EU Blue Card vs Work Permit in Sweden: Which to Choose

On this page · 9 sections

Two routes, one goal
EU Blue Card: the key criteria
Work permit: the key criteria
Side-by-side comparison
When the EU Blue Card fits
When the work permit fits
Switching from a work permit to a Blue Card
How Settio helps employers and agencies
Sources

Two routes, one goal

When hiring a highly-skilled professional from outside the EU/EEA in Sweden, there are two main permit tracks: the standard Swedish work permit (arbetstillstånd) and the EU Blue Card (EU-blåkort). Both grant the right to live and work in Sweden, but they differ in eligibility criteria, salary floors, processing speed, and the path to long-term residence.

EU Blue Card: the key criteria

To qualify for an EU Blue Card in Sweden, the candidate must have:

A higher education qualification of at least 180 higher education credits, or at least five years of relevant professional experience
A signed contract for highly qualified employment of at least six months
A salary of at least 1.25 times the average gross salary in Sweden, as published by the National Mediation Office: SEK 53,625 a month since 15 July 2026
Comprehensive health insurance for the whole stay, or an application for it

Work permit: the key criteria

The work permit has no education requirement. For permits decided from 1 June 2026, the monthly salary must be at least 90% of the median salary, SEK 34,470 (75% for exempt occupations and groups), and the terms must be at least on par with collective agreements or common practice in the occupation. It is open to citizens of any country outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland.

Side-by-side comparison

Factor	EU Blue Card	Work permit
Education or experience	180 credits, or five years of relevant experience	Not required
Salary floor	SEK 53,625 a month (since 15 July 2026)	SEK 34,470 a month (applications from 16 June 2026)
Contract length	At least six months	No minimum stated; the permit never runs longer than the contract
Vacancy advertised for ten days in Sweden and the EU/EEA	Yes, for a new recruitment	Yes, for a new recruitment
Longest permit	Four years (first card at least nine months)	Two years at a time
Changing jobs	Can switch to another highly qualified job without a new card; the change must be reported	New permit for a new employer during the first two years, and for a new occupation
Moving from another EU country	After 12 months with a Blue Card in another EU country, can apply in Sweden within one month of arriving	Not applicable
Permanent residence in Sweden	After 36 months with a Swedish EU Blue Card (time in other EU countries does not count)	After four years of work on a work permit within the past seven years
Fee	SEK 2,000	SEK 2,200
Processing (75% of recent complete first applications decided within)	1 month	4 months

When the EU Blue Card fits

The candidate has the degree or the experience, and the salary is at or above SEK 53,625 a month.
The hire may want to change jobs later: a Blue Card holder can switch to another highly qualified job without a new card.
The hire plans to stay: permanent residence is possible after 36 months on a Swedish Blue Card instead of four years.

When the work permit fits

The candidate does not have a qualifying degree or five years of relevant experience.
The salary is below the Blue Card threshold but meets the work permit requirement and the collective agreement.
The contract is shorter than six months.

Switching from a work permit to a Blue Card

Since 1 January 2025 there are more options to switch from other residence permits to an EU Blue Card without leaving Sweden; holders of an existing Swedish work permit whose conditions are met are among the exemptions from the rule that applications must be made from abroad. If a pay rise takes an employee over the threshold and they meet the other requirements, it may be worth checking.

Settio keeps each case's permit type and salary side by side, so a possible switch is easy to spot.

How Settio helps employers and agencies

Settio helps employers and immigration agencies run every work permit and relocation case in one place, from the first step to the renewal:

Before the move: a plan for every hire, with each step, owner and deadline counted back from the start date, and documents that check themselves as they come in.
After arrival: the employee portal shows the new hire their next steps on their phone, in their language, with no account or password.
For the renewal: permit and salary monitoring tracks every expiry date and flags the extension in good time.

Your first hire is free, and agencies can try a real case for free. See plans and start.

Sources

9 official sources

More in our guide toRelocation and immigration in Europe Immigration to Sweden

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EU Blue Card vs Work Permit Sweden: Which is Right for Your Hire?