Sweden has overhauled its work permit rules, and the changes take effect on 1 June 2026. The Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) has published the key points, which cover salary thresholds, exemptions, insurance, permit durations, and occupations that no longer qualify.

New salary requirement

The single biggest change is a new salary requirement. From 1 June 2026, an applicant's salary must amount to at least 90 per cent of the median salary in Sweden at the time of application. The rule applies to anyone who receives a decision on or after 1 June 2026 — even if the application was submitted earlier.

Transitional period for extension applications

Transitional rules soften the shift for people already working in Sweden. If you received your current work permit before 1 June, and you apply to extend it between 1 June and 1 December 2026, the new salary requirement does not apply. Instead, the previous maintenance requirement applies: your monthly salary or wages must amount to at least 80 per cent of the median salary published by Statistics Sweden (SCB) at the time of your application.

The window closes quickly. If you apply to extend your permit on or after 2 December 2026, you must meet the new 90 per cent salary requirement.

Exemptions: a lower 75 per cent threshold

Certain professions and groups are exempt from the salary requirement. For anyone covered by an exemption, the salary must still amount to at least 75 per cent of the median salary in Sweden at the time of application.

The Swedish Migration Agency applies the Government's list of exempt occupations when making decisions, and the exemption lasts for the duration of the permit. When applying for an extension, you must check that your profession is still on the list. If the occupation has been removed, the full salary requirement applies.

The list is set out in the Aliens Ordinance (utlänningsförordningen 2006:97, Chapter 5, Section 6). Exempt occupations include:

• Engineers and technicians in chemistry and chemical engineering (SSYK 3115)
• Laboratory engineers (SSYK 3215)
• IT operations technicians (SSYK 3511), IT support technicians (SSYK 3512), systems administrators (SSYK 3513), and network and systems technicians (SSYK 3514)
• Assistant nurses in home care, home healthcare and elderly care homes (SSYK 5321), in habilitation services (SSYK 5322), in healthcare and specialist wards (SSYK 5323), and in outpatient reception services (SSYK 5324)
• Childcare assistants (SSYK 5325), ambulance care assistants (SSYK 5326), and care assistants (SSYK 5330)
• Breeders and caretakers of farm animals (SSYK 6121), other animal breeders and caretakers (SSYK 6129), and crop growers and animal breeders in mixed farming (SSYK 6130)
• Forestry workers (SSYK 6210)
• Welders and gas cutters (SSYK 7212), structural steel erectors and heavy sheet metal workers (SSYK 7215), maintenance mechanics and machine repairers (SSYK 7233), and electrical distribution technicians (SSYK 7413)
• Butchers and meat cutters (SSYK 7611)
• Machine operators in meat and fish processing (SSYK 8161), other machine operators in the food industry (SSYK 8169), and other operations and process monitoring operators (SSYK 8199)
• Drivers of agricultural and forestry machinery (SSYK 8341)
• Berry pickers and planters, etc. (SSYK 9210) — note that work permits for forest berry pickers cannot be granted under Chapter 6, Section 2 of the Aliens Act, so the exemption covers only other occupational roles within that category

Other exempt groups

Several groups outside the occupation list also qualify for exemptions:

Former students and researchers, and persons with temporary protection. This covers people who hold a residence permit as a student or researcher in Sweden when applying for a work permit for the first time, and people who hold a residence permit with or after temporary protection under the EU Temporary Protection Directive. The exemption runs for two years, or until the permit expires if the permit is valid for longer.

Certain healthcare professions. Doctors, dentists and nurses with foreign qualifications who are in the process of obtaining Swedish professional certification are exempt.

Employees of certain tech or life science companies. Persons employed by a qualifying company are exempt. The company must be in a start-up phase, be less than five years old, and have fewer than one hundred employees.

Health insurance requirement

From 1 June 2026, applicants planning to stay in Sweden for a maximum of one year must show that they have, or have applied for, comprehensive health insurance.

Minimum salary levels for seasonal work and ICT permits

From 1 June, salaries for seasonal work must correspond to at least the minimum salary for full-time work under Swedish collective agreements, or to what is customary in the profession or industry. This applies even for part-time work. The same standard applies to compensation under intra-corporate transfer (ICT) permits.

Longer permit periods

Two permit categories get longer maximum durations from 1 June. EU Blue Cards can now be issued for up to four years at a time, up from two years. Seasonal work permits extend from six to nine months within a twelve-month period.

Occupations that no longer qualify

From 1 June 2026, it is no longer possible to obtain a work permit to work as a forest berry picker (SSYK 9210). An exception exists: if you will pick berries for an employer established in Sweden, you may apply for a seasonal work permit instead.

Personal assistants (SSYK 5343) can also no longer obtain work permits. Both occupations appear on the list of occupations not eligible for work permits in the Aliens Ordinance.

Employer-related grounds for rejection

From 1 June 2026, the Swedish Migration Agency may reject a work permit application because of shortcomings linked to the employer — for example, certain crimes committed by the employer, offences the employer is suspected of, or sanctions imposed on the employer.

Official guidance

The Swedish Migration Agency has recorded a studio discussion about the new rules for labour immigration, featuring Ewa Mokvist, work permit information officer, and Deputy Task Manager Hanna Geurtsen. Applicants should check the Agency's website and the Aliens Ordinance (utlänningsförordningen 2006:97) on riksdagen.se for the authoritative lists and thresholds, which determine outcomes case by case.