Work permit in Sweden: the 1 June 2026 reform

The 1 June 2026 reform: salary of at least 90 % of the median (34,470 SEK), 75 % exceptions and the last day of the old 80 % rule on extensions.

⚠️ Critical deadline: 1 December 2026

If your current work permit was granted before 1 June 2026 and you apply for the extension between 1 June and 1 December 2026, you do not need to meet the new salary requirement. The earlier requirement of "good maintenance" (god försörjning) applies: a salary of at least 80 % of the median salary, which today is 30,640 SEK per month.

From 2 December 2026, the new 90 % requirement also applies to those extensions.

For a worker earning between 30,640 and 34,470 SEK, that date decides whether they can renew or not. The extension should be filed now, not when the permit expires.

If you got your current permit after 1 June 2026, the new requirement already applies when you extend.

The new salary requirement (lönekrav)

From 1 June 2026, the salary must be at least 90 % of Sweden's median salary in force on the date of the application.

• It applies to every first application decided from 1 June 2026, even if it was filed earlier.

• It replaces the god försörjning requirement.

• The median salary is published by Statistics Sweden (SCB) and updated every June. What counts is the median in force when the application was filed.

⚠️ The amount changes every year. Always check the figure for the date of application.

Who meets the 75 % rule

• Occupations on the Government's list (Aliens Ordinance ch. 5 sec. 6), including chemical and laboratory engineers and technicians, IT systems, network and support technicians, assistant nurses and ambulance technicians, agricultural, livestock and forestry work, welders and maintenance mechanics. The list in force on the day of the decision counts. When extending, check the occupation is still on the list: if it was removed, 90 % applies.

• People with a student or researcher permit in Sweden when applying for their first work permit, and people with temporary protection: exempt for two years, or until their permit expires if longer.

• Doctors, dentists and nurses with foreign qualifications who are obtaining Swedish authorisation.

• Employees of certain tech or life-science start-ups: a company under development, less than five years old and with fewer than one hundred employees.

The salary alone is not enough

Besides the threshold, the salary must be at the level of the Swedish collective agreement or what is normal for the profession or sector. Exceeding 34,470 SEK does not save an offer below the collective agreement.

The employer counts

From 1 June 2026, Migrationsverket can refuse the permit because of employer deficiencies: for example certain crimes the employer has committed or is suspected of, or penalties it has received.

⚠️ In practice, the company's record directly affects the worker. Before accepting an offer, check who the permit will be requested for.

Other changes from 1 June 2026

The rule that did not change

A work permit is normally applied for from your home country and must be granted before you arrive in Sweden. You do not arrive as a tourist and apply from inside.

Common reasons for refusal

1. Salary below the threshold in force on the application date, or below the collective agreement.

2. Employer deficiencies: crimes or penalties.

3. No health insurance for stays of one year or less.

4. An excluded occupation, or one removed from the 75 % list at extension.

5. Application filed from Sweden without grounds for it.

6. A transitional extension requested after 1 December 2026.

Working out which rule applies to you depends on your exact dates. Message us on WhatsApp to check your case.