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Sweden work visa: how long the Work permit (employee) takes, what it costs, and whether it leads to permanent residence
Work Permit
Tied employment — permanent residence is a later application
Residence and work permit for employment with a named Swedish employer. Tied to that employer, occupation and company identity number: a new job, a change of profession or a new company number needs a new application. From 1 June 2026 the monthly salary must be at least 90 percent of the SCB median salary that applied when the application was submitted (SEK 34,470 from 16 June 2026, based on median SEK 38,300) and must also be on par with Swedish collective agreements or common practice in the profession or industry, which may require more than the statutory floor. Exempt occupations use 75 percent of the median (SEK 28,725 from 16 June 2026). The employer must have taken out health, life, industrial-injuries and occupational-pension insurance; employment of at most one year also needs comprehensive health insurance. First grant is at most two years, never longer than the contract or the passport. Permanent residence is a later application after four of the past seven years on a work permit, plus sustainable after-tax income above housing costs (SEK 6,243 a month left for a single adult in 2026) and a well-behaved life. Time alone is not enough.
Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · verified 2026-08-15
Does Work permit (employee) lead to permanent residence?
- Residency
Temporary on grant; permanent residence is a later application after 48 months
Extension page: “You must have had, and met the conditions for, a permit for work and have worked in Sweden for four of the past seven years.” Also: sustainable financial maintenance (2026 leftover after housing SEK 6,243 a month for a single adult) and “You must live a well-behaved life.” Permanent-residence hub (https://www.migrationsverket.se/en/you-want-to-apply/permanent-residence-permit.html) says a permanent permit “does not have a limited period of validity” but “you must meet special requirements relating to, among other things, financial maintenance and good conduct.” The stored 48 months is only the time limb. Old record treated 48 months as sufficient on its own.
Open the authority's page for this fact
Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · verified 2026-09-25
Do you need a job offer for Work permit (employee)?
- Job offer
Required
Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · verified 2026-09-25
What education does Work permit (employee) require?
- Education
Not yet checked
We have not yet checked this field against the official source. That is not a finding that the page we read does not carry a rule.
Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · verified 2026-08-15
How much money do you have to show for Work permit (employee)?
- Funds
Not yet checked
We have not yet checked this field against the official source. That is not a finding that the page we read does not carry a rule.
Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · verified 2026-08-15
How much does Work permit (employee) cost to apply for?
- Application fee
SEK 2,200
Employee application fee only: “Employees: SEK 2,200”. Adult family members SEK 1,500 and children SEK 750 are separate. Japanese citizens pay no application fee. Not refunded if refused. This is not a family-member fee and is not a later permanent-residence charge.
Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · verified 2026-09-25
How long does Work permit (employee) take to process?
- Processing time
No commitment to a processing time
Open the authority's page for this fact
Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · verified 2026-09-25
We tell you when we re-read a route you follow, in the note from that check, with the official link.
Not published on the pages we read
We checked for each of these and the page carried no figure. The absence is recorded with the reason, so this page states nothing the authority does not.
Processing time
Page: “It is not possible to say exactly how long you will need to wait for a decision.” Statistics for cases decided in the last 12 months: highly qualified complete 75 percent within 1 month, incomplete 2 months; other employments complete 75 percent within 4 months, incomplete 10 months. That is history, not a promised range. Old 1–4 month range deleted.
Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · verified 2026-09-25
The process
How it works
- 1The employer starts the application; the permit is tied to that job.
- 2Permanent residence is a later application: four of the last seven years, plus maintenance and good conduct.
What changed when we last checked this record
Employees page opened 2026-08-15. The permit is employer- and occupation-specific. Occupations that cannot qualify from 1 June 2026: forest berry picker (SSYK 9210) and personal assistant (SSYK 5343). Salary rule from https://www.migrationsverket.se/en/word-explanations/salary-requirements-for-a-work-permit.html and https://www.migrationsverket.se/en/employers/news-archive-for-employers/news/2026-06-16-new-median-salary-affects-the-salary-requirement-for-work-permits.html: 90 percent of the SCB median current at application. SCB page (https://www.scb.se/hitta-statistik/sverige-i-siffror/utbildning-jobb-och-pengar/medianloner-i-sverige/, Statistics Sweden (SCB)): “Medianlönen i Sverige är 38 300 kronor” (updated 2026-06-16). Old stored age 18, 1–4 month processing, dollar fee, and a Google-search officialSourceUrl have been removed. Permanent-residence hub: https://www.migrationsverket.se/en/you-want-to-apply/permanent-residence-permit.html. Good-conduct news from 13 July 2026: https://www.migrationsverket.se/nyheter/news-archive/2026-07-13-new-requirements-regarding-good-conduct-vandel-for-residence-permits.html. Other work routes on https://www.migrationsverket.se/en/you-want-to-apply/work/employee-or-self-employed.html were not added.
Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) · verified 2026-08-15
Other verified Sweden routes
Other routes with a published salary floor: UK work visa: Skilled Worker Visa · Netherlands work visa: Highly skilled migrant · Germany work visa: EU Blue Card · Ireland work visa: Critical Skills Employment Permit · New Zealand skilled migration: Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa · UAE work visa: Golden Residence — specialised / skilled workers · Portugal digital nomad visa: remote work
Other employer-sponsored work routes: UAE work visa: Private-sector employment residence
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Official sources
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