New EU Blue Card rules now apply
As of 1 January, new requirements and rules apply for anyone who wants to apply for an EU Blue Card and existing Blue Card holders.
An EU Blue Card is a combined residence and work permit for people from outside the EU who have an employment contract for a highly qualified job in Sweden. In November, the Riksdag decided to implement the EU’s new Blue Card Directive in Swedish law, which entered into force on 1 January 2025. This means that new requirements and rules apply for those who are either applying for or have an existing EU Blue Card.
The new rules include the following:
- The salary threshold is reduced from 1.5 times to 1.25 times the average gross annual salary in Sweden.
- The requirement for a period of employment is reduced from 1 year to 6 months.
- It is now possible to switch to another highly qualified job without applying for a new EU Blue Card. Instead, a notification of new work or other changes that affect the conditions must be reported to the Swedish Migration Agency.
- There are now more options to switch from other types of residence permits to EU Blue Cards without having to leave the country.
Read more about what is required for the EU Blue Card in Sweden