Every Type of Swedish Visa and Residence Permit, Explained (2026)

"Visa" is used loosely, but for anything longer than 90 days Sweden grants a residence permit (uppehållstillstånd), often combined with a work permit (arbetstillstånd). A visa in the strict sense is for short visits. This guide sorts every common route by what you want to do, so you can find the one that fits.

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don't need any of these. They can live and work in Sweden under free movement, and people planning to live here for a year or more register with Skatteverket.

Quick guide: which permit fits?

You want to…	Permit	Key requirement
Take a job with a Swedish employer	Work permit	Salary of at least SEK 34,470/month and terms in line with the collective agreement
Take a highly qualified job	EU Blue Card	Salary of at least SEK 53,625/month, degree or experience, contract of 6+ months
Move within your company group	ICT permit	Manager, specialist or trainee already employed in the group
Run your own business	Self-employed permit	Own 51%+, experience, own funds of SEK 200,000+
Look for a job or plan a business	Job-seeker permit	Master's degree or higher, SEK 13,000/month in funds
Do research	Research permit	Hosting agreement with an approved research principal
Study	Study permit	Admission, tuition paid, SEK 10,656/month in funds
Travel and work for a year (aged 18–30)	Working holiday	Citizen of one of six partner countries
Join a family member	Family permit	Relationship with someone living in Sweden, maintenance requirement
Visit (over 90 days)	Visitor's permit	SEK 700/day in funds, no right to work

Fees, salary levels and waiting times change. Use the linked Migrationsverket pages for the current figures.

Work permit (employee)

The standard route: a job offer from an employer in Sweden with a salary of at least 90% of the median (SEK 34,470 a month from June 2026), terms at least on par with the collective agreement or what is normal in the occupation, and insurance taken out by the employer from the start date. The permit is tied to the employer and the occupation: a new employer or a new occupation needs a new application. Rules in detail: the June 2026 rules. Step by step: moving to Sweden from outside the EU.

EU Blue Card

For highly qualified jobs: a salary of at least SEK 53,625 a month (from 15 July 2026), a contract of at least six months, and a degree or comparable professional experience. It can now be granted for up to four years, and if you change jobs or your employment changes, you must report it to Migrationsverket. See Blue Card vs work permit.

Intra-corporate transfer (ICT)

For managers, specialists and trainees moving from a company outside the EU/EEA to a Swedish company in the same group. The pay must be at least on par with the minimum for full-time work, even for part-time work. See ICT permits.

Self-employed permit

For people who start, buy or run a business in Sweden and own at least 51% of it. You need relevant experience, a credible budget, customer contacts and your own funds for living and for the business. See self-employment permit 2026. This is the permit Migrationsverket offers for founders.

Permit to look for work or start a business

For people who have completed studies at second-cycle level (a master's degree or higher) and want time in Sweden to find a job or plan a business, for up to nine months. See job-seeker permit.

Research permit

For researchers with a doctorate, or who are eligible to start doctoral studies, and who have a hosting agreement with a research principal approved by the Swedish Research Council. See researcher permits.

Study permit, and staying to work afterwards

For admitted students who have paid tuition and can support themselves. Graduates can stay up to 12 months to look for work, and can switch to a work permit from inside Sweden. See from studies to work.

Working holiday

For citizens of Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea aged 18 to 30: up to a year of travel and work. See working holiday visa.

Seasonal work

For seasonal jobs, for example in agriculture, horticulture, hotels and restaurants, and tourism: up to nine months in a twelve-month period (six before the June 2026 rules). See seasonal work permits.

Family permits

Partners and children of work permit holders get permits that follow the worker's, and partners can work. New family rules took effect on 1 October 2026. See moving with your family.

Short visits: Schengen visa, visitor's permit and D visa

• Up to 90 days in any 180: visa-free for many nationalities, otherwise a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational at every Schengen border since 10 April 2026. It records the face and fingerprints of non-EU short-stay travellers.
• 90 days or more: a visitor's residence permit needs funds of SEK 700 a day and travel medical insurance, and doesn't allow work.
• D visa (national visa): for people waiting for a decision on an extension who must travel because of a special event, for example sudden illness, a death in the family or an important work assignment. Some permit types, such as the EU Blue Card and ICT permits, can't get one.
• Working on a short trip: some business tasks are allowed without a work permit. See business trips without a work permit.

Special routes

• EU long-term residents (with that status in another EU country) can move to Sweden to work, run a business or study. Those who work, run a business or support themselves can get a residence permit of up to five years.
• Permanent residence once you have worked in Sweden on a work permit for four of the past seven years (two years on a self-employed permit), if you support yourself and can be expected to live a well-behaved life. Stricter conduct rules apply from 13 July 2026. See permanent residence.
• Citizenship normally needs at least eight years of living in Sweden since 6 June 2026 (five before).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Swedish visa and a residence permit?

A visa is for short visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. To live in Sweden for longer you need a residence permit, and to work you also need a work permit, unless you are an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen or another exemption applies.

Which permit do founders use in Sweden?

Entrepreneurs apply for the residence permit for self-employed people, or first for the permit to look for work or start a business if they have a master's degree or higher. Since June 2026, staff of young tech and life-science companies have a lower salary requirement on a work permit.

Which Swedish permit is fastest?

At the time of writing, Migrationsverket decided 75% of complete EU Blue Card applications within about a month. Self-employed permits have some of the longest waits. Check Migrationsverket's current processing times.

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

22 official sources

• European Commission: Short-stay calculator (90 days in any 180-day period)
• Government Offices of Sweden: List of third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when entering Sweden
• Migrationsverket: Work permits for employees
• Migrationsverket: Salary requirement for work permits (in Swedish)
• Migrationsverket: New rules for work permits now apply (June 2026)
• Migrationsverket: EU Blue Card
• Migrationsverket: ICT permits
• Migrationsverket: Self-employed people
• Migrationsverket: Look for work or start a business
• Migrationsverket: Residence permit to conduct research
• Migrationsverket: Studies in higher education
• Migrationsverket: Look for work after completing your studies
• Migrationsverket: Working holiday
• Migrationsverket: Seasonal work
• Migrationsverket: Schengen visa (up to 90 days)
• Migrationsverket: Visiting Sweden for more than 90 days
• Migrationsverket: Waiting for a decision on an extension (D visa)
• Migrationsverket: New EU-wide border control system
• European Commission: EES fully operational from 10 April 2026
• Migrationsverket: Long-term residents in another EU country
• Migrationsverket: Extending a work permit and permanent residence
• Migrationsverket: New rules for Swedish citizenship from 6 June 2026 (in Swedish)