Work Permits for UK Citizens in Sweden: Requirements, Exemptions & Processing Times
When can an exemption work permit be applied and when is a work permit needed for a UK citizen?
As a main rule, a non-EU citizen needs to apply for a work permit to be able to work in Sweden. There are exemptions to this rule for certain occupational groups, such as specialists in an international group that will work a limited period in Sweden or employees who will be participating in skills development for a maximum period of 3 months.
The occupational groups that can come to Sweden and work without a work permit for a limited period are listed at the website of the Migration Agency; please see the link: Exemption from the work permit requirement – Swedish Migration Agency
The exemptions apply only if certain conditions are met, and the correct documents are in place. The employer together with the employee need to judge whether an exemption is applicable on the work that the employee will perform in Sweden. The burden of proof lies with the employer and the employee jointly. The Migration Agency does not give any preapproval or indication as to whether an exemption might be applicableor not.
If an employer wants to make sure that an employee does not work in Sweden illegally and is not sure if an exemption applies, the Migration Agency recommends submitting a work permit application.
How long does it take to get a work permit for highly qualified employees in Sweden?
From the day the application process is started until a decision is received from the Migration Agency, the work permit process takes approximately up to 2 months.
The application procedure takes about 3-4 weeks. First, the job must be advertised for a minimum of 10 days at the Swedish Public Employment Authority (‘Arbetsförmedlingen’). After the advertisement has been published for at least 10 days, the application at the website of the MigrationAgency can be completed. This process consists of the first part providing information about the employment, followed by requesting the opinion of a union and the second part providing information about the employee.
Once the application has been submitted with the Migration Agency the reply time for a decision is up to 30 days for highly qualified employees (defined by the Migration Agency as employees with university degrees, managerial positions, or specialists). The reply time for employees not being highly qualified is 4 months or longer.
Employees that need a visa to enter Sweden also need to arrange for their residence permit card at a Swedish Embassy in their home country before they can travel to Sweden and start working, which also takes a few weeks. A UK citizen does not need a visa to travel to Sweden and does not need the residence permit card before traveling to Sweden and can arrange for the card with the Migration Agency after arrival in Sweden.
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