Residence permit to look for work after completing research in Sweden

You have completed your research and now want to apply for a residence permit to look for work or explore the possibilities of starting your own business in Sweden. Your family can apply at the same time as you.

If you have a residence permit for research in Sweden and have completed your research, you can be granted a residence permit to look for work or explore the possibilities of starting your own business here.

If you are granted this type of residence permit and then get a job as a researcher with an approved research principal, you will need to apply for a residence permit for research once again. In that case, in order to be granted a residence permit, you must be outside Sweden when you apply.

You want to apply – Researchers

If you have had a residence permit for research in another EU country, have completed your research, and during the period of validity of that residence permit, you spent time in Sweden and conducted part of your research here, you can apply for a residence permit to look for work while you remain in Sweden.

Requirements to get a residence permit

These requirements must be met in order for you to be granted a residence permit:

You must have a valid passport

You must submit your application before your current permit expires

You must have completed your research

Your last residence permit must have been for research in Sweden or in another EU country

You must be planning to look for work or investigate the possibilities for starting your own business

You must have enough money for your stay in Sweden and to pay for your return journey
Your means of “financial maintenance” must be sufficient for the entire period for which you are applying for a residence permit. You must have at least SEK 9,700 per month.

You must have, or have applied for, a comprehensive health insurance policy
If your total time in Sweden is less than one year, you will need comprehensive health insurance. The insurance must be valid for the entire time you will be in Sweden and cover costs for urgent and other medical care, hospitalisation, and emergency dental care. It must also cover the cost of medical repatriation, if you need to return to your country of origin for health reasons.

If your total time in Sweden is longer than one year, you can get listed in the Swedish population register. This will give you access to health and medical care and dental care.

Prepare this before you apply

Translate documents
All submitted documents should be in Swedish or English. If you have translated your documents, the translation should be certified. You must also include a copy of the document in its original language.

You must attach copies of these documents to your application

Make sure that the information on your submitted documents is clearly visible.

Correctly made copies of your passport

You can never be granted a permit for longer than your passport is valid.

Confirmation from the research principal that the research has been completed
To show that you have completed your research, you must submit a confirmation from the research principal that the research has been completed. If you have mainly conducted research in another EU country, you must submit a confirmation from the research principal in that country. If you have not yet completed your research, you must submit this to the Swedish Migration Agency once the research is completed.

Documents showing that you have, or have applied for, comprehensive health insurance
If the total continuous period of time for your residence permits in Sweden is less than one year, you must have comprehensive health insurance.

Documents showing that you can support yourself financially
Bank statements or other documents showing that you have enough money to support yourself during the period for which you are applying for a residence permit.

Documents to attach if your family is applying with you

Correctly made copies of each family member’s passport

Your family member can never be granted a residence permit for longer than their passport is valid.

Documents showing your relationship

If you are married: marriage certificate, marriage record, or similar document.

If you are cohabiting partners: documents showing that you have lived together, such as population registration certificates, a joint rental contract, or proof of the joint purchase of a home.

Documents to attach if you have accompanying children

Birth record or birth certificate stating the names of the child’s parents

Sole custody decision
If you have sole custody of your child, you must attach a court decision to this effect. If the other parent is deceased, you must submit a death certificate.

Consent that the child may move to Sweden
If a child has two parents/legal guardians and the child’s other parent/legal guardian will be remaining in their country of origin, you must attach a statement of consent from the other parent/legal guardian to the application. If you share joint custody, a copy of the other parent or legal guardian’s passport or other identity document must also be attached.

Consent for a child to settle in Sweden (217011) Pdf, 1.1 MB.

Adoption documents, if your child is adopted

Citizens of the EU/EEA or Switzerland or long-term residents

Other rules apply if you are a citizen of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, or if you have long-term resident status in another EU country.

EU/EEA citizens with right of residence

If you are an EU/EEA citizen, you have the right to live in another EU/EEA country if you fulfil the requirements for right of residence through work, your own company, your studies, or by having sufficient funds to support yourself. If you have right of residence, you do not need to apply for a residence permit to live in Sweden.

EU/EEA citizens

Swiss citizens

If you are a citizen of Switzerland, you can move to Sweden to work, study, start your own business, or live on your own funds. If you want to remain in Sweden for longer than three months, you must apply for a residence permit for Swiss citizens.

You want to apply – Swiss citizens

If you have long-term resident status in another EU country

If you have long-term resident status in another EU country, you can move to Sweden to work, study or live on your own funds. If you plan to stay longer than three months, you need to apply for a residence permit for long-term residents.

You want to apply – Long-term residents in another EU country

If your family also wants to apply

If any of your family members also want to apply for a residence permit, they can do so at the same time as you. You apply for your family in your own application.

“Family members” are considered to include spouses, registered partners, cohabiting partners, and children under the age of 18.

In order for your family to be granted a residence permit, you must be granted a residence permit after completing research, and your family must have valid passports.

If your family is granted residence permits, your adult family members and children who will turn at least 16 during the current year are permitted to work.

For how long can I be granted a residence permit?

You can be granted a residence permit for twelve months – neither shorter nor longer. However, you can never be granted a residence permit for longer than your passport is valid.

The permit cannot be extended.

If your family applies with you, they can be granted a residence permit for the same period as you, but never longer than the period of validity of their passports.

What does it cost to apply?

Employees: SEK 1,500.
Adult family members: SEK 1,500
Children: SEK 750

How long must I wait for a decision?

It is not possible to say exactly how long you will need to wait for a decision. There are many things that affect the waiting time, for example whether your 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 your case.

Here we show statistics on how long it has taken for people who have applied for the same permit as you.

Complete applications

75% of applications receive a decision within:1 months

Incomplete applications

75% of applications receive a decision within:3 months

Illustration av en ung kvinna som gör en ansökan på datorn.

You apply

You fill in the application and attach the required documents.

It is important that you submit your application before your current permit expires. That way, you will have the right to stay in Sweden until we make a decision, even if your current permit expires.

Waiting time before we start examining the application

Now follows a period of waiting until the Swedish Migration Agency takes a closer look at your application.

Illustration av en man som jobbar som handläggare på Migrationsverket.

The Swedish Migration Agency processes the application

The Swedish Migration Agency will review all the information about your application and determine whether you can be granted a residence permit. If we can immediately see that you do not meet the requirements for a residence permit, we may decide to reject your application. We will contact you if we need more information.

Waiting time while we process your application

Now you must wait.

You need to be photographed and fingerprinted

To get a new residence permit card, you need to be photographed and fingerprinted. If you did not do this when you submitted your application, you must book an appointment to do so at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s service centres. If your family is applying with you, they must also book an appointment.

You may need to present your passport

You may need to present your passport before we can make a decision. You only need to do this if we have not already checked it on a previous visit, or if you have received a new passport since you last presented it.

Certain applicants will be offered the option of presenting their passport in a digital passport check conducted via an app.

If you need to present your passport, we will contact you with information about how and when you can do so. You may also need to submit your passport for examination.

You are waiting for a decision – You have applied for the first timee

Illustration av en ung kvinna som håller i ett beslut.

You receive our decision

As soon as we have made a decision, you will receive an email or letter stating whether you have been granted a work permit or if your application has been rejected. In some cases, the Swedish Migration Agency will invite you to an in-person meeting at which you will be informed of the decision. When you receive the decision, you can find out the reasons on which we based it. If you are granted a residence permit, you have the right to live and work in Sweden as long as the permit is valid. If your application is rejected and you are currently in Sweden, you must prepare to leave the country.

You have received a decision – Work

Have you prepared all the documents?

Be sure to provide complete information and attach all necessary documents. The Swedish Migration Agency prioritises complete cases.

See which documents you must attach under the “Important to know” tab

When you apply in the e-service, you can include your family in your own application.

Requirements for applying in the e-service

To apply in the e-service, you must

be 18 years or older
have a valid email address
be able to pay the application fee with a payment card issued by Visa or Mastercard
be able to scan or photograph the documents you need to attach.

E-service for job seekers after research

By logging in you accept the terms of use

What does it cost to apply?

Employees: SEK 1,500.
Adult family members: SEK 1,500
Children: SEK 750

If you cannot apply in the e-service

If you cannot apply in the e-service, you must fill in the form:

Application for a residence permit to seek work on completing studies or research (189011) Pdf, 819.3 kB.

If your family applies together with you, each family member must fill in the form:

Application for a permit for family members of workers, researchers, athletes or coaches and self-employed persons (133011) Pdf, 847.4 kB.

Submit the application

You can either submit the application and the attached documents at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s service centres or send them to:

Migrationsverket
Box 3100
903 03 Umeå
Sweden

Pay the application fee

If you submit your application at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s service centres, you will pay the fee there.

If you are sending in the application by mail, you pay the fee to bankgiro number 5223-7005. The IBAN for the account is SE6912000000012810106908 and the BIC/SWIFT code is DABASESX (Danske Bank).

In the box for messages to the recipient, you write the name and surname of the person the application fee is for, as well as their personal identity number and/or case number. If you are paying the fees of several people at the same time, write the personal identity number and/or case number for each of them. Also write on the application form when and how you paid the fee.

News

2025-03-06

Changes for those residing in Cyprus who wish to apply for residence and work permit

From 17 March 2025 the Swedish embassy in Nicosia will no longer handle migration matters. If you are a citizen of Cyprus, you should instead contact the Swedish embassy in Athens, Greece. The same applies for non-Cypriot legal residents of Cyprus.

2025-03-05

The Swedish Migration Agency's new website has now been launched

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2025-02-07

Changes for residents of Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania or Moldova that wish to apply for residence and work permits or visas

Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania are now part of the Schengen area. Legal residents of these countries shall, from 24 February 2025 turn to one of the five Schengen hubs for migration related matters.

2025-02-07

Changes for those residing in Bosnia and Herzegovina who previously applied for residence and work permit in Sarajevo

As from 10 March, 2025, the embassy in Sarajevo will no longer handle migration related matters. Instead, you should turn to the Swedish embassy in Skopje, North Macedonia.

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.

2024-12-20

Change for people residing in Serbia and Montenegro and want to apply for residence and work permit

As of 3 February 2025, residents of Serbia and Montenegro should contact the Embassy of Sweden in Skopje, North Macedonia for applications for residence and work permits.

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