Hiring Software Developers in Sweden: Permit or Blue Card

On this page · 10 sections

Work permit or EU Blue Card for developers?
Salary rules: 90% or 75%?
Union opinion and terms
Common reasons for refusal or delay
Checks after the permit is granted
Expert tax for senior hires
Document checklist
Frequently Asked Questions
How Settio helps employers and agencies
Sources

Software developers hired from outside the EU come to Sweden on either a standard work permit or an EU Blue Card. If the salary is at least SEK 53,625 a month and the developer has a degree or five years of experience, the Blue Card is worth comparing. Otherwise a work permit needs at least SEK 34,470 a month.

The traps are in the details: which occupation code you pick, how the salary is described, and whether the terms match what is customary in the occupation.

Work permit or EU Blue Card for developers?

	Work permit	EU Blue Card
Minimum salary	SEK 34,470/month (90% of the median), or SEK 28,725 if exempt	SEK 53,625/month (from 15 July 2026)
Qualifications	None set by law	Degree of 180 credits (about three years) or five years of relevant experience
Contract length	Any, permit follows the contract	At least 6 months
Permit length	Up to 2 years per permit, never longer than the contract	At least 9 months, up to 4 years for the first card
Changing jobs	New application when changing employer or profession	Report changes that affect the permit to Migrationsverket
Fee	SEK 2,200	SEK 2,000

The salary decides most cases: a hire below SEK 53,625 a month can only go on a work permit. For a full comparison, see Blue Card vs work permit and the EU Blue Card in 2026.

Salary rules: 90% or 75%?

Since 1 June 2026 a work permit needs a monthly salary of at least 90% of the Swedish median, which is SEK 34,470 for applications from 16 June 2026. Some occupations are exempt and need 75%, which is SEK 28,725. The exemption depends on the occupation code in the Swedish classification SSYK 2012 (the Swedish standard for occupations), as listed in the Aliens Ordinance. Permits granted before 1 June 2026 can still be extended under the previous maintenance requirement if the extension is filed by 1 December 2026.

SSYK code	Occupation	Salary floor
2511	Systems analysts and IT architects	90% (SEK 34,470)
2512	Software and systems developers	90% (SEK 34,470)
2514	Systems testers and test managers	90% (SEK 34,470)
2516	IT security specialists	90% (SEK 34,470)
3511	IT operations technicians	75% (SEK 28,725)
3512	IT support technicians	75% (SEK 28,725)
3513	Systems administrators	75% (SEK 28,725)
3514	Network and systems technicians	75% (SEK 28,725)

Developers themselves are not on the exemption list. Only IT operations, support, system administration and network roles are. Pick the code that matches what the person will actually do. Labelling a developer as "IT support" to reach the lower level misstates the job, and it can come back at the extension.

Two exempt groups matter a lot in tech:

Young tech companies. Staff of tech and life-science companies that are clearly in a build-up phase, under five years old and with fewer than 100 employees only need 75%.
Former students and researchers. Students and researchers with a Swedish residence permit who apply for their first work permit from inside Sweden need 75% for two years, or until the permit expires if that is later. See study to work in Sweden.

Whatever the floor, the salary and terms must also be at least on par with Swedish collective agreements or what is customary in the occupation or industry. If the company has no collective agreement, the comparison is with what is customary for that role. As a safe default, base the check on the fixed monthly salary in the offer, not on bonuses, stock options or benefits. Check a figure in seconds with the salary threshold tool.

Union opinion and terms

For a work permit, the employer creates an offer of employment in Migrationsverket's e-service and gives the relevant trade union the opportunity to comment on the terms of employment. If the union does not comment, Migrationsverket itself decides whether the terms match collective agreements or what is customary in the occupation or industry.

The job must also be advertised in Sweden and the EU/EEA and Switzerland for at least ten days, for example on Arbetsförmedlingen's job portal, where ads also appear in EURES. Medical, life, occupational injury and occupational pension insurance must be in place when the employment starts. If the employee will stay a year or less, they also need comprehensive health insurance.

Common reasons for refusal or delay

Wrong occupation code. The tasks in the offer do not match the SSYK code, for example a backend developer filed as a support technician.
Salary too close to the line. A salary just above the floor that later drops, for example after a reorganisation, can lead to a refusal at extension. Leave a margin.
Missing advertisement. The vacancy was not advertised for the full ten days.
Insurance not arranged. All four insurances must be in place from the start, through a collective agreement or bought separately.
Blue Card evidence. The degree is not equivalent to 180 credits, or employer certificates do not show five years of relevant experience.
Consultancies. IT consultancies that lease staff to clients work as staffing agencies (SNI 782). Staffing is one of the industries where Migrationsverket asks the employer to show it can pay the salary for at least three months.

If a decision goes against you, read what to do after a refusal.

Checks after the permit is granted

Migrationsverket checks the terms again when the permit is extended: insurance, for example, must have been in place for the whole period the employee held a permit. Since 1 June 2026 the employer must also tell Migrationsverket if the employee has not started within four months, and the permit can then be revoked. Blue Card holders must report changes that affect the conditions for the permit.

The employer must also notify Skatteverket of the non-EU hire (form SKV 1160) and keep a copy of the permit until 12 months after the employment ends. Employing someone without the right to stay or work costs a special fee of two price base amounts per person, four if it went on for more than three months. More in work permit compliance after approval.

Expert tax for senior hires

Senior developers who start work in 2026 with a monthly salary of at least SEK 88,801 may qualify for the expertskatt (expert tax relief), where 25% of salary is exempt from income tax for seven years. The application must reach the Taxation of Research Workers Board (Forskarskattenämnden) within three months of the day work starts in Sweden. See the expert tax guide or try the expert tax calculator.

Document checklist

Valid passport (copy of the pages with personal details and validity)
Signed offer of employment in the e-service, with SSYK code, salary and tasks
Union opinion on the terms, or proof the union was given the chance to comment
Link or reference to the ten-day advertisement
Proof of the four insurances (or the collective agreement that provides them)
For a Blue Card: signed employment contract for a highly qualified job of at least 6 months, degree certificate or employer certificates showing five years of experience
For the startup exemption: evidence of the company's age, headcount and tech or life-science activity
Comprehensive health insurance, if the employee will stay a year or less

A fuller list is in the HR document checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are software developers exempt from the 90% salary requirement in Sweden?

No. Software and systems developers (SSYK 2512) need at least 90% of the median, SEK 34,470 a month. Only IT operations, support, system administration and network roles (SSYK 3511–3514) are exempt and need 75%, unless the developer belongs to an exempt group such as staff of a young tech company.

Can a developer without a degree get an EU Blue Card in Sweden?

Yes, if they can show at least five years of relevant professional experience instead of a degree of 180 credits. They also need a salary of at least SEK 53,625 a month and a contract of at least six months.

How long does a work permit for an IT specialist take?

For highly qualified workers, Migrationsverket's recent figures show 75% of complete first-time applications decided within one month. For other work permits, 75% of complete applications were decided within four months. Waiting times change, so check the live figures before planning a start date.

Does our startup need a collective agreement to hire from abroad?

No. A collective agreement is not required, but the salary and terms must be at least on par with collective agreements or what is customary in the occupation. Medical, life, occupational injury and occupational pension insurance must be in place either way.

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

16 official sources

More in our guide toImmigration to Sweden

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Hiring Software Developers in Sweden: Work Permit or EU Blue Card? (2026)