Information for asylum seekers about working in Sweden and how AT-UND works.
You must usually support yourself financially while you wait to receive a decision about your asylum application. You can do this either by using your own savings or by working.
The Swedish Migration Agency considers your right to work once you have submitted your asylum application. The proof that an asylum seeker is exempt from the requirement to have a work permit is called “AT-UND”. If we determine that you are covered by this exemption and have the right to work, this will be recorded directly on your Asylum Seeker card (LMA card).
If you have been offered a job and need to be granted an AT-UND exemption quickly, you can present your offer of employment to the Swedish Migration Agency. We will then quickly decide whether you can be granted AT-UND status.
Keep in mind that not only wages/salary but also other forms of compensation, such as gift cards, may affect your right to financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency.
You are exempt from the work permit requirement if you meet the following criteria:
You submit acceptable identification documents, or otherwise help clarify your identity
Your asylum case is under examination in Sweden
Your application is well-founded
You are not exempt from the work permit requirement if you have received, or it can be assumed that you will receive, a refusal of entry decision that is to be implemented immediately, or if your asylum application is to be examined by another country under the Dublin Regulation.
Read more about the Dublin Regulation
You will receive AT-UND status through a registration made directly on your LMA card, which your employer can check by scanning the QR code on the card. Your exemption from the work permit requirement usually applies until you receive a residence permit or leave the country.
If you do not receive AT-UND status, this means that you do not have the right to work while waiting for a decision about your application for a residence permit.
Once you have AT-UND status, you can turn to the Swedish Public Employment Service for help with finding a job. They can inform you about vacancies and other provide information.
If you have an education from a country other than Sweden and you need to have the education assessed in order to be able to continue your studies in Sweden or start working in your trained profession, in some cases you can apply to have your education assessed even while you are still waiting for a decision about your asylum application. You can get more information about this on the website of the Swedish Council for Higher Education.
The Yrkesguiden career guide provides information about approximately 350 professions in Sweden. Here you can read what prospects the different professions offer, what they entail, and what education you must have to get a job in the profession. The guide is available in several languages.
You can learn more about starting a business at Verksamt.se. Verksamt is a website where you will find everything you need to know about how to start and run your own business in Sweden. The information on the website is available in Swedish and English.
You retain your AT-UND status for as long as you cooperate on preparations for you to leave the country. If you do not cooperate in preparations for you to leave the country in accordance with the decision, you are no longer exempt from work permit requirement, and this will be evident from the information on your LMA card.
If you have worked for more than four months during your time as an asylum seeker, you can apply for a work permit after the rejection of your asylum application has gained the force of law, via a so-called “track change”. Your application must be submitted to the Swedish Migration Agency no more than two weeks after your decision has taken effect (gained the force of law).
You want to apply – Former asylum seekers who have found work
If you get a job while you are an asylum seeker, you must present your employer with proof that you are exempt from the requirement to have a work permit (i.e. that you have AT-UND status).
Your LMA card has a QR code that allows an employer to use their mobile phone to easily check if the card is valid and if you have the right to work.
Your employment does not need to be approved by the Swedish Migration Agency.
Your employer must notify the Swedish Migration Agency of the employment
Your employer must notify the Unit for Reception with which you are registered that you have been hired. The employer must also notify them if/when the employment ends.
You must report your income to the Swedish Migration Agency
If you have daily allowance, you must notify your Unit for Reception of your income.
You must obtain a coordination numbers from the Swedish Tax Agency
You must contact the Swedish Tax Agency to obtain a coordination number. The coordination number is for people who do not have a Swedish personal identity number, and you need it to be able to pay taxes when you work. You will also need a coordination number to be able to receive sickness benefits if you become ill and cannot go to work.
Contact the Swedish Tax Agency for more information
External link.
Only the Swedish Migration Agency can deposit money on the bank card that you receive from the Swedish Migration Agency. If you want to open a bank account into which your employer can deposit your wages/salary, you need to contact a bank. The bank offices themselves decide whether you meet their requirements to open an account with them.
All banks require you to be able to present identification documents, and they decide which documents they approve. Some banks allow asylum seekers to open a bank account even though their identification documents are in the possession of the Swedish Migration Agency. You must then be able to present a valid Asylum Seeker card and a copy of your identification documents. The Swedish Migration Agency must provide certification that these are genuine copies of the original document.
You also need to give the Swedish Migration Agency permission to certify to the bank that your information is correct. You can contact the nearest Unit for Reception and tell them you want to do this. The Swedish Migration Agency can then check the information you have provided to the bank, when they ask us to do so.
Certain banks require that you present a certificate of employment in order to open a bank account. You can get such a certificate of employment rom your employer.
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.
2025-02-28
Amended rules for asylum seekers living in their own accommodation (EBO)
From 1 March, virtually all new asylum seekers will be required to live in one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s asylum accommodation centres in order to receive financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency in the form of daily allowances and special grants.
2025-02-18
If you are returning to your country of origin, you can receive support worth EUR 5,000
If you withdraw your application for asylum or if it is rejected, you can receive support from the Swedish Migration Agency. On 1 March 2025, the support we provide for efforts to help you and your family members reintegrate into society in your country of origin will change. The amount of support you can get depends on when you choose to return.
2025-01-30
Legislative change on accommodation and financial support for asylum seekers
The Swedish Parliament has decided on a legislative change that will affect asylum seekers’ right to financial support and the option to live in their own accommodation. The change will be introduced in two stages. From 1 March, the change only applies to new asylum seekers, and from 1 September 2025, anyone who applied for asylum before 1 March and who lives in their own accommodation is also affected.
2025-01-20
The Upper Secondary School Act ends on 20 January
January 20 is the last day to apply for a permanent residence permit under the Upper Secondary School Act. After this the law will expire, but many people who currently have a residence permit under the Upper Secondary School Act will be able to have their application for permanent residence considered even after January 20.
2024-12-16
Now you can see your complete decision on My Page
If you are waiting for a decision from the Swedish Migration Agency, you can now see the complete decision on My page. Previously, you have only been able to see if the decision is positive or negative, and the justification has only been sent home to you in paper format.
2024-12-12
Now there are films that explain to children what happens when they apply for asylum in Sweden and why they may need to answer some difficult questions. Children will also learn more about life in Sweden, about children’s rights and about laws that protect children.