Nurses and Doctors Moving to Sweden: Work Permits and Socialstyrelsen Licensing (2026)

Doctors and nurses trained outside the EU/EEA need a Swedish legitimation (professional licence) from Socialstyrelsen, the National Board of Health and Welfare, to practise as licensed professionals in Sweden. When a job is a step towards that licence, a work permit needs the lower salary floor of 75% of the median, SEK 28,725 a month.

Socialstyrelsen says licensing usually takes years, not months, so the immigration plan and the licensing plan must be built together. This guide covers both, plus assistant nurses, who follow a different route.

Two separate tracks: permit and licence

Migrationsverket decides the right to live and work in Sweden. Socialstyrelsen decides the right to practise as a doctor or nurse. One does not replace the other.

• Before the licence: a person with a foreign medical, nursing, dental or pharmacy degree can be employed in a job that is a step towards the Swedish licence. These jobs qualify for the 75% exemption.
• After the licence: the person works as a licensed doctor or nurse. The normal 90% floor (SEK 34,470) applies, and a Blue Card becomes possible if the salary reaches SEK 53,625 a month.

Socialstyrelsen notes that you do not need a residence permit or a Swedish personal identity number for the first step, the assessment of your education. To practise or study in Sweden you need a permit from Migrationsverket, and to apply for the licence at the end you need a Swedish personal identity number or coordination number. See getting a personnummer.

The Socialstyrelsen licensing route

For doctors and nurses educated outside the EU/EEA, Socialstyrelsen's route has five steps:

1. Assessment of education. Socialstyrelsen assesses the foreign education. Swedish is not needed for this step.
2. Proficiency test. A theoretical and a practical part, held in Swedish. For nurses, the University of Gothenburg runs the test for Socialstyrelsen. You must pass the theory before the practical part. Nurses have up to five attempts at the theory and three at the practical part, and five years to pass from a first failed attempt.
3. Course in Swedish laws and regulations for healthcare.
4. Clinical training in a Swedish workplace.
5. Licence application.

For doctors and for nurses, Socialstyrelsen says this route usually takes two to four years. A second option is a complementary programme at a university, which usually takes one to three years; places are limited. Doctors who want to work as specialists must first be licensed as doctors, then complete specialty training for a specialist certificate.

Swedish language: C1

Swedish is not needed for the assessment of education, but the applicant must meet the language requirement for the later steps. Socialstyrelsen accepts Swedish at C1 level on the European language scale (CEFR), Swedish 3 or Swedish as a second language 3 (or the equivalent municipal adult education courses), a course or exam that meets university entry requirements, or equivalent Norwegian or Danish. A healthcare provider can also assess language skills with Socialstyrelsen's form. Budget for intensive Swedish from day one.

Salary rules for healthcare staff

Role	Salary floor	Why
Doctor, nurse, dentist or pharmacist going through Swedish licensing	75% (SEK 28,725)	Exempt group
Licensed doctor or nurse	90% (SEK 34,470)	Standard rule
Assistant nurses (SSYK 5321–5324)	75% (SEK 28,725)	Exempt occupation
Childcare assistants and ambulance care assistants (5325, 5326)	75% (SEK 28,725)	Exempt occupation
Care assistants (5330)	75% (SEK 28,725)	Exempt occupation
Personal assistants (5343)	No permit	Excluded from 1 June 2026

The floor is only the minimum. The salary and terms must also be at least on par with Swedish collective agreements or what is customary in the occupation or industry, and the relevant trade union gets the opportunity to comment on the offer of employment. Check figures with the salary threshold tool.

Note that personal assistants (personliga assistenter) can no longer get work permits. Describe each care job by what it really is.

Assistant nurses: a separate route

Undersköterska (assistant nurse) is a protected professional title, and Socialstyrelsen decides who may use it. For training from outside the EU/EEA, Socialstyrelsen asks for:

• The diploma or final grades, and a course description showing the courses, their content and length
• Swedish, Danish or Norwegian skills, for example Swedish 1 or Swedish as a second language 1, or B2 level; an employer can also assess this with Socialstyrelsen's form
• Clinical training in Sweden may be required: none after at least a year working as an assistant nurse in Sweden, possibly three months after at least three months of such work, otherwise up to six months. It can only start after Socialstyrelsen's decision
• An application fee of SEK 360

The protected title and the work permit are separate decisions. Either way, the job title and SSYK code in the offer should match the actual role.

Common reasons for refusal or delay

• Licence not started. The 75% exemption is for jobs that are a step towards the Swedish licence. Keep proof, such as Socialstyrelsen's assessment decision or registration for the test.
• Job does not match the stage. An offer as "doctor" for someone without a licence looks inconsistent. Describe the real role at the current licensing step.
• Part-time salary below the floor. The monthly salary counts, so part-time roles while studying Swedish can fall under SEK 28,725.
• Extension after licensing. Once licensed, the job is no longer a step towards the licence. Plan a salary of at least SEK 34,470 before the next extension.
• Missing insurances. Medical, life, occupational injury and occupational pension insurance must be in place from the start.

Employer checks in healthcare

Municipal, regional and state employers are exempt from Migrationsverket's higher requirements. Healthcare is not on the list of higher-requirement industries, but staffing (SNI 782) is, so a staffing company that places nurses or doctors must show it can pay the salary for at least three months. Migrationsverket checks the terms again at each extension. The employer must report the hire to Skatteverket and keep a copy of the permit until 12 months after employment ends. See the employer obligations audit.

Document checklist

• Passport copy
• Offer of employment with the real role, SSYK code, hours and monthly salary
• Union opinion on the terms
• Proof of the licensing stage (assessment decision, test registration or results, clinical training plan)
• Proof of Swedish level if already reached (C1 or an equivalent for doctors and nurses, B2 or an equivalent for assistant nurses)
• Degree certificates and transcripts
• Proof of insurances, and comprehensive health insurance if the employee will stay a year or less
• For family members: see moving to Sweden with family

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a foreign doctor work in Sweden before getting a Swedish licence?

Not as a licensed doctor. They can be employed in jobs that are a step towards the Swedish licence. Those jobs qualify for a work permit at 75% of the median salary, SEK 28,725 a month for applications from 16 June 2026.

What Swedish level do nurses and doctors need for a Swedish licence?

Socialstyrelsen accepts Swedish at C1 level, or an equivalent such as Swedish 3 from municipal adult education or equivalent Norwegian or Danish. Assistant nurses need Swedish, Danish or Norwegian at B2 level, or an equivalent such as Swedish 1.

How long does Swedish licensing take for doctors from outside the EU?

Socialstyrelsen says it usually takes two to four years through its own five-step route, and one to three years through a complementary programme at a university.

Are assistant nurses exempt from the 90% salary rule?

Yes. Assistant nurses (SSYK 5321–5324), childcare assistants, ambulance care assistants and care assistants are exempt occupations and need at least 75% of the median, SEK 28,725 a month, plus collective agreement terms.

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

• Socialstyrelsen: Doctor of medicine educated outside the EU/EEA
• Socialstyrelsen: Nurse educated outside the EU/EEA
• Socialstyrelsen: Take a proficiency test (nurses)
• Socialstyrelsen: Protected title for assistant nurse, educated outside Sweden
• Migrationsverket: New rules for labour immigration: these occupations are exempted
• Lagen.nu: Utlänningsförordningen (2006:97), 5 kap. 5 to 6 b §§
• Migrationsverket: Salary requirements for a work permit
• Migrationsverket: Apply for an EU Blue Card
• Migrationsverket: Employing a citizen of a non-EU/EEA country
• Migrationsverket: Apply for a work permit in Sweden
• Skatteverket: Employing third-country nationals