Sweden work permit salary floor and employer requirements

For most Americans, a Swedish job offer is the path to living in Sweden, and the work permit is the document that makes it possible. Three sets of rules decide whether a permit is granted: the salary, the insurance, and how the employer recruited. Each changed or was tightened from 1 June 2026. This guide explains them using the Swedish Migration Agency's pages for employees and employers.

The salary requirement

### 90% of the median

From 1 June 2026, a work permit requires a monthly salary of at least 90% of the median salary in Sweden published by Statistics Sweden (SCB). The new requirement replaced the earlier "maintenance requirement of a good living".

SCB updates the median every June. From 16 June 2026, the median salary is SEK 38,300, so the salary requirement is SEK 34,470 a month. The median that applies is the one published when you submit your application. Applications submitted before 16 June 2026 are assessed on the median that applied then.

### Collective agreements still apply

Meeting the floor is not enough on its own. Your salary and conditions must also be at least on par with Swedish collective agreements or common practice in your profession or industry. In well-paid occupations, that can mean a salary well above SEK 34,470.

### One job only

You cannot combine two or more jobs to reach the requirement. The single job in the application must meet all the requirements.

### Who the new requirement covers

The new requirement applies to first-time applicants who receive a decision on or after 1 June 2026, even if they applied earlier. It also applies to extensions where the current permit was decided after 1 June 2026.

There is a transitional rule. People who already hold a permit under the previous rules and apply to extend it between 1 June and 1 December 2026 do not need to meet the new requirement. They must meet the previous requirement instead, which the Migration Agency gave as 80% of the median, then SEK 29,680. You can apply for an extension no more than two months before your permit expires.

Exempt occupations

Some occupations and groups are exempt from the 90% requirement, but their salary must still reach 75% of the median. The Aliens Ordinance list includes:

• IT operations and support technicians, systems administrators and network technicians;
• engineers and technicians in chemistry and laboratory engineers;
• assistant nurses, childcare assistants, ambulance care assistants and care assistants;
• welders, structural steel erectors, maintenance mechanics and electrical distribution technicians;
• forestry workers, farm animal caretakers and drivers of agricultural machinery;
• butchers and food industry machine operators.

Other exempt groups include people who hold a student or researcher permit in Sweden when applying for a first work permit, doctors, dentists and nurses with foreign qualifications in the process of Swedish certification, and employees of certain tech or life science companies that are under five years old with fewer than 100 employees.

When extending a permit, check that the occupation is still on the list. If it has been removed, the full requirement applies.

Occupations that cannot qualify

Since 1 June 2026, no work permit can be granted to work as a forest berry picker or as a personal assistant.

Insurance

### Employer insurance

By the time you start work, your employer must have taken out health insurance, life insurance, industrial injury insurance and occupational pension insurance for you. To extend later, you must have been covered by all four for the entire period you have held a permit, so keep documents showing the start dates.

### Your own health insurance

New from 1 June 2026: if your employment will last one year or less, you must have, or have applied for, a comprehensive health insurance policy. It must be valid for your whole stay and cover urgent and other medical care, hospitalisation, emergency dental care and medical repatriation. The Migration Agency explains that people in Sweden for less than a year do not have the same right to social welfare benefits as residents.

The job advertisement

### Ten days, EU-wide

Before signing a contract with you, the employer must advertise the vacancy for at least ten days so that residents of Sweden, the EU/EEA and Switzerland can apply. This can be done through the Swedish Public Employment Service's job portal, whose ads also appear in the European portal EURES.

An employer who advertises elsewhere must show the ad matched EURES and was open to everyone in the EU/EEA and Switzerland. The agency notes that advertising only on LinkedIn or similar channels is usually not enough. The application later needs the ad ID or EURES reference.

### When no ad is needed

The requirement applies to new recruitment only. No ad is needed for people employed abroad and assigned to work in Sweden, or for intra-group transfers where the position remains based abroad.

### Contract after the ad

The employment agreement must be signed after the advertising period ends, by both parties. It should include the occupation and its SSYK code, duties, form of employment, start date, scope, salary, any collective agreement, the insurance companies and the advertisement ID.

Industries with higher requirements

Employers in some industries must show how they can guarantee pay and that they can pay the salary for at least three months. These include cleaning, hotels and restaurants, construction, trade, agriculture and forestry, automotive workshops, certain services and staffing. Municipal, regional and state employers are exempt.

After the permit

The permit applies to the employer and occupation in the decision. The Migration Agency can inspect employers to verify that the terms continue to be met. Changing employer or profession requires a new application.

How the application runs

1. You and the employer sign the contract after the ad period.
2. The employer starts the application in the Migration Agency's e-service.
3. The employer sends information about the job to the relevant trade union, which can comment on the terms.
4. You receive an email link and complete your part, attaching your passport copies and documents.
5. You present your passport, usually through a digital passport check in an app, or at an embassy if asked.

If your family comes too

When family members apply with you, a maintenance requirement applies on top of the salary requirement. After rent, your taxed income must leave at least SEK 6,243 for a single adult or SEK 10,314 for a cohabiting couple, plus between SEK 3,336 and SEK 5,339 for each child depending on age (2025 amounts).

Fees and timing

The application fee is SEK 2,200 for employees. The Migration Agency's statistics show 75% of recent complete applications for highly qualified workers decided within one month, and within four months for other employment.

Common questions

What is the minimum salary for a Swedish work permit? From 16 June 2026, SEK 34,470 a month, which is 90% of the SCB median salary of SEK 38,300. Pay must also match collective agreements.

Does my employer need to advertise the job? Yes, for new recruitment. The vacancy must be advertised for at least ten days in Sweden, the EU/EEA and Switzerland, for example through the Public Employment Service, before the contract is signed.

Do I need my own health insurance? If the job lasts one year or less, you must have or have applied for comprehensive health insurance. The employer must also provide four types of insurance.

Are any jobs exempt from the salary floor? Yes. Listed occupations and some groups must reach 75% of the median instead of 90%.