The Sweden work permit salary threshold 2026: SEK 34,470 and what it means for hiring

From 16 June 2026, a Swedish work permit requires a monthly salary of at least SEK 34,470 before tax. That figure is 90% of the national median wage of SEK 38,300, according to Migrationsverket’s notice of 16 June 2026.

The 90% rule itself took effect on 1 June 2026. Before that date the requirement was 80% of the median, and its last level was SEK 29,680 a month. For a non-EU hire on a salary close to the old floor, the change adds almost SEK 4,800 a month to the minimum, which is enough to rule out some junior offers that would have qualified in spring.

The threshold applies to salary, not to total employment cost. Employer contributions, pension premiums and insurances are paid on top and do not count towards it. It is a floor rather than a target: Migrationsverket also expects pay and conditions at least at the level of the relevant collective agreement or what is usual in the occupation, so a role whose agreed rate is higher than SEK 34,470 must be paid at that higher rate.

Besides the higher pay floor, Migrationsverket’s announcement of 17 April 2026 set out two further changes: applications can be refused because of shortcomings on the employer’s side, and comprehensive health insurance is now required for stays of 1 year or less. Together they make the employer’s own record part of every assessment.

The median is updated from time to time, so the threshold in kronor can move even when the percentage does not. The June 2026 update set the median at SEK 38,300, which is why the 90% figure is SEK 34,470 rather than a round number. Employers planning offers for 2027 should check the current figure again before signing, and build a margin into offers that sit close to the floor.

For foreign companies the practical effect is concentrated at the lower end of the pay scale: graduate engineers, support roles, and trades where agreed wages sit close to the median. Senior specialists were usually well above both the old and new floors and see little direct change, although the extra employer checks apply to every case.

A useful rule for hiring managers is to treat SEK 34,470 as a legal minimum, not a pricing anchor. Candidates from outside the EU compare Swedish offers with other countries, and an offer set exactly at the floor leaves no room for a later pay adjustment, a change in the median or a collective-agreement rate that turns out to be higher than expected.

Some applicants qualify at SEK 28,725 a month, which is 75% of the median. Migrationsverket’s list of groups with a lower pay requirement includes:

• certain IT and engineering occupations
• some healthcare-support, agricultural, metal and food trades
• former students and researchers who are already in Sweden
• staff at young technology and life-science companies

The exact occupations and conditions are set out on the Migrationsverket page and should be checked for each role, because a job title that sounds similar may fall outside the listed group. The lower figure is still subject to the collective-agreement or industry-level test, so it rarely allows a salary below what the relevant agreement would require anyway.

For employers recruiting graduates who studied in Sweden, the reduced requirement is often the relevant one. It is worth confirming the candidate’s status before an offer is made, since the lower floor depends on the person as well as the job.

In annual terms the gap between the two floors is meaningful. At SEK 28,725 a month, gross pay for a year is SEK 344,700, against SEK 413,640 at the standard SEK 34,470. The difference of SEK 68,940 a year, plus employer contributions on it, can decide whether a graduate role fits a budget, so the eligibility check is worth doing before the salary band is fixed.

Not immediately, for extensions filed in the transition window. Applications to extend a permit granted under the old rules, made between 1 June and 1 December 2026, are not subject to the new 90% requirement, according to Migrationsverket’s April 2026 announcement.

After 1 December 2026, extension applications are assessed under the rules then in force. An employee who is paid close to the old SEK 29,680 floor and whose permit expires in 2027 may need a pay rise to stay eligible, and employers should plan that conversation well before the renewal date.

Consider a permit granted in 2025 at SEK 30,000 a month that expires in spring 2027. An extension filed before 1 December 2026 falls inside the transition window and is not assessed against the new 90% rule. An extension filed later is assessed under the rules in force at that time, which on current figures means at least SEK 34,470 unless the person belongs to a listed group. Filing early, where the permit rules allow it, can therefore change the outcome.

A permit is granted for at most 2 years at a time, so most permit holders face a renewal within the life of a normal employment. If a job ends, the employee has 3 months to find new work before the permit is at risk, which is a point to raise carefully in any restructuring that involves permit holders.

The employer drives the application, and its obligations begin before the permit is filed. Migrationsverket’s employer guidance lists the main steps:

• advertise the job in Sweden and the EU for at least 10 days, through Platsbanken or EURES
• sign the employment contract before the application is made
• offer pay and terms at least at collective-agreement or industry level
• give the relevant trade union a chance to comment
• provide health, life, occupational-injury and pension insurance

Since 1 June 2026, comprehensive health insurance is also required for stays of 1 year or less. Employers in cleaning, hospitality, construction, retail, agriculture, auto repair, certain services and staffing must also show they can guarantee pay for 3 months. Migrationsverket may refuse an application because of shortcomings on the employer’s side, such as certain crimes or sanctions.

Duties continue after a decision. The employer must tell Migrationsverket if work has not started within 4 months. In sectors with a reporting duty, worsened terms must be reported within 1 month, and failure to report can lead to fines or imprisonment. Any cut in pay or hours during the permit period should therefore be checked against the permit conditions first.

In practice the order of events matters. The advert runs for at least 10 days, the candidate is chosen and the contract signed, the union is invited to comment, and only then is the application filed. The written employment terms required by LAS, with key items due by the seventh calendar day after work starts, apply to permit holders exactly as to anyone else, so the contract drafted for the permit application should already meet those rules.

The EU Blue Card has a much higher floor: SEK 53,625 a month from 15 July 2026, set at 1.25 times the average gross salary using Medlingsinstitutet data. Details are on Migrationsverket’s EU Blue Card page.

Applicants need a contract of at least 6 months and either higher education worth 180 credits or 5 years of relevant professional experience. The first card is valid for between 9 months and 4 years. Revised Blue Card rules took effect on 1 January 2025, so guidance written before that date should not be relied on.

For a senior hire earning above SEK 53,625, the Blue Card is worth comparing with an ordinary work permit, since the conditions and length of validity differ. An ordinary permit lasts at most 2 years at a time, while a first Blue Card can run for up to 4 years, which reduces the number of renewals for a long assignment. For anyone below that level, the ordinary permit at SEK 34,470, or SEK 28,725 for listed groups, is the route. Very senior hires may also look at the expert tax relief decided by Forskarskattenämnden, which exempts 25% of salary for 7 years where pay exceeds SEK 88,801 a month for work starting in 2026, among other routes.

A hire paid exactly at the threshold costs about SEK 543,600 a year before pension and insurances. The assumptions: SEK 34,470 a month for 12 months, or SEK 413,640 gross, plus standard employer contributions of 31.42%, which add about SEK 129,966, for a statutory cost of roughly SEK 543,606. Agreement-based pension and the 0.43% holiday supplement come on top.

Age can lower the contribution line. For a hire born between 2003 and 2007, the temporary 20.81% rate applies to the first SEK 25,000 of monthly pay until 30 September 2027, with 31.42% on the rest. At SEK 34,470 a month that gives contributions of about SEK 8,178 a month instead of about SEK 10,830, a saving of roughly SEK 2,650 a month while the reduction lasts. The permit threshold is unaffected, because it is measured on salary alone.

The application is made through Migrationsverket’s e-service under the Swedish employer’s organisationsnummer. Under Employer of Record Sweden, we hold the contract as employer of record, so we file as employer, meet the advertising and insurance conditions and handle the post-decision reporting. The fee starts at USD 560 a month per employee, which is about SEK 5,550 on the ECB reference rate for 24 September 2026.

Staffing is one of the sectors where Migrationsverket asks for the 3-month pay guarantee, so allow for that check in the timeline. For the wider hiring picture, see first steps in recruiting staff in Sweden; for company-specific guidance, read our posts for American firms employing Swedes and British companies employing in Sweden.

Q01What is the minimum salary for a Swedish work permit in 2026?+

A.SEK 34,470 a month from 16 June 2026, which is 90% of the median wage. Listed groups qualify at SEK 28,725.

Q02When did the 90% rule start?+

A.On 1 June 2026. Before that the requirement was 80% of the median, last set at SEK 29,680 a month.

Q03Do renewals have to meet the new threshold?+

A.Extensions of permits granted under the old rules, applied for between 1 June and 1 December 2026, are not subject to the new requirement.

Q04How much must a Blue Card holder earn in Sweden?+

A.SEK 53,625 a month from 15 July 2026, with a contract of at least 6 months and a degree or 5 years’ experience.

Q05Who applies for the permit when an EOR is used?+

A.The Swedish employer applies using its organisationsnummer, so the employer of record files as employer.