Get a permit

From getting a job offer to arriving in Sweden, our process overview will guide you through the necessary steps. Find out how to apply online, which documents need to be included in your application and where your nearest Swedish embassy is located. Also, learn how your immediate family members can automatically qualify for a work permit along with your own, according to Sweden’s family migration policies.  

Process overview

1. Receive a written offer of employment.
2. Your employer sends the job offer to the concerned trade union for approval of salary and working conditions.
3. After approval, the trade union sends it back to the employer.
4. The employer sends it to you, the future employee, who submit it when you apply for the work permit.
5. Apply for a work/residence permit at the Swedish Migration Board.
6. If applicable, apply for family work and residence permits.
7. Receive your residence permit card at the Swedish embassy or consulate.

Please note that by filing your work/residence permit application online, your approval process can be as short as three weeks, as opposed to three months or more for paper applications.

Steps 1–4: Receive a written offer of employment

If you have successfully applied for a job and been offered a position in Sweden, your future employer must provide you with a written offer of employment. This written job offer is important to the permit process; without it, you can't apply for your work permit.

The written offer of employment, is an official document, that clearly describes the terms and conditions of your employment such as salary, insurance and length of employment. The offer of employment must be obtained by your potential employer from the Swedish Migration Board (Migrationsverket). The employer then fills it out and sends it to the concerned trade union for approval of the offered conditions and then sends it back to the employer, who sends it on to you.

Please note that the offer of employment must be signed by both employer and the concerned trade union and submitted along with your application for a work/residence permit.

Download the Offer of Employment form (pdf)

Step 5: Apply for a work permit

Once you have received a written offer of employment, you can apply for a Swedish work permit. All non-EU/EEA, non-Nordic and non-Swiss citizens who intend to enter Sweden to work need a work permit. To make the process more efficient, it is recommended that you apply online. Otherwise you may apply at your nearest Swedish embassy or consulate.

Apply online

The Swedish Migration Board offers a simple online application process in which you can fill in all necessary information and submit the required documents. By filing online, the approval process can be as short as three weeks — given that the future employer has gotten the approval regarding salary and working conditions from the concerned union — as opposed to three months or more for paper applications. Please note that you will have to pay a fee for your application to be processed.

To apply for a work/residence permit online, you will need copies of the following documents in a digital format:

1. A written offer of employment, completed and signed by your potential employer
2. Pages of your passport that show your identity, the validity period of your passport and whether you have permits to be in countries other than your native country
3. Two photos in passport format, which are taken from the front and are not more than six months old
4. If applicable, copies of relevant documents for each of the family members who intend to join you to live in Sweden
5. Receipt of paid application fee

As soon as you have collected the required digital documents, you may begin the application process.

Go to the work and residence permit application form

Apply in person

If you don’t have access to a computer or the internet, you can also apply for work permits in person at your nearest Swedish embassy or consulate. The embassy or consulate will forward the application to the Swedish Migration Board for processing, review and approval. But be aware that this process can take several months to complete — significantly longer than the online application process. You will also have to pay a small fee to handle your application.

To apply for a work permit in person, you will need to have the following documents:

1. A written offer of employment, completed and signed by your potential employer
2. A valid passport from your country of origin
3. If necessary, relevant documents for each of the family members who intend to join you to live in Sweden

Once you have gathered the documents listed above, you may apply for your work permit at your nearest Swedish embassy or consulate.

Locate your nearest Swedish embassy or consulate

Step 6: Apply for family permits

In connection with your application, immediate family members may also apply for a Swedish work and residence permit. If approved, this will allow them to live, work and study in Sweden for the same duration as your employment and residence permit allow.

Immediate family members include:

1. Spouse or registered domestic partner
2. Children up to 21 years of age

When you apply for your work permit, you will need to fill out all the necessary details about the family members joining you in Sweden and submit the following documents:

1. A valid passport for each family member applying
2. An official birth certificate for all children applying
3. A marriage certificate or domestic partnership certificate for you and your spouse or domestic partner

Learn more about family migration at the Swedish Migration board

Step 7: Receive your residence permit card

As soon as your work/residence permit is approved and your residence permit card is ready, the mission abroad will issue, or in certain cases send, the card to you. If you haven't previously been photographed and had your fingerprints taken, you will need to visit the embassy or consulate to do so.

Locate your nearest Swedish embassy or consulate