Can I get a work permit in Sweden?
Yes — if you have a job offer that meets the salary requirement. Since 1 June 2026 the salary floor is 90% of the median wage. The median wage is 38,300 kr a month, so the minimum salary is about 34,470 kr a month — a sharp rise from the earlier 80%, around 28,480 kr. Salary alone is not enough: the employer must offer terms, pay and insurance at least matching collective agreements, and the job must have been advertised within the EU/EEA. The exemptions are worth knowing: about 20 occupations and four groups, such as former students and healthcare staff seeking licensing, need only 75% of the median wage. Those extending during the transition period keep the old rules.
📋 The rules
- Since 1 June 2026: salary floor 90% of the median wage
- Minimum salary about 34,470 kr/month (median 38,300 kr)
- Terms must at least match collective agreements
- The job must have been advertised within the EU/EEA
- Some exempt occupations: only 75% of the median wage
🔓 Exceptions
- About 20 occupations and four groups need only 75% of the median wage
- Former students and healthcare staff seeking licensing are exempt
- Those extending during the transition keep the old rules
⚠️ Penalties & fines
If the requirements are unmet the permit is refused or revoked, and that cuts both ways. For you as the worker the consequence is deportation — a salary below 34,470 kr is simply not enough, however good the job is. For the employer it can mean a sanction charge and a ban on hiring foreign workers, which hits the whole company and not just the one appointment. Nor is the right salary sufficient on its own: the terms must match collective agreements and the job must have been advertised within the EU/EEA.
📎 Official sources
- Migration Agency · New work-permit rules 2026 →
- Prop. 2025/26:87 · Government →
- Aliens Act (2005:716) · Riksdagen →
❓ Frequently asked
How high a salary is needed for a work permit?
Since 1 June 2026 at least 90% of the median wage, that is about 34,470 kr a month. The median wage is 38,300 kr, and the earlier floor was 80%, which meant around 28,480 kr.
What is required of the employer?
Terms, pay and insurance at least matching collective agreements, and that the job has been advertised within the EU/EEA. If it falls short, the employer can face a sanction charge and a hiring ban.
Are there exemptions from the salary requirement?
Yes. About 20 occupations and four groups need only 75% of the median wage, among them former students and healthcare staff seeking licensing.
What applies if I extend my permit?
Those applying to extend during the transition period keep the old rules with 80% of the median wage. The rise to 90% therefore does not hit everyone at once.
What happens if the requirements are unmet?
The permit is refused or revoked, and you risk deportation. The employer can at the same time face a sanction charge and be banned from hiring foreign workers.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I get a work permit sweden”
- “salary requirement work permit 2026”
- “90 percent median wage 34470”
- “work permit exempt occupations”
- “work permit collective agreement”
- “migration agency work permit”