Checklist for getting a Swedish work permit for your international employees

Are you recruiting internationally or transferring an employee who is a non EU-national to Sweden? In most cases this person will need a work permit. We’ve put together an overview of what you need to know if you are applying for a work permit for your employee.

Which documents will you need for your employee?

• An offer of employment in Sweden
• Proof that you have advertised the job
• A statement from the relevant union
• A copy of your employee’s passport
• A power of attorney that you are representing the applicant

Important. The above is a standard list but additional documents may be required. Certain industries and newly established companies face more stringent requirements. You can find full information about the process and requirements for obtaining a work permit at the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket).

What are the requirements for getting a work permit?

• The position must be advertised in Sweden and within EU/EES and Switzerland for a minimum of ten days.
• The terms of employment offered must be at least on par with those set by Swedish collective agreements or which are customary within the occupation or industry.
• The salary offered must be at least on par with those set by Swedish collective agreements or which is customary within the occupation or industry.
• The employer must intend to provide health insurance, life insurance, occupational injury insurance and occupational pension insurance when the employee begins to work.
• The offer of employment must enable the employee to support him/herself In order to satisfy this support requirement, the employee needs to work to an extent that will result in a salary of at least SEK 13,000 per month before taxes.
• The employer must complete an offer of employment and allow the relevant trade union to provide a statement of opinion regarding the terms of employment.

Which documents will you need for your employee’s accompanying family? 

If your employee’s family plan to accompany him/her to Sweden, you will also need to submit the following documents to obtain residence permits:

• Passport copies
  Copies of marriage certificates or the equivalent (applies to married couples or registered partners)
• Documents showing that your employee and his/her partner have lived together in their country of origin (applies to common-law spouses)
• Birth certificates for children
• Consent from the other custodial parent, if they are not also coming to Sweden, stating that the child is allowed to move to Sweden
• Documents showing that children above the age of 21 are financially dependent on their parents
• Adoption documents if the child was adopted
• Power of attorney for representing all members of the family who are over 18 years and who are co-applicants.

How much does it cost to apply for a work permit?

The current standard application fee for a Swedish work permit is 2000 kr. You can see full details about the fees for first time applications for work permits, extensions of work permits, applications for accompanying family members etc here.

Translations

If the above documents are in a language other than Swedish or English, they should be translated into Swedish or English by an authorized translator. You should always submit both a copy of the original document and the translation.

How long does the work permit application process take?

The process of obtaining a work permit for Sweden currently takes approximately 4-6 months from the time that you submit the completed application, assuming that the application is made correctly. If, however, documentation is missing or there is any problem with the application, the process can take a lot longer.

A fast track process is available

A fast track process is, however, available to help you with your employees work permit applications. This process takes about a third of the time of the normal process and also ensures that the application is made correctly, ruling out the threat of additional delays.

Need help with your visa applications?

If you would like expert help with a fast track process or standard application for work or residence permits for your employees and their families, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can also help your international recruits with the entire relocation process including home finding, tax consultancy, registration with Swedish authorities, schools, health care, translations, language and intercultural training. Email us at info@64.226.114.232 or call us on +46 8 361011. You can also read more about our services at www.relocatetosweden.com.

You may also be interested in our checklist for relocating Staff to Sweden