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Employers – You want to employ Trainee/intern through international exchange

You want to offer a traineeship/internship within the context of international exchange, where the trainee/intern is a citizen of a non-EU/EEA country and therefore needs a residence permit for a traineeship/internship.

If you want to see the information that is aimed at the trainee/intern, you can visit the page You want to apply – Traineeships/internships conducted via an international exchange programme

The employer starts the application

As an employer, you start the residence permit application for the person to whom you are offering a traineeship/internship. You do this by providing information about the employment to the Swedish Migration Agency via our e-service. When you are finished, the trainee/intern receives a link to the e-service, where they fill in their information and submit the application, thus completing the process. Only then is the application registered with the Swedish Migration Agency.

Other types of trainees/interns

  • In some cases, the trainee/intern must apply for a different type of permit, a residence permit for a traineeship/internship within with the context of higher education, even though the traineeship/internship is arranged via a traineeship/internship organisation. This applies in cases where the traineeship/internship is tied to the person’s education.
    Employ a trainee/intern within the context of higher education
  • If the trainee/intern is not to receive any pay for the traineeship/internship, their employer does not need to start an application with the Swedish Migration Agency. Instead, the trainee/intern must apply for a visitor’s permit.
  • Employees of an international group who will be participating in traineeships/internships, internal training or other skills development in a company within the group, for a total of three months over a period of twelve months, can work in Sweden without a residence or work permit.

Certain people are exempt from the work permit requirement

In addition to the requirements imposed on the trainee/intern, as an employer you must meet the following requirements in order for the person you want to employ to be able to get a residence permit:

  • You must agree with the trainee/intern on terms of employment and salary/wages

  • You must make a written offer of traineeship/internship to the trainee/intern
    The offer must contain the terms of the trainee’s/intern’s employment or assignment.

  • Draft a written offer of traineeship/internship to the trainee
  • Collect important information

Make sure you have access to the information about the trainee/intern, company and employment that you will need to provide in the e-service.

  • Information about the trainee/intern
    Name, date of birth, citizenship, education and email address. Please note that it is through this email address that the trainee/intern will log into the e-service to continue their application for a residence permit, so double check it carefully.

  • Information about the company or organisation
    Company registration number, contact details and location of the workplace.

If you will be acting as a representative for an employer, you need to arrange a power of attorney.

Please note that if you are a representative with power of attorney, you are the only person who will have access to the case during the entire application period, because you create the e-application using your e-ID. You will thus be the only one who can complete the employer’s part of the application and respond to any requests for supplementation.

Read more about power of attorney

The trainee/intern may be granted a permit for the period for which you are offering them a traineeship/internship. The permit may be granted for one or more periods, but the combined length of these periods can total no more than 18 months. They can never be granted a permit for longer than their passport is valid.

It is not possible to say exactly how long it takes to receive a decision. There are many things that affect the waiting time, for example whether the application is complete to begin with or whether we need to request more information, or whether we need to check with other authorities when investigating the case.

Here we show statistics on how long it has taken for people who have applied for this permit. The statistics are based on cases decided in the last 12 months.

Complete applications

75% of recently decided cases have been decided within:3 months

Incomplete applications

75% of recently decided cases have been decided within:4 months

News

2025-05-23

Median salary to be updated on 17 June

On 17 June, Statistics Sweden (SCB) will update the median salary in Sweden. This will affect the salary level requirement for people applying for a work permit.

2025-05-20

What counts as a salary?

One of the requirements for being granted a work permit is that the salary must enable you to make a good living. A new ruling from the Migration Court of Appeal clarifies what counts as a salary.

2025-04-01

The possibility of changing tracks ends on 1 April

On 1 April, the Swedish Parliaments decision to remove the possibility of changing tracks will come into force. This affects people who have been granted, or applied for, a residence permit on the basis of work after their asylum application has been rejected through a so-called change of track.

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.