Information for employers planning to employ employees from non-EU/EEA countries.
When you employ a citizen of a non-EU/EEA country, the employee needs to apply for a work permit in Sweden.
The permit gives the employee the right to live and work in Sweden during the permit’s period of validity. The person must not come to Sweden as a tourist and work; they must apply for a permit.
The employee may come to Sweden only after the Swedish Migration Agency has granted the work permit. A person working without a permit is at risk of being expelled.
There are certain exceptions to the work permit requirement. Read more about these on the page Certain people are exempt from the work permit requirement
Once the employee has had a work permit for a certain period of time, they can choose to apply for a permanent residence permit, which is valid as long as the person remains in Sweden.
A prerequisite for all types of permits is that the applicant must have a valid passport.
For work lasting less than three months, citizens of certain countries also need an entry visa.
Countries whose citizens need an entry visa to spend less than three months in Sweden
External link.
There are different types of permits with different requirements, depending on who you are employing and their occupation. Information regarding your particular recruitment situation can be found on the page for the permit that the employee needs. Information is available about the requirements and the documents that need to be prepared. We also provide a step-by-step description of the process of applying for each type of permit.
You can find the various pages via the link heading You want to employ
If you want to know more about the requirements that only apply to the employee and want to read information aimed directly at them, you will find the corresponding pages via the link heading You want to apply – Work
As an employer, in most cases it is you who start the application for the person you want to employ. You do this by providing information about the employment to the Swedish Migration Agency, via the e-service. It is then the employee who continues and completes the application, and only then is the application registered with the Swedish Migration Agency.
The Swedish Migration Agency prioritises complete cases. This means that we can make decisions more quickly if all the necessary documents and information are included from the beginning. We cannot start processing an application until it is complete.
Depending on the industry and occupation to which you are recruiting employees, it may take different lengths of time to receive a decision regarding an application. For example, if you are recruiting employees to an occupation subject to higher investigation requirements, the process will take longer than if you are recruiting highly qualified workers.
If you will be employing highly qualified workers, you can get extra support for your recruitment.
Read more on the page If you are employing highly qualified workers
If you need to get in contact with the Swedish Migration Agency, you can find contact information on the page Contact us – For employers.
2025-03-05
The Swedish Migration Agency's new website has now been launched
On 5 March, the Swedish Migration Agency launched a completely new version of migrationsverket.se, with a new structure and a more user-friendly navigation. The purpose of the new website is primarily to make it easier for visitors to find the information they need.
2025-01-07
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.
2024-12-19
After the end of the year, seasonal workers will need employment contracts
In order to get a permit as a seasonal worker, it is no longer enough to have a job offer in Sweden. Instead, starting 1 January 2025, you will need to have an employment contract signed by both parties.