Migrationsverket (Swedish Migration Agency)

Migrationsverket is the government agency that handles permits to live and work in Sweden. For a health professional from outside the EU and EEA it is the body that issues your work permit and your residence permit card. It is separate from Socialstyrelsen, which decides whether you may practise: a permit lets you live and work in Sweden, but only a licence lets you work in a licensed role.

• A valid passport; the permit never lasts longer than the passport.
• An employment contract signed by you and the employer, with pay and terms at least on a par with Swedish collective agreements or practice in the field.
• Employer insurance for health, life, industrial injury and occupational pension from the start of work.
• A monthly salary of at least 90 per cent of the median salary at the time you apply: SEK 34,470, based on a median of SEK 38,300, for applications from 16 June 2026.

Some groups need only 75 per cent of the median, currently SEK 28,725. Migrationsverket lists doctors, dentists and nurses with foreign qualifications who are in the process of obtaining Swedish professional certification among them. Check with Migrationsverket whether your situation falls within that group.

1. Your employer starts the application online with your name, date of birth, citizenship and email.
2. The relevant trade union is given the chance to comment on the terms.
3. You get a link, check that the terms match what you agreed, complete your part and pay.
4. If you need a visa, you may have to visit an embassy for fingerprints and a photo.

Family members, including spouses, partners and children under 21, can apply at the same time.

The fee is SEK 2,200 for an employee, SEK 1,500 for an adult family member and SEK 750 for a child, and it is not refunded if you are refused. A permit lasts at most two years at a time and never longer than the contract, and it can be extended. Migrationsverket says 75 per cent of recent cases for highly qualified workers were decided within one month if complete, and within four months for other jobs.

If you will live in Sweden for a year or more, you then register with Skatteverket and receive a personnummer.

Spouses, registered partners, cohabiting partners and children under 21 can apply at the same time as you. Their permits run for the same period as yours, but never beyond their passports. You must meet a maintenance requirement that covers housing and living costs for everyone. Migrationsverket says adult family members, and children who turn 16 during the year, may work once their permits are granted, which can matter while you are on lower pay during the licence route.

• Combining jobs. The salary must come from one job; you cannot add two together.
• Missing insurance. Contracts of up to a year also need your own comprehensive health insurance.
• Assuming the permit is a licence. You still need Socialstyrelsen's approval to practise.