All You Should Know about Sweden Work Visa

Nordic Countries

The citizens of Nordic countries don’t need any work visa or residence permit to work/live in Sweden.

Non-EU citizens

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen and your nationality is not Sweden visa-free, then you have to apply for a Sweden Work visa. The length of your stay in Sweden does not matter. You have to apply both for a Sweden work visa and a residence permit. If you have a permanent residence visa from one of the EU countries or Switzerland, then your condition is similar to EU citizens. Please remember that while EU/EEA citizens can enter Sweden to look for a job, the non-EU countries must have a job offer to apply for a Sweden work permit.

You must get the work and residence permit before you arrive in Sweden. You must attach the documents for work and residence permits to your visa application. If you are a non-EU student and have completed some postgraduate credits in Sweden and want to get a job, you are except for the latest rule.

When you receive a work/residence permit, your family will get a residence permit for the time you will stay in Sweden. The under 18 children of your partner will account for your family as well. If your Sweden work permit is longer than six months, then your family can get a work permit as well.

Starting your business

If you want to work for longer than three months in Sweden and start or run your own business, you must apply for a residence permit. This is the case if you are going to become a part-owner of another company. The Swedish authorities must grant you a residence permit before you travel to Sweden.

Working holiday visa for young people

The 18–30 years citizens of the list below can apply for a working holiday permit in Sweden for up to one year:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Chile
• Canada
• Hong Kong
• New Zealand
• South Korea
• Uruguay

The highly skilled people or specialists are exempt from a work permit if they work for an international group. But the duration of their stay must be less than one year. If they stay longer than three months, they have to apply for a residence permit.

Eligibility for Sweden Work Permit

You must have an official employment offer from a Swedish employer to get qualified for a work permit:

• The employer must have advertised the job in the EU/EEA for at least ten days.
• The employer must pay at least SEK 13,000 (about 1,212 EUR) for a monthly salary.
• The employer’s terms of employment must match with the regulations set by Swedish collective agreements.

Sweden Work Visa Requirements

The exact type of required documents depends on your visa type. You would better ask the Swedish embassy or consulate for detailed information. But the general requirements are as following:

Application form

You can download the Sweden work visa application form from the embassy in your country. Complete it with the exact information from your documents, then sign and date it. Keep it until you deliver it to the Swedish authorities during your interview.

Cover letter

It is from you to the Swedish officials explaining the reason for your trip to Sweden. Your cover letter must be strong and well explain why you are suitable for the job.

Passport

It must have validity for six months beyond the time you will leave Sweden. It should have two blank pages too. If you have an old passport, you must provide it as well.

Photo

You should provide two photos taken in the latest three months. The background must be white clear and nothing covers your face;

• Veil
• Sunglasses
• Weird mustache or beard

If your face has gone through significant changes recently due to surgery, weight loss or weight gain, you need to provide a new photo.

Travel Insurance

It must cover all your medical expenses in Sweden and the entire Schengen state for 30.000 EUR.

Proof of accommodation

Make it clear where you will stay in Sweden, a rental agreement, ownership proof, or booked hotel.

Job offer

Provide the job offer from the Swedish employer with a copy of the signed contract.

Resume

Your resume must well explain your background and work history. You could take advice from people writing it or proofread it with someone who has applied for a work visa before.

Note

Please remember that the Sweden officials could ask for more documents than we mentioned.

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Sweden Work Visa Application Process

The application process for Sweden work visa is as follows. First, you have to apply for a work permit:

A. Employment offer

You must have an employment offer from a Swedish employer. He/she must advertise the job in the EU for at least ten days. If found no one in the EU, the employer can offer you the job. He/she must pay at least SEK 13,000 (about 1,212 EUR) for a monthly salary.

B. Employer begins the application

The Swedish employer needs your personal information:

• name
• date of birth
• citizenship
• education
• e-mail address

The employer starts the application in Sweden and tells you the result through your email.

C. You receive an email

Once the employer completes the employment offer, you will get an email. It will tell you how to apply for a work permit. You should provide your complete information in the application. In case your family is coming with you, you have to apply for a permit for them as well. Please check that the information about the terms of your employment matches your agreement.

D. Enclosing documents

You should enclose:

• The copies of your passport and all the required information about it.
• Employment offer and the statement from the trade union
• The paid fees

E. Pay and submit the application

It is often necessary to pay a fee. You can pay the fee online. Then, you and your employer will receive an email that confirms the submission of your application.

If more documents are required, the Swedish Migration Agency will contact you.

F. Processing application by Migration Agency

If you enclose all the requirements, the processing time will be shorter. If the Swedish Migration Agency asks for more documents during processing, it will take longer. They might need to examine your case more even if your documents are complete.

G. Getting the results

You will specify a Swedish embassy or consulate in your application. The specified center often informs you that your request got approved. They will also send a notification to the employer to inform him/her.

Then you should go and take your passport to the Swedish embassy or consulate. They will take your photograph and fingerprints. Within four weeks, you will get your residence work permit card.

When you receive the Sweden work permit, you can apply for a Sweden Work visa to enter the country. The application process is as follows:

1. Completing the application form

You should complete the Sweden work visa application, print the sign, and date it. You could receive it from the Swedish embassy or consulate in your home country.

2. Gathering the required documents

At this stage, you have to gather all the required documents for a Sweden visa. See the section above to find out about the requirements.

3. Book an appointment

You should reserve an appointment to submit your application and required documents to a Swedish embassy or consulate. It is possible to get one through a phone call or their website.

4. Attend an interview

When you visit the Swedish embassy or consulate to submit requirements, you should pass an interview. The Swedish visa officer will ask a few questions about your background and the purpose of your trip. Please be honest stand give true answers.

5. Pay the fees

The Sweden work visa costs 2,000 SEK (186 EUR), 1000 SEK (93 EUR) for an adult family member, and 500 SEK (46 EUR) for children.

6. Wait for the processing

Once everything got finished, wait until your application gets processed. When the authorities issue the visa, you can move to Sweden.

Can you work on your own?

To work as a freelancer or on your own in Sweden, you need to apply for Sweden self-employed visa.

How Can You Extend Sweden Work Visa?

To apply for your Sweden work visa, you have to extend your work permit. But you should make another application for it. There are some conditions and requirements based on your special case. You can find out about them from Sweden Migration Agency.

Sweden Work Visa Processing Time

The processing time for Sweden’s work visa is often 15 days. But you should consider the needed time for a work permit, which is four weeks.

Can You Bring Your Dependents with a Sweden Work Visa?

Yes, you can bring your children and spouse with a Sweden work visa. Once you get a work permit, they can travel with you. If you stay for longer than six months in Sweden, then they can get a work permit as well.

Can You Apply for a Permanent Residence with Sweden Work Visa?

YES. If you have worked for 4-5 years in the past seven years you can apply for Permanent Residence. When you apply for an extension, the Swedish authorities may grant you a permanent residence permit.

Do You Have to Buy health insurance for a Sweden Work Visa

Yes, you have to buy health insurance that covers your expenses in Sweden and the entire Schengen states for 30.000 EUR.

Sweden Work Visa and Residence permit Interview Questions

Once you submit your application and the requirements to the Swedish embassy or consulate, you have to go through an interview. The Swedish visa officer will ask you a few questions. They might include:

1. The place you live
2. Family
3. Background
4. Previous work experience
5. Marital status
6. Does anyone will travel with you
7. Financial means
8. The reason you have chosen Sweden, university or course
9. Insurance
10. The plans for when your work permit expired
11. will you return to your home country after your work permit
12. Your hobbies.
13. Work skills
14. Your children, etc.

Let’s sum up…

In this blog, we explained all you need to know about Sweden work visa.

The people who need and don’t need a Sweden work visa, the Sweden work permit, the requirements, application process, fees, and a few FAQs got explained.

In case you have some experience, please write it down in the comment section. Your comments let the readers choose better and avoid mistakes. Conveying your experiences as comments is a great help for applicants.