Moving to Sweden from China: Work Permit, Biometrics and Arrival (2026)

Chinese citizens give biometrics for a Swedish work permit at the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing or, if they live in the Shanghai region, at the Consulate-General in Shanghai. Both take biometrics without an appointment. Because Chinese citizens need a visa for Sweden, this happens before travel.

1. The permit conditions

• A monthly salary of at least SEK 34,470 (from June 2026), and in line with the collective agreement or what is normal in the occupation.
• Engineers and researchers on higher salaries should compare with the EU Blue Card (SEK 53,625 a month). It can last up to four years. Compare in Blue Card or work permit.
• Staff of young tech and life-science companies (under five years old, fewer than 100 employees) are an exempted group with a lower SEK 28,725 level.
• Apply before you enter Sweden.

2. Biometrics: Beijing or Shanghai

• Embassy in Beijing: all applicants can give biometrics here, without an appointment, during the visa section's opening hours.
• Consulate-General in Shanghai: only for applicants living in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu or Anhui. Others are referred to Beijing for the passport check and biometrics.
• You can give biometrics even before Migrationsverket has decided your case.
• Migrationsverket's digital passport check in the Freja app accepts some passports, and Chinese passports were on the list when we checked. It replaces the passport visit only: as a visa national you still give biometrics at an embassy or consulate before you travel.
• Children under 18 must come with a guardian, or with an adult the guardian has authorised by power of attorney.

3. Documents in English

The embassy only accepts documents in English. Documents in Chinese must be translated into English by an authorised translator. Copies of marriage or birth certificates should be notarised. Keep the originals as well. Skatteverket may ask to see them when you register in Sweden.

4. Collecting the residence permit card

• The card is sent from Sweden to the embassy or consulate, usually within two to four weeks.
• In Shanghai the card order goes to production at the earliest six weeks before the permit's first day of validity, and production and delivery take up to about four weeks.
• In Shanghai you can collect it yourself with your original passport, or someone else can collect it with a power of attorney, their own ID and a copy of your passport's ID page. No appointment is needed.
• Don't book flights until you have the card.

5. Social security and tax

• No social security agreement: China is not on Skatteverket's list of countries with a social security agreement with Sweden. Employees of a Swedish employer are in the Swedish system from the start. A posting from a Chinese company needs advice on both systems.
• Tax treaty: Sweden and China have a double taxation agreement from 1986, amended in 1999 and 2017. Skatteverket counts a stay of six months in a row in Sweden as living here, and residents are taxed in Sweden on their salary.
• Senior specialists should check expert tax relief.

6. After you arrive

1. Register at Skatteverket for your personnummer (how).
2. Get your ID card, bank account and BankID (how).
3. Driving: a Chinese licence can't be exchanged. It can be used for up to one year after you are registered, then you need a Swedish driving licence. A licence that isn't in English, German or French and wasn't issued under the Geneva or Vienna road traffic conventions needs a certified translation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an appointment to give biometrics at the Swedish embassy in Beijing?

No. You can give biometrics at the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing during the visa section's opening hours without an appointment, even before your case is decided.

Can I give biometrics at the Swedish consulate in Shanghai?

Only if you live in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu or Anhui. Applicants living elsewhere in China are referred to the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing for the passport check and biometrics.

Do Chinese documents need to be translated for a Swedish permit?

Yes. The embassy only accepts documents in English, so Chinese documents must be translated into English by an authorised translator. Keep the originals for your registration in Sweden.

Moving for work? How Settio helps

Settio helps employers and immigration and relocation agencies run the whole move in one place, so the person moving can focus on settling in:

• Before the move: one plan for the permit and the move, with every step and deadline. A partner and children get their own steps in the same household.
• After arrival: the employee portal shows the newcomer their next steps on their phone, in their language, from registering after arrival to help for settling in.
• When the permit runs out: permit monitoring flags the extension in good time.

HR teams and agencies can start for free. Moving yourself? Try our free tools for life in Sweden.

Sources

13 official sources

• Government Offices of Sweden: List of third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when entering Sweden
• Embassy of Sweden, Beijing: Working in Sweden
• Consulate-General of Sweden, Shanghai: Limitations in passport controls
• Consulate-General of Sweden, Shanghai: Collect residence permit card
• Migrationsverket: Digital passport check
• Migrationsverket: Work permits for employees
• Migrationsverket: Salary requirements for a work permit
• Migrationsverket: EU Blue Card
• Migrationsverket: Your application has been approved
• Skatteverket: New in Sweden and will be employed here
• Skatteverket: Countries with social security agreements
• Riksdagen: Sweden–China double taxation agreement (SFS 1986:1027)
• Transportstyrelsen: Foreign driving licences