Seasonal Work Permits in Sweden: What Employers Need to Know

What is a seasonal work permit?

Seasonal work is fixed-term work that can only be done during part of the year because of the weather or nature. Migrationsverket gives examples such as agriculture, gardening, hotels and restaurants, golf and ski facilities, tourism, and entertainment and theme parks. The seasonal work permit builds on EU Directive 2014/36/EU on seasonal workers and has its own rules, separate from the standard work permit.

Key rules in 2026

• Duration: up to nine months in a twelve-month period (six months before 1 June 2026), as one permit or several in a row, and never longer than the employment or the passport.
• Pay: at least the minimum for full-time work under Swedish collective agreements or customary practice, even if the job is part-time.
• Insurance: the employer must have medical, life, occupational injury and occupational pension insurance in place by the start date. The worker also needs private insurance covering illness and accidents, valid for the whole stay; without it, no permit is granted.
• Residence and return: the worker must live in, and apply from, a country outside the EU, and must intend to leave Sweden when the permit expires.
• Fee: SEK 2,000.
• Berry picking: since 1 June 2026, forest berry picking is no longer possible on an ordinary work permit. Migrationsverket says berry pickers working for an employer established in Sweden can apply for a seasonal work permit instead.

Housing

The worker must have housing of an appropriate standard. If the employer rents out or arranges the housing:

• the rent must not be excessive compared with the salary or the standard of the housing;
• rent can only be deducted from wages with the worker's written consent;
• the worker gets a written document with the rental terms;
• the housing must meet public health and safety rules, and the worker cannot be a lodger.

The worker submits a copy of the lease or a certificate of future accommodation, showing the address, rent, living space, notice period and number of occupants.

Advertising

As for other new recruitment, the job must be advertised for at least ten days so that people in Sweden, the EU/EEA and Switzerland can apply, usually through the Swedish Public Employment Service's job portal, which also shows the ad in EURES. Keep the ad ID or EURES reference for the application. This does not apply to employees assigned from an employer abroad.

Several workers, several seasons

• Since 5 May 2025 employers can apply for a group of seasonal workers at once, with a name list (form 234011, in Swedish).
• A worker can hold more than one seasonal permit, but the total is capped at nine months in a twelve-month period.
• A worker who moves to a new employer needs a new permit. The new employer must offer seasonal work and have advertised the job. The application can be sent from inside Sweden, and if it is made before the current permit expires, the worker can keep working while it is processed.

Processing time

Based on cases decided in the last 12 months, Migrationsverket shows that 75% of complete applications were decided within 2 months, and 75% of incomplete ones within 3 months.

HR checklist for seasonal employers

• ✓ Advertise each seasonal job for at least ten days before signing contracts, and keep the ad ID
• ✓ Prepare signed employment contracts that state the season's dates and the pay
• ✓ Put the four insurances in place before the start date, and remind workers they need their own health and accident insurance
• ✓ If you arrange housing, give written rental terms and get written consent for any rent deduction
• ✓ Match the permit end date to the employment end date: seasonal workers must intend to leave when the permit expires

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

4 official sources

• Migrationsverket: Employing a non-EU/EEA citizen for seasonal work
• Migrationsverket: Apply for a permit for seasonal work
• Migrationsverket: New rules for work permits come into force (1 June 2026)
• EUR-Lex: Directive 2014/36/EU on seasonal workers