Employers Long-term residents in another EU country

You want to employ a person who has long-term resident status in another EU country.

A person with long-term resident status in another EU country does not need a work permit to work in Sweden, but must apply for a residence permit if they will be staying here for longer than three months. The person can start working before they have received the decision about their residence permit.

What “long-term resident” means

A non-EU citizen who has lived with a residence permit in the EU for at least five years may be granted long-term resident status.

The Swedish Migration Agency does not issue any certification that a person has the right to work while they wait for a decision regarding a residence permit application. You can see on the person’s EC/EU residence permit card whether they have long-term residence status. Read more on the page EC/EU residence permit card for long-term residents.

Countries covered by the Directive on Long-Term Residents

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

What the employee needs from you

When the employee applies for a residence permit, they need an employment certificate from their employer (you).

The employment certificate must contain the following information:

  • Company name and contact details (address, telephone number and contact person)
  • Company registration number
  • Information about the employee (name, date of birth and citizenship)
  • Information about salary/wages
  • Information about the scope of the employment
  • Information about the form of employment (permanent or fixed-term employment)
  • Number of hours per week
  • Information about whether the person is an hourly employee or works as needed.

The employment certificate must be signed by you and may not be more than three months old. The employee must submit the certificate together with their application for a residence permit.

You can also use the form:

Anställningsintyg för personer med status som varaktigt bosatta i en annan EU-stat [Certificate of employment for people with long-term resident status in another EU Member State] (227021, only in Swedish) Pdf, 1.1 MB.

Save documents

If you employ a long-term resident, you must save documents that show that the person has the right to be in Sweden and work here. The documents must be archived throughout the employment period and for 12 months after the employment has ended.

If the employee is granted a residence permit, it will usually be valid for five years. In cases in which the Swedish Migration Agency has difficulty assessing how long the employment will last, the person may be granted a permit with a shorter period of validity.

The permit can be extended.

News

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.

The Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for considering applications from people who want to live in Sweden, seek protection or become Swedish citizens. Our work is based on Swedish laws and international conventions, with a focus on legal certainty and effective reception and return.