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

Pakistani citizens can move to Sweden on a work permit, and since 9 April 2025 the biometrics and passport check can once again be done at the Embassy of Sweden in Islamabad. For a period before that the embassy did not receive visitors for these migration matters, so older advice online may be out of date.

1. The permit conditions

• A monthly salary of at least SEK 34,470 (90% of the Swedish median, for applications from 16 June 2026), and in line with the collective agreement or what is normal in the occupation. Some exempted occupations, such as certain IT support roles and assistant nurses, have a lower level of SEK 28,725.
• Senior engineers and specialists should compare with the EU Blue Card (at least SEK 53,625 a month, contract of six months or more).
• The employer starts the application online, and you complete your part. Apply from outside Sweden.
• A permit can't last longer than your passport, so renew a passport that runs out soon before you apply.

Full rules: Sweden's June 2026 work permit rules.

2. Biometrics and the passport check in Islamabad

Pakistani citizens need a visa for short visits to Sweden. That means you give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) before you travel, and you wait for the residence permit card in Pakistan.

• From 9 April 2025 you can again visit the embassy in Islamabad to give biometrics, have your passport checked or be interviewed.
• The embassy only accepts visitors with a confirmed appointment. You request one through the form on the embassy website.
• The embassy charges no fee for biometrics, the passport check, or collecting your decision and card.

Short-stay Schengen visas are a separate process. The embassy does not process them, and since 7 July 2025 applications are made through the external provider VFS Global in Islamabad.

3. Collecting the residence permit card

• Migrationsverket says to allow up to four weeks for the card after you have given biometrics.
• Ask the embassy how to collect the card, and whether someone else can collect it for you.
• Don't book flights until you have the card. If you need a visa, you need the card to travel to Sweden.

4. Watch out for fake agents

In November 2025 the embassy warned about people who claim they can get you an earlier appointment or influence your case for money. The embassy says all residence permit appointments are arranged by the embassy only, in order, and free of charge. It does not use WhatsApp for case communication. Only pay the official application fee to Migrationsverket (SEK 2,200 for a work permit).

5. Family members

A spouse and children can apply at the same time as you. They each give biometrics at the embassy too. Keep original marriage and birth certificates, as Skatteverket may ask for them when you register in Sweden. Read moving to Sweden with your family for the maintenance and housing rules.

6. Social security and tax

• No social security agreement: Pakistan is not on Skatteverket's list of countries with a social security agreement with Sweden. If you work for a Swedish employer, you are in the Swedish system from the start.
• Tax treaty: Sweden and Pakistan have a double taxation agreement, signed in 1985. 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 hires may qualify for expert tax relief. The employer must apply within three months of your start date.

7. After you arrive

1. Register at Skatteverket to get a personnummer (how folkbokföring works).
2. Get a Swedish ID card, bank account and BankID (step by step).
3. Driving: a Pakistani licence can't be exchanged for a Swedish one. It can be used for up to one year after you are registered, and then stops being valid in Sweden, so you need to take 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

Can Pakistani citizens give biometrics for a Swedish work permit in Pakistan again?

Yes. Since 9 April 2025 the Embassy of Sweden in Islamabad again takes biometrics, checks passports and holds interviews. You need a confirmed appointment, which you request through the embassy's online form.

Does the Swedish embassy in Islamabad handle Schengen visas?

No. The embassy's migration section handles residence permits. Short-stay Schengen visas for Sweden are submitted through VFS Global in Islamabad, a service that started on 7 July 2025.

Is there a social security agreement between Sweden and Pakistan?

No. Pakistan is not on Skatteverket's list of agreement countries. Someone employed by a Swedish company is covered by Swedish social insurance and pays into the Swedish system from the start.

How long does the Swedish residence permit card take?

Migrationsverket says to allow up to four weeks after you have given biometrics. The embassy charges no fee for biometrics, the passport check or collecting the card. Ask the embassy how collection works.

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

14 official sources

• Government Offices of Sweden: List of third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when entering Sweden
• Embassy of Sweden, Islamabad: Visiting the embassy for migration matters again from 9 April
• 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
• Forskarskattenämnden: Apply for tax relief
• Embassy of Sweden, Islamabad: Contact, appointments and fees
• Embassy of Sweden, Islamabad: Schengen visas through VFS Global
• Embassy of Sweden, Islamabad: Warning about false agents
• Migrationsverket: Work permits for employees
• Skatteverket: Countries with social security agreements
• Riksdagen: Sweden–Pakistan double taxation agreement (SFS 1986:595)
• Transportstyrelsen: Foreign driving licences