Work Permits
Applying for a work permit? Here you can find practical guides and information on obtaining a work permit as well as the latest news and updates.
Leader of Swedish Moderate youth wing criticises work permit reforms
The leader of the Moderate Party's youth wing has called on the government to allow rejected asylum seekers who have successfully switched to a work permit to stay in Sweden, in a sign of a split in the ruling party over labour migration.
Moderate youth chair calls for Sweden to adjust 'track change' law
The Moderate Party's youth wing has called for a law removing the right of asylum seekers to "change track" and instead apply for a work permit to be changed so that more who have managed to get stable jobs are allowed to stay in Sweden.
Swedish government finalises bill on hiking work permit salary threshold
Sweden's government has finalised the text of a new law which will see the minimum eligible salary for a work permit hiked to 33,390 kronor a month from next June, but as yet there is no timetable on when it will be voted on by parliament.
IN DATA: Majority of foreign workers leaving Sweden are highly educated
The overwhelming majority of work permit holders choosing to leave Sweden are university graduates, according to new figures from Statistics Sweden obtained by The Local.
EXPLAINED: How the EU's new Talent Pool for non-EU jobseekers will work
The launch of the ‘EU Talent Pool’ has moved a step closer. It will be the first digital platform that will match vacancies in shortage occupations in EU countries with non-EU jobseekers.
'Threat to public order': Doctor's Swedish work permit application rejected again
Sasan Kazemian, the Iranian doctor whose 'talent deportation' case has become national news in Sweden, has been refused a new work permit after leaving Sweden to apply from Iran, with the Migration Agency writing that he is "a threat to public order".
Number of new Swedish work permits has fallen by a fifth in 2025
The number of new work permits issued by the Swedish Migration Agency is down by a fifth so far this year, bringing it to less than half the the number issued in 2022, the year the Tidö government got into power, according to new figures.
UPDATED: What's the current status of Sweden's planned migration laws?
There are a number of migration-related laws and policies in the pipeline in Sweden, including changes to work permits, citizenship and permanent residency requirements, and plans to tighten up permanent residency and asylum applications.
What's in Sweden's new package of work permit rules?
Sweden's government has published a detailed list of its proposed changes to work permit rules, including a new 90 percent salary threshold, a requirement for full health insurance, and better rules for high-skilled workers. Here are the main changes.
Can I meet Sweden's work permit threshold by working multiple jobs?
Sweden's work permit salary requirement went up to 29,680 kronor in June 2025. But here's why you can't boost your earnings by picking up a second job on the side.
Parents of Malmö's hummus bar owner given weeks to leave country
Ibra Idrees set up Malmö’s first hummus bar, Hummusson, after applying for countless jobs in Sweden with no success. He even managed to employ his parents in the company. Now, however, a decision from the Migration Agency to refuse to extend their work permit means the family’s future is uncertain.
What do we know about plans to further raise the work permit salary threshold?
A full 18 months after a government inquiry proposed it, Sweden's government has finally announced plans to raise the salary threshold for a work permit, albeit to a slightly lower level than originally proposed. Here's what we know so far.
Sweden to hike threshold for work permit to 33,390 kronor a month
Sweden's government has agreed to hike the minimum salary for a work permit to 90 percent of the median salary, pushing ahead with a watered-down version of the long-delayed proposal despite the opposition of Swedish business groups.
Swedish business strongly backs new EU rules to simplify work permits
The Confederation of Swedish Industry has welcomed plans to allow people with work permits to change employers and to double the time they have to find a job if laid off. But it warns that any benefits risk being eclipsed by government plans to further raise the minimum salary for a work permit.
Politics in Sweden: 'permanent' has become precarious for immigrants to Sweden
A proposal to retroactively remove permanent residency from over 100,000 people in Sweden might not become law in its present form – but the very fact that it's being proposed will make many immigrants less secure, says James Savage.
Why Sweden's family reunion proposals will cause more teen deportations
The migration lawyer Tomas Fridh was 'upset' when a government inquiry report presented its proposed new package of family reunification rules as alleviating the problem of teen deportations. The truth, he believes, is that it will make the problem worse.
Why Swedish PM's welcome to highly skilled workers rings hollow
The Local's Nordic Editor Richard Orange rounds up the biggest stories of the week in our Inside Sweden newsletter.
What Sweden’s new self-sufficiency rules could mean for foreign researchers
A government-led inquiry recently proposed introducing a self-sufficiency requirement for family members of researchers moving to Sweden. What do we know about the proposal so far?
Has Sweden just proposed an end to teen deportations?
A government-appointed inquiry recently proposed changes to Swedish family reunification permits – and a proposed law change which might put an end to so-called ‘teen deportations’.
'A bug in the system is seeing hard-working people deported from Sweden'
The leader of the Moderate Party's youth wing, Douglas Thor, tells The Local why he is pushing for the age at which the children of people in Sweden on work permits can apply for residency as a dependent to be extended from 18- to 25-years old.
EXPLAINED: How to apply for a work permit in Sweden
Applying for a work permit in Sweden can seem confusing, with different rules applying for certain occupations and countries, and some immigrants not needing a work permit altogether. Here's our guide to how you can apply for a Swedish work permit.
'Like prison for stealing a bag of chips': IT architect faces deportation from Sweden
Solutions architect Masoud Jamshidian faces deportation within two months for an insurance mix-up, despite the fact that recent legislation is supposed to have stopped Sweden from refusing work permit extensions for this kind of minor error.
'We are devastated': Volvo engineer’s family forced out of Sweden by teen deportation law
José Naves Moura Neto, a Brazilian IT engineer working at Volvo, tells The Local how his family had to leave Sweden in June after his son was denied residency, and why he will also leave Sweden next month.