Residence permit to look for work after completing research in Sweden

You have completed your research and now want to apply for a residence permit to look for work or explore the possibilities of starting your own business in Sweden. Your family can apply at the same time as you.

If you have a residence permit for research in Sweden and have completed your research, you can be granted a residence permit to look for work or explore the possibilities of starting your own business here.

If you are granted this type of residence permit and then get a job as a researcher with an approved research principal, you will need to apply for a residence permit for research once again. In that case, in order to be granted a residence permit, you must be outside Sweden when you apply.

You want to apply – Researchers

If you have had a residence permit for research in another EU country, have completed your research, and during the period of validity of that residence permit, you spent time in Sweden and conducted part of your research here, you can apply for a residence permit to look for work while you remain in Sweden.

Requirements to get a residence permit

These requirements must be met in order for you to be granted a residence permit:

You must have a valid passport

You must submit your application before your current permit expires

You must have completed your research

Your last residence permit must have been for research in Sweden or in another EU country

You must be planning to look for work or investigate the possibilities for starting your own business

You must have enough money for your stay in Sweden and to pay for your return journey
Your means of “financial maintenance” must be sufficient for the entire period for which you are applying for a residence permit. You must have at least SEK 9,700 per month.

You must have, or have applied for, a comprehensive health insurance policy
If your total time in Sweden is less than one year, you will need comprehensive health insurance. The insurance must be valid for the entire time you will be in Sweden and cover costs for urgent and other medical care, hospitalisation, and emergency dental care. It must also cover the cost of medical repatriation, if you need to return to your country of origin for health reasons.

If your total time in Sweden is longer than one year, you can get listed in the Swedish population register. This will give you access to health and medical care and dental care.

Prepare this before you apply

Translate documents
All submitted documents should be in Swedish or English. If you have translated your documents, the translation should be certified. You must also include a copy of the document in its original language.

You must attach copies of these documents to your application

Make sure that the information on your submitted documents is clearly visible.

Correctly made copies of your passport

You can never be granted a permit for longer than your passport is valid.

Confirmation from the research principal that the research has been completed
To show that you have completed your research, you must submit a confirmation from the research principal that the research has been completed. If you have mainly conducted research in another EU country, you must submit a confirmation from the research principal in that country. If you have not yet completed your research, you must submit this to the Swedish Migration Agency once the research is completed.

Documents showing that you have, or have applied for, comprehensive health insurance
If the total continuous period of time for your residence permits in Sweden is less than one year, you must have comprehensive health insurance.

Documents showing that you can support yourself financially
Bank statements or other documents showing that you have enough money to support yourself during the period for which you are applying for a residence permit.

Documents to attach if your family is applying with you

Correctly made copies of each family member’s passport

Your family member can never be granted a residence permit for longer than their passport is valid.

Documents showing your relationship

If you are married: marriage certificate, marriage record, or similar document.

If you are cohabiting partners: documents showing that you have lived together, such as population registration certificates, a joint rental contract, or proof of the joint purchase of a home.

Documents to attach if you have accompanying children

Birth record or birth certificate stating the names of the child’s parents

Sole custody decision
If you have sole custody of your child, you must attach a court decision to this effect. If the other parent is deceased, you must submit a death certificate.

Consent that the child may move to Sweden
If a child has two parents/legal guardians and the child’s other parent/legal guardian will be remaining in their country of origin, you must attach a statement of consent from the other parent/legal guardian to the application. If you share joint custody, a copy of the other parent or legal guardian’s passport or other identity document must also be attached.

Consent for a child to settle in Sweden (217011) Pdf, 1.1 MB.

Adoption documents, if your child is adopted

Citizens of the EU/EEA or Switzerland or long-term residents

Other rules apply if you are a citizen of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, or if you have long-term resident status in another EU country.

EU/EEA citizens with right of residence

If you are an EU/EEA citizen, you have the right to live in another EU/EEA country if you fulfil the requirements for right of residence through work, your own company, your studies, or by having sufficient funds to support yourself. If you have right of residence, you do not need to apply for a residence permit to live in Sweden.

EU/EEA citizens

Swiss citizens

If you are a citizen of Switzerland, you can move to Sweden to work, study, start your own business, or live on your own funds. If you want to remain in Sweden for longer than three months, you must apply for a residence permit for Swiss citizens.

You want to apply – Swiss citizens

If you have long-term resident status in another EU country

If you have long-term resident status in another EU country, you can move to Sweden to work, study or live on your own funds. If you plan to stay longer than three months, you need to apply for a residence permit for long-term residents.

You want to apply – Long-term residents in another EU country

If your family also wants to apply

If any of your family members also want to apply for a residence permit, they can do so at the same time as you. You apply for your family in your own application.

“Family members” are considered to include spouses, registered partners, cohabiting partners, and children under the age of 18.

In order for your family to be granted a residence permit, you must be granted a residence permit after completing research, and your family must have valid passports.

If your family is granted residence permits, your adult family members and children who will turn at least 16 during the current year are permitted to work.

For how long can I be granted a residence permit?

You can be granted a residence permit for twelve months – neither shorter nor longer. However, you can never be granted a residence permit for longer than your passport is valid.

The permit cannot be extended.

If your family applies with you, they can be granted a residence permit for the same period as you, but never longer than the period of validity of their passports.

What does it cost to apply?

Employees: SEK 1,500.
Adult family members: SEK 1,500
Children: SEK 750

Citizens of Japan do not pay an application fee.

You will not receive a refund if your application is rejected.

How long must I wait for a decision?

It is not possible to say exactly how long you will need to wait for a decision. There are many things that affect the waiting time, for example whether your application is complete to begin with or whether we need to request more information, or whether we need to check with other authorities when investigating your case.

Here we show statistics on how long it has taken for people who have applied for the same permit as you. The statistics are based on cases decided in the last 12 months.

Complete applications

75% of recently decided cases have been decided within:1 months

Incomplete applications

75% of recently decided cases have been decided within:3 months

Illustration of a young woman making an application on the computer.

You apply

You fill in the application and attach the required documents.

It is important that you submit your application before your current permit expires. That way, you will have the right to stay in Sweden until we make a decision, even if your current permit expires.

Waiting time before we start examining the application

Now follows a period of waiting until the Swedish Migration Agency takes a closer look at your application.

Illustration of a man who works as a caseworker at the Swedish Migration Agency.

The Swedish Migration Agency processes the application

The Swedish Migration Agency will review all the information about your application and determine whether you can be granted a residence permit. If we can immediately see that you do not meet the requirements for a residence permit, we may decide to reject your application. We will contact you if we need more information.

Waiting time while we process your application

Now you must wait.

You need to be photographed and fingerprinted

To get a new residence permit card, you need to be photographed and fingerprinted. If you did not do this when you submitted your application, you must book an appointment to do so at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s service centres. If your family is applying with you, they must also book an appointment.

You may need to present your passport

You may need to present your passport before we can make a decision. You only need to do this if we have not already checked it on a previous visit, or if you have received a new passport since you last presented it.

Certain applicants will be offered the option of presenting their passport in a digital passport check conducted via an app.

If you need to present your passport, we will contact you with information about how and when you can do so. You may also need to submit your passport for examination.

You are waiting for a decision – You have applied for the first time

Illustration of a young woman holding a decision.

You receive our decision

As soon as we have made a decision, you will receive an email or letter stating whether you have been granted a work permit or if your application has been rejected. In some cases, the Swedish Migration Agency will invite you to an in-person meeting at which you will be informed of the decision. When you receive the decision, you can find out the reasons on which we based it. If you are granted a residence permit, you have the right to live and work in Sweden as long as the permit is valid. If your application is rejected and you are currently in Sweden, you must prepare to leave the country.

You have received a decision – Work

Have you prepared all the documents?

Be sure to provide complete information and attach all necessary documents. The Swedish Migration Agency prioritises complete cases.

See which documents you must attach under the “Important to know” tab

When you apply in the e-service, you can include your family in your own application.

Requirements for applying in the e-service

To apply in the e-service, you must

be 18 years or older
have a valid email address
be able to pay the application fee with a payment card issued by Visa or Mastercard
be able to scan or photograph the documents you need to attach.

E-service for job seekers after research

To the e-service

By logging in you accept the terms of use

What does it cost to apply?

Employees: SEK 1,500.
Adult family members: SEK 1,500
Children: SEK 750

Citizens of Japan do not pay an application fee.

You will not receive a refund if your application is rejected.

If you cannot apply in the e-service

If you cannot apply in the e-service, you must fill in the form:

Application for a residence permit to seek work on completing studies or research (189011) Pdf, 811.1 kB.

If your family applies together with you, each family member must fill in the form:

Application for a permit for family members of workers, researchers, athletes or coaches and self-employed persons (133011) Pdf, 918 kB.

Submit the application

You can either submit the application and the attached documents at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s service centres or send them to:

Migrationsverket
Box 3100
903 03 Umeå
Sweden

Pay the application fee

Once we have received your application, we will contact you via email or letter with information on how to make the payment and how much you must pay.

News

2025-06-30

Payment to bankgiro is no longer possible

The bankgiro account that could previously be used to pay application and processing fees is closed from 30 June.

2025-06-23

What happens if the company you work for goes bankrupt?

If the company you work for goes bankrupt and you have a work permit to work for this employer, you will need to find a new job within three months to stay in Sweden.

2025-06-17

New median wage affects how high a salary you need to get a work permit

Statistics Sweden (SCB) has now updated the median salary in Sweden. As of 17 June, the median salary is SEK 37,100, which means that you must have a salary/wages of at least SEK 29,680 a month in order to be granted a work permit.

2025-06-02

The Swedish Migration Agency is on site in Skellefteå to answer your questions about residence and work permits.

Due to the bankruptcy of Northvolt, the Swedish Migration Agency will be on site in Skellefteå to answer your questions about residence and work permits in Sweden.

2025-05-20

Are you going to visit the National Government Service Centre?

From May onwards, there will be changes to which of the Government Service Centers offer the services of the Swedish Migration Agency.

2025-05-20

What counts as a salary?

One of the requirements for being granted a work permit is that the salary must enable you to make a good living. A new ruling from the Migration Court of Appeal clarifies what counts as a salary.

2025-04-03

If you are planning to work, study or move to Sweden to live with someone, you can now visit the embassy in Islamabad

On 9 April, the Swedish Migration Agency will resume its residence and work permit activities in Pakistan. Applicants needing to submit biometric data, have their passport checked or be interviewed after submitting an application can once again do so at the embassy in Islamabad. This does not apply to those who are applying for a Schengen visa to visit Sweden for a short stay.

2025-04-01

From 1 April, the possibility of changing tracks will end

On 1 April, the Swedish Parliament’s decision to remove the possibility of changing tracks will come into force. This affects those who have been granted, or applied for, a work permit after an asylum application has been rejected. Your co-applicant family members will also be affected.

2025-03-06

Changes for those residing in Cyprus who wish to apply for residence and work permit

From 17 March 2025 the Swedish embassy in Nicosia will no longer handle migration matters. If you are a citizen of Cyprus, you should instead contact the Swedish embassy in Athens, Greece. The same applies for non-Cypriot legal residents of Cyprus.

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