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WORK PERMITS

The ultimate guide to getting a work permit in Sweden

Are you considering moving to Sweden on a work permit but don't know how to apply? Wondering how long the process will take, or what to do if your application is rejected? Here’s The Local's ultimate guide to everything work permit-related.

Published: 17 October 2022 15:37 CEST

The ultimate guide to getting a work permit in Sweden

Photo: Isabell Höjman/TT

How do I apply for a work permit?

Here are the basic, nitty-gritty articles on exactly how you go about getting a work permit for a job in Sweden. How do I apply? How does the fast track work? How can I get an IT job in Sweden? See below.

How long will it take?

Here are the articles on current waiting times for work permits, your rights while you wait, and how you can get a faster decision on your application.

Work permit delays

Here are all our articles covering delays to work permit applications, how they are affecting foreigners in Sweden, and whether travelling while you wait is worth the risk.

Changes to work permit labour law

How has work permit law changed? Are there any issues with the new system? How is it likely to change in the future? Here’s The Local’s coverage of recent and potential upcoming changes to work permit laws.

Current law:

What does the new government want to do about work permits?

How does Sweden’s new government want to change migration policy?

Labour market testing

It’s not clear whether Social Democrat proposals to reintroduce labour market testing, also known as skills shortage testing, kicked off by the outgoing government, will become law, but here’s our coverage of what labour market testing is and how it could affect the Swedish labour market.

What can I do if I don’t get the result I expected?

Was your permit rejected? Do you think you should have been given permanent residency instead of a work permit? Here’s a list of what you can do if your application doesn’t turn out the way you’d hoped.

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What can Sweden do to make life easier for 'trailing spouses'?

It is often said that personal contacts are the key to seven out of ten jobs in Sweden, and as accompanying partners usually land in the country without many contacts of their own, networking is absolutely crucial.

Networking can come in many shapes and forms. For one thing: social networking. Several readers who responded to The Local’s recent survey for so-called trailing spouses suggested the most important thing to them was not finding a job, but community.

“Getting a job seems to be more about who you know. Providing networking or even just social events where family are included could be interesting,” said an anonymous reader from the US.

READ ALSO:

‘I’m still searching for the feeling of home’: Life as a trailing spouse in Sweden

Darya, a reader based in Malmö, said her husband’s company had helped a lot, including organising after-work events for employees’ families, to help them make new connections.

But career networking is also important, or even helping trailing spouses find a short-term internship to get them a foot through the door and a chance at establishing professional contacts.

Darya was one of few readers who said she had received active assistance from her partner’s employer in terms of trying to find a job, including the company head giving her advice on her resume and offering to introduce her to another company she might be interested in working for.

“I think my husband’s company sets a good example by having the management try to help spouses find jobs or freelance work. In fact, I can always reach out to the employees at his company and ask for help with setting up my own business, for instance. I am still warming up to this idea and trying to figure things out on my own because I always feel uncomfortable bothering someone, but I am confident that they will help me navigate all the details,” she said.

The majority of readers said they had received no support from Swedish authorities or their partner’s workplace, but those who had received support mainly mentioned help with the residency permit application, networking, and language training.

“My partner’s company made it extremely easy for me to tie my visa to my partner’s, which made this process so smooth. They paid for our move which was also incredible. That’s kind of where it stopped though. There hasn’t been any job support which is unfortunate, and they kind of misled us about how much Swedish I would actually need. I would have started studying much earlier had I known it would be such a deciding factor,” said Taylor from the US, who’s based in Stockholm.

Several other readers also mentioned being caught off guard by how many employers required them to know the Swedish. Some did say that English skills had got them far in the country and they were able to start working while learning Swedish, but others said that wasn’t possible.

“Offer Swedish language courses at a free or subsidised rate. Provide links and contacts into the industries that trailing spouses have left behind, or wish to transition into,” suggested Thomas from the UK.

Readers also urged Swedish companies to be more open to non-Swedish speakers.

“Not insisting on bilingual skills straight away would help. Remembering retirement age is 67 so even older people have a lot of time to give,” said Helen, a banker and financier from the UK.

A Brazilian reader also pointed out that not all immigrants are fluent in English either.

“Although there are Swedish classes for immigrants, if you don’t speak English well (like me), it is not easy to make friends and engage in long conversations. We have to learn both languages. Generally, the immigrants have an English base, but it may not be sufficient to find a job,” she said, suggesting that companies provide professional learning programmes and English courses.

Many readers also called for more information. Several complained that Swedish authorities and companies hadn’t been open about how hard it can be to break into Swedish society.

Few of them suggested that having that information would have turned them off; rather they argued that realistic expectations would have made them better equipped to hit the ground running in Sweden.

The majority of the readers who responded to The Local’s survey were either generally happy with their life in Sweden or a bit conflicted, but few of them said they were unhappy. Many however said they wished that the start of their journey had been just a little, little bit easier.

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