Apply for a residence permit to work as an au pair in Sweden

You want to apply for a residence permit to work as an au pair.

If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA, you will in most cases need a permit to work in Sweden.

If you are going to work as an au pair in Sweden, this means you will be living with a host family and help them with childcare and light housework. The purpose of your stay in Sweden is to learn the Swedish language and take part in Swedish culture.

Requirements to be granted 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 be at least 18 years of age but less than 30 years old when the decision is made

You must have a written agreement regarding au pair work from a family in Sweden
The agreement must state that you will do light housework and provide childcare for a maximum of 25 hours per week and that you will study Swedish for most of the time that you are not working. The combined time spent on housework and studies must not exceed 40 hours per week.

Your host family must have taken out accident insurance for you
Among other things, this insurance should cover accidents during working hours and illness if you become ill from your work. Accident insurance that only provides financial compensation in the event of an accident that occurs during your leisure time is not sufficient.

You or your host family must have, or have applied for, a comprehensive health insurance policy for you
The comprehensive health insurance must be valid for the entire time you will be in Sweden and cover the cost of 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.

You must have enough money for your stay in Sweden and for your return journey
This means that you must be offered compensation from the host family totalling at least 10 percent of the price base amount per month before tax.

The current price base amount can be found on the website of Statistics Sweden External link.

Prepare this before you apply

Make sure that your host family has the correct information about you
Your host family needs information about your name, date of birth, citizenship and email address. They will use this information when they start your application for a work permit.

It is important that you have access to the email address that you give to your host family until you have received a decision about your application. The Swedish Migration Agency will use this email address when we contact you.

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.

Plan which embassy to visit to present your passport
You may need to present your passport at an embassy before you can receive a decision. In the application, you must therefore state which embassy you want to visit.

Not all Swedish embassies and consulates-general handle migration cases, so it is important to check which one you should contact:

What country or territory do you live in?

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.

A written agreement from the host family
The terms and conditions of your employment as an au pair must be stated in the agreement.

Certificate proving that your host family has, or has applied for, accident insurance for you
It must state the insurance company with which they have taken out the insurance, the insurance policy number, and the period for which the insurance is valid.

Certificate proving that you or your host family have, or have applied for, a comprehensive health insurance policy for you
It must state the insurance company with which they have taken out the insurance, the insurance policy number, and the period for which the insurance is valid. The health insurance must cover treatment in Sweden.

Power of attorney – if someone else will be applying for you

A representative can apply for you, if you grant them power of attorney. In that case, the person who applies for you must attach a copy of the power of attorney to your application.

Power of attorney (107011) Pdf, 1.1 MB.

Read more about power of attorney

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

For how long can I be granted a residence permit?

You can be granted a residence permit as an au pair for a maximum of one year, but never for longer than your passport is valid.

The permit cannot be extended.

What does it cost to apply?

The fee is SEK 1,500.

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:4 months

Incomplete applications

75% of applications receive a decision within:5 months

If you want to change host family

You can change host family without submitting a new application, as long as your permit is valid. The requirements for a residence permit must still be met.

Can I get a residence permit as an au pair if I am in Sweden right now?

No. If you apply for a residence permit as an au pair, you must do so from outside Sweden.

Can my family come with me to Sweden?

No, your family cannot accompany you to Sweden if you are granted a residence permit as an au pair.

Illustration som visar ett anställningsavtal.

You receive an au pair work agreement

Before you apply for a residence permit, you need to have an au pair work agreement with a host family in Sweden. The agreement must be signed by you and the host family.

Illustration av en familj med en mamma, pappa och barn som gör en ansökan på en dator.

Your host family starts your application

It is your host family that starts your application in the e-service.

Illustration av en ung man som gör en ansökan på dator.

You fill in your part of the application

Once the host family has completed their part, you will receive an email with a link to the e-service, where you must fill in your part of the application. You fill in the application and attach the necessary documents.

In your application, you indicate which Swedish embassy or consulate-general you want to visit to present your passport.

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 kvinna som sitter vid en dator och jobbar 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. In some cases, we will contact your host family for further information.

Waiting time while we process your application

Now you must wait.

Log in to My Page

By logging in to My Page, you can access information about your application and use our services.

My Page

Illustration som visar hur en person lämnar sina fingeravtryck.

Present a passport and provide fingerprints

Before we can make a decision about a residence permit, you need to present your passport. You must also be fingerprinted and photographed. This information will later be used to produce a residence permit card for you, if you are granted a permit for a period of more than three months.

Digital passport check

In some cases, the Swedish Migration Agency will notify you that you must present your passport for a digital passport check via an app. If you are granted a residence permit, you will be fingerprinted and photographed at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s service centres once you have arrived in Sweden.

Present your passport and get fingerprinted at the embassy

If you are not offered a digital passport check, we will ask you to book an appointment to present your passport at the embassy or consulate-general you selected in your application.

If you need an entry visa to travel to Sweden, you may also be fingerprinted and photographed during the same visit.

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

Illustration av en ung man 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 residence permit or if your application has been rejected. The decision will then be sent by post to your chosen embassy or representative. You may need to book an appointment at the embassy to pick it up. 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 work as an au pair 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

It is your host family that starts your application. Once your host family has completed their part, you must continue with your part of the application. Only once you have completed and submitted your part of the application will it be registered with the Swedish Migration Agency.

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

Your host family starts your application

Your host family in Sweden will start your application by submitting information about your employment to the Swedish Migration Agency. To do this, your host family needs information about your name, date of birth, citizenship and email address. Once your host family has completed their part of the application, you will receive a link via email, which you should use to continue with your part of the application.

You complete your application

Once you have received the email with the link, log in to the e-service and fill in the information about yourself. You must also check that the information about your terms and conditions of employment corresponds to what you and your host family have agreed. Once you have completed your part of the application and have submitted it, it will be registered with the Swedish Migration Agency.

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.

What does it cost to apply?

The fee is SEK 1,500.

If you cannot apply in the e-service

If you are unable to apply in the e-service, your host family must fill in form 232511, Information about the employment Pdf, 818.4 kB., and send it to you. You must then submit it together with your application.

You fill in the form:

Application for a permit to work as an au pair in Sweden (131011) Pdf, 760.1 kB.

Submit your application

You must submit your application at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in the country where you live. Remember to bring the documents you need to attach.

Not all Swedish embassies and consulates-general handle migration cases, so it is important to check which one you should contact:

What country or territory do you live in?

More information to prepare for your visit, such as information about booking an appointment, can be found on the embassies’ website:

Swedish embassies and consulates-general External link.

You pay the application fee when you submit your application.

Once you have submitted your application, it will be sent to the Swedish Migration Agency.

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

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.

2025-02-07

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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