1999:678) on the Posting of Employees.
  
• are a student
  
• are hired out by an employment agency, a staffing company or another company to work under the supervision and management of another company.

If you have an offer of employment with another employer, or have been offered a local position with the host company where you are or have been a group employee, you can submit your application for a work permit while you are in Sweden. In such cases, the application is examined in accordance with the national rules and not the ICT provisions.

Read more about the requirements for work permits

If you have submitted your application before your previous permit has expired, you may continue to work in Sweden while the Swedish Migration Agency considers your application.

If you leave Sweden and apply for a new permit from a country outside the EU/EEA, you may be granted a new ICT permit provided that you fulfil the conditions. You may not apply from Sweden, as you have already had a permit for three years.

You can thus be transferred to Sweden within the company several times, but after you have had an ICT permit for three consecutive years you must travel from Sweden and the EU/EEA to apply for a new ICT permit.

No, an ICT permit cannot be extended for longer than three years. If you wish to apply for a new ICT permit after three years, you must leave the EU/EEA and then reapply.

No, you can apply for a new ICT permit as soon as the previous permit expires and you have left the EU/EEA. The application for a new ICT permit cannot be granted until the previous ICT permit expires.

If you have had a work permit and worked for a total of four years over the past seven years, you may be granted a permanent residence permit. You can count the time you have had your ICT permit as part of the total permit period.

When the Swedish Migration Agency examines an application for a permanent residence permit, the Swedish Migration Agency verifies, among other things, that you have been in Sweden and carried out work for which you had a permit, during the period for which you had a permit for work in Sweden.

If you have had an ICT permit for three years, the requirements for obtaining a permanent residence permit are not fulfilled. Permanent residence permits may only be granted after you have had a permit for work in Sweden for four years.

If you have had an ICT permit for three years and then received a new ICT permit for two years, the question of permanent residence permit will only be examined after your two-year permit has expired. Please note that you need to submit the application for an extended ICT permit before the previous permit expires.

Yes.

Yes, if the Swedish Migration Agency rejects your application, you can appeal to a migration court. You will be advised on how to make an appeal in the decision documentation that you receive.

If you have an ICT permit for another EU country and you intend to work in Sweden, you must apply for an extended-stay mobility ICT permit if your stay in Sweden is longer than 90 days over a 180-day period.

You must enclose a copy of your residence permit card with your application. The card must confirm that you have an ICT permit.

As you have an ICT permit for an EU country, you may enter, stay and work in Sweden for a maximum of 90 days over a 180-day period. The company in Sweden should be a department that is a part of the same company, or a company within the same corporate group as the company that is established in the EU country where you work. Your permit for Spain must be valid for the entire period you will be staying and working in Sweden.

You will need to apply for an ICT permit in the EU country in which you will be working the longest. You can then use your right to mobility to stay in Sweden. This means that you may work in Sweden for 90 days over a 180-day period. If your work in Sweden lasts longer than 90 days, you may apply for an extended-stay mobility ICT permit.

As long as your permit for the other EU country is valid, you may work in Sweden for the period during which the Swedish Migration Agency is considering your application.

If you have an ICT permit that was issued in Sweden and apply for an extended-stay mobility ICT permit in another EU country, and your application is rejected, you should return to Sweden. This also applies if the EU country does not want you to stay in the country to work for a brief period, or if your ICT permit has expired or is withdrawn. The other EU country must demand that you leave the country.

When you have returned, you have the right to remain in Sweden for the remainder of the period of the permit, and may then apply for an extension of the permit period or for a national residence permit and work permit. If the permit period has expired and you no longer have a permit that entitles you to remain in Sweden, you may still remain in Sweden for three months. If you wish to apply for a new permit, you must leave Sweden.

This also applies to the members of your family.

People who reside within the EU are not covered by the regulations on ICT permits. If you still live in Sweden, the Swedish Migration Agency will consider your application for extension in accordance with the rules set out in chapter six, section two of the Aliens Act. If you no longer live in Sweden and have travelled back to your country of origin, then you will be covered by the rules on ICT permits. If you are only in your country of origin for a shorter period (for example a holiday) then the Swedish Migration Agency will consider your application in accordance with chapter six, section 2 of the Aliens Act.

If you are specialist within an established group and you are coming to work in Sweden for more than 90 days, then you are covered by the ICT regulations. This means that you need to apply for an ICT permit before you travel to Sweden. If you are going to work for a period of less than 90 days, then you do not need an ICT permit or a work permit. If you need a visa to enter Sweden, then you will need to apply for a visa.

If you already have an ICT permit in another EU country, you can work in Sweden for a maximum of 90 days over a period of 180 days without applying for a permit. If you are going to work for a longer period of time, then you must apply for an extended-stay mobility ICT permit.

Yes, your family may also apply for and be granted a residence and work permit. A husband, wife, cohabiting partner, registered partner and unmarried children under 18 all count as family members. In order for your family to get a residence permit you must be able to support yourself and your family.

Read more about the maintenance requirements for employees

A child who has previously had a residence permit as a family member, but who has turned 18 by the time of the application for an extension, is no longer able to get a residence permit as a family member.

Family members of persons who have an ICT permit will be granted a residence permit for the same period of time as you. If you leave the EU/EEA to apply for a new ICT period, your family also needs to leave the country, as they too must apply for a permit and have it granted before entry.