Work Permit Comparison: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland

Why Nordic comparisons matter

Employers hiring into more than one Nordic country meet four different permit systems. Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland each set the salary floor differently and each has its own faster route. Knowing the differences before recruitment starts helps you plan realistic start dates.

Sweden

Permit authority: Migrationsverket.

How it works: the employer starts the application in Migrationsverket's e-service with the employment details, and the employee completes and submits it. The vacancy must first be advertised for at least ten days in Sweden, the EU/EEA and Switzerland, for the EU Blue Card too.

Salary floor: at least 90% of the median salary (SEK 34,470 a month since 16 June 2026), and pay and terms at least on par with Swedish collective agreements or customary terms. The EU Blue Card needs at least SEK 53,625 a month.

Faster route: for highly qualified hires, Migrationsverket offers employers extra support and aims to decide a complete application within 30 days.

Published processing: 75% of recent complete applications were decided within 1 month for highly qualified work and within 4 months for other employment.

Norway

Permit authority: Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI).

How it works: the skilled worker permit needs a concrete job offer from one specific employer in Norway, normally for a full-time job (UDI accepts at least an 80% position), and the job must require skilled-worker qualifications that the applicant has.

Salary floor: if the industry has a collective agreement, the pay must follow it; if not, pay and conditions must be no poorer than what is normal for the occupation where the person will work.

Faster route: early employment start: with a confirmation from the police, some applicants can start work before the permit is decided. For skilled workers this needs at least a three-year university or university college education.

Notable: for jobs that need higher education, a permit can normally be granted for up to three years at a time, and after three years the person can apply for permanent residence. UDI publishes estimated waiting times that are updated monthly.

Denmark

Permit authority: the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

Pay Limit Scheme: an annual salary of at least DKK 552,000 (2026 level, adjusted every 1 January). Normal processing is 1 month, and up to 3 months if more information is needed.

Faster route: the Fast-Track Scheme, for employers certified by SIRI. Certification needs at least 10 permanent full-time employees, Danish pay and terms, and a guidance meeting with SIRI, and it is valid for four years. The tracks include a pay limit track (DKK 552,000) and a supplementary pay limit track (DKK 446,000). Normal processing is about 1 month. With Quick Job Start, processing is normally about 10 days, and applicants who can enter visa-free or hold a valid Schengen visa may get a provisional work permit soon after the employer applies.

Finland

Permit authority: the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). Since 1 January 2025 Migri handles the whole residence permit for an employed person, including the labour market test that the TE Office used to make.

Salary floor: the terms must follow the law and the applicable collective agreement; for full-time work the salary must be at least the collective agreement level. Where a sector has no agreement, terms must match those of people doing similar work. Zero-hours contracts do not qualify.

Labour market test: for a residence permit for an employed person, Migri checks whether suitable workers are available in Finland or the EU/EEA within a reasonable time.

Faster route: the fast track, with a 14-day service pledge for first permits for specialists, ICT permits, EU Blue Cards and top or middle management, applied for from abroad. The employer must add the terms of employment in Enter Finland within two working days, and the applicant must prove their identity within five working days. With a D visa, the person can travel to Finland as soon as the permit is granted.

Quick comparison table

Factor	Sweden	Norway	Denmark	Finland
Authority	Migrationsverket	UDI	SIRI	Migri
Salary floor basis	90% of the median salary, plus collective agreement level	Collective agreement, or normal pay for the occupation	Fixed annual amount (Pay Limit Scheme)	Collective agreement
Faster route	Support for highly qualified hires, 30-day target	Early employment start	Fast-Track Scheme for certified employers	14-day fast track for specialists
Recruitment test	Advertise at least 10 days in Sweden and the EU/EEA	Not described on UDI's skilled worker page	Not described on SIRI's pay limit page	Labour market test for employed persons

Practical advice for multi-Nordic employers

Check each authority's published waiting times before you agree a start date, and plan the slowest country first. In Denmark, certification is worth looking at if you hire regularly, since the Fast-Track Scheme depends on it. In Sweden, prepare a complete application: Migrationsverket's own figures show complete applications are decided far faster than incomplete ones, and highly qualified hires get the 30-day target.

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

11 official sources

• Migrationsverket: Employing someone from outside the EU/EEA
• Migrationsverket: Employing someone with an EU Blue Card
• Migrationsverket: If you are employing highly qualified workers
• UDI: Want to apply: Skilled workers
• UDI: Early employment start
• New to Denmark (SIRI): The Pay Limit Scheme
• New to Denmark (SIRI): The Fast-Track Scheme
• New to Denmark (SIRI): Certification
• Migri: Work permits
• Migri: Employment permit services transferred to Migri on 1 January 2025
• Migri: Fast track service