Sweden Work Visa Requirements

A work visa is a necessary legal document obtained by citizens who are not naturally eligible to engage in full time employment in the country they intend to relocate to. A typical work visa can be in the form of a standard document or a stamp in your passport; however the application process for obtaining such can be a lengthy and sometimes stressful experience.  Not every applicant will be required to apply for a residence and work permit, this prerequisite is normally dependant on the applicant’s nationality.  Generally, Jurisdictions with reciprocal treaty agreements will stipulate that a citizen from a country within the treaty agreement are not legally required to seek a work visa for undertaking employment in those countries. Generally every country will provide conditions which need to be satisfied in order to be approved a work visa, although members of the European Union typically have the same work visa prerequisites.

Who requires a Swedish Work Visa?

Citizens who carry a full European Member country status are legally authorized to reside and engage in fulltime employment Sweden without the prerequisite of obtaining a residence or work permit for the first three months of their residency, after this period of time they must register with the relevant authority for a residence permit.  This benefit for EU citizens is a result of the freedom of movement act under European Law which entitles EU nationals to move freely between all EU member states.

If you are a Non-EU citizen then you are legally required to apply for a work permit and residence visa in order to gain full athorisation to live and take up employment in Sweden.  Such Swedish work permits will be applied for by the applicants sponsor (Swedish employer) on their behalf while the applicant remains in their country of domicile.  Only after approval of the work permit can the applicant actually move to Sweden and begin employment.

Sweden work permit requirements are regulated by the Foreign Nationals Act 1989 which stipulates that all foreign nationals intending to reside in Sweden on a long term basis for the purpose of taking up a job offer must obtain a work permit before they can commence work.

Relevant Swedish Visas

Working Holiday Visa

Sweden has entered in to a reciprocal agreement with Australia, New Zealand and Canada to also citizens of those countries to come to Sweden and take up temporary employment under a Swedish ‘Working Holiday Visa’.  Once the applicant has been approved his/her working holiday visa he/she can enter Sweden and look for work.

The working holiday Visa has certain conditions which must be met in order for the applicant to be approved.  Such conditions include;

- The applicant must be between 18-30 years of age

- The main purpose of the applicants stay in Sweden is for a holiday

- The applicant’s job must be of a temporary nature and only taken as a means to support your stay in Sweden

- The applicant should apply for this visa a minimum of 6 weeks prior to flying to Sweden as the applicant process can take this long before a decision is given.

- The working holiday visa validity period is for a maximum of 1 year.

Sweden Work Permit

A Swedish work permit is normally relatively difficult to obtain due to the number of conditions which must be satisfied.  The type of work an applicant is intending to engage in will be a deciding factor when administering his/her work permit applicant.  Generally, Sweden will only approve work permits where the job in question is of an exclusive nature and cannot be done by a Swedish national.

In order to work in Sweden it is essential that you receive a formal job offer in the form of a legal contract.  Once you have received your job offer you must also be able to prove that you have sufficient funds to support your stay in Sweden.

Application of a Work Permit requires;

- Copy of you r valid passport

- A formal offer of employment by a Swedish employer

- Payment of the work permit application fee

Sweden Residence Visa

If you are of working age then you will automatically be granted a work permit when you are approved a residence permit in Sweden.  A residence visa is required for the applicant to engage in employment in Sweden.  A residence visa will typically have a 2 year validity period which is extendable on expiry; however after a 2 year period the applicant is eligible to apply for a permanent residence visa.

The work permit entitles the applicant to commence the employment he/she has been offered and not to engage in any other form of employment or to change employers during this period of time.  After a period of 2 years, the applicant is entitled to change employers however he/she is then required to obtain another work permit under his/her new sponsors authorization.

Exceptions to obtaining a Swedish Work Permit

If you are an EU citizen or a holder of a permanent residence permit in Sweden you are not subject to obtaining the relevant work permit.

Further exemptions apply to individuals who are engaging in the following types employment in Sweden;

- Technical professionals and specialists working in Sweden for the purpose of installation, repair or maintenance.  This type of work must not exceed 3 months.

- Employees of foreign transportation including staff working on trains, buses, aircrafts and sea vessels

- International business representatives working on a temporary basis in Sweden (i.e. company sales representatives, journalists)

- Tour guide operators

- Temporary teaching staff

- Entertainers (famous artists including actors and singers)

- Employees of foreign companies undertaking work related training in Sweden

Restrictions of a Sweden residence/work permit

If the applicant is unfortunate enough to loose his/her job during his/her residence in Sweden, the individual is given a maximum period of 3 consecutive months in order to find alternative employment before the permit is revoked.

Applicant’s family member’s residence and work permit applications

The applicant is entitled to include his/her spouse and dependants under the age of 21 years old where he/she is a holder of a residence and work permit for employment purposes.  If the main applicant has taken on a job contract which is for a period longer than 6 months then his/her family are also granted a work permit.

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