A Swedish Blue Card is key for non-EU nationals wanting to work and live in Sweden as it not only opens the door to working there but also offers a range of benefits, including the possibility of bringing family members and traveling within the Schengen Area without additional visa requirements. Getting it requires understanding requirements and application process which is what this article is about.

What Can You Do With a Swedish Blue Card?

The Swedish Blue Card offers significant advantages for highly qualified non-EU nationals seeking to work and live in Sweden, such as:

• Getting a residence permit: The Blue Card grants you a residence permit allowing you to move to Sweden and work there (You might be interested: What other ways exist to get a residence permit in Sweden?)
• Bring your family: The residence permit you get with your Swedish Blue Card allows you to bring your family members to Sweden (thanks to the family reunification visa), facilitating a smoother transition for those looking to move with their loved ones.
• Travel within Europe without Visa: With a Swedish Blue Card, you can travel to other Schengen countries without the need for a visa, offering you the freedom to explore Europe freely.
• Opportunity for Permanent Residency: After you have held an EU Blue Card in Sweden for 48 months, you become eligible to apply for a permanent residence permit, paving the way for long-term settlement in Sweden and to (hopefully) get your citizenship

Who Needs a Swedish Blue Card?

As explained, the Swedish Blue Card serves as a special type of residence permit designed for highly qualified non-EU nationals seeking to live and work in Sweden.

But the thing is, does everyone need a Swedish Blue card to get a residence permit to live and work in Sweden?

Well, not everybody, in fact, there is a particular list of individuals who can apply to get a Swedish Blue Card:

• Highly skilled non-EU/EEA or Swiss nationals holding a job offer: If you’re neither a citizen nor a permanent resident of the EU/EEA, or Switzerland and you happen to be a highly skilled or experienced professionals who have received a job offer from a Swedish employer you can apply for a Swedish Blue Card to get a residence permit needed for living and working legally in Sweden

Not highly qualified or not highly experienced?

Then your best bet is to get any of the following visas to hopefully get a Swedish residence permit:

• Work visa
• Job seeker Visa
• Self employed Visa (a.k.a freelancer’s visa)

To learn about other Visa options I’d recommend you to check my article on residence permits in Sweden where I go about all the paths you can follow to get your residence permit to live and work in the country.

Requirements for the Swedish Blue Card

Getting a Swedish Blue Card involves meeting a series of requirements, both for the applicant (you) and the Swedish employer.

Applicant Requirements

Here’s what you need to bring to the nearest Swedish embassy/consulate when applying for a Blue Card:

• Valid Passport: An up-to-date passport is fundamental for your application and international travel.
• Educational or Professional Qualifications: You must have either completed 180 credits of tertiary education or accumulated five years of relevant professional experience which demonstrates your high skill level for the work you’re applying for.
• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Ensure you have health insurance coverage valid in Sweden.
• Job Offer for Highly Qualified Work: The position should be for at least one year and in a field that requires your high level of qualification.
• Salary Requirement: Your salary must be at least one and a half times higher than the average Swedish salary. As of 28 August 2023, this means a minimum of SEK 57,450 per month, ensuring you’re compensated fairly for your expertise (You might be interested in: How to negotiate your salary in Sweden?)

Employer Requirements

What about the requirements met by your Swedish employer (regarding the job offer)?

Well, here are the requirements they’ll need to meet:

• Job Advertisement: The position must have been advertised in Sweden and the EU/EEA and Switzerland for at least ten days which ensures fairness in the hiring process
• Employment Conditions: Your employer must offer a contract that align with Swedish collective agreements or the customary standards within your profession (a.k.a. 25 minimum vacation days, sickness and parental benefits, standard probation period, etc…). This includes providing a good salary that meets or exceeds the agreed collective or industry standards.
• Consultation with Trade Unions: Employers are required to present the job’s terms to the relevant trade union, allowing them to comment on the employment conditions (i.e. working hours, overtime policies, etc).

How to Apply for a Swedish Blue Card from Abroad

Given that most non-EU citizens are not able to (legally) apply for a Blue Card in Sweden, they’ll need to do it from their home country.

But… how?

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Step 1: Secure a Swedish Job Offer

The initial step requires finding a job in Sweden that meets the specific requirements for Blue Card applicants.

What are these requirements?

Well, the job offer should:

• The job must be in a field that requires high-level qualifications, such as advanced skills or a university degree.
• The offered salary must be at least one and a half times the average gross annual salary in Sweden. As of 28 August 2023, this means a minimum salary of SEK 57,450 per month.
• The job offer must be for a position that lasts at least one year.
• The terms of employment, including salary, working hours, and other conditions, must comply with Swedish collective agreements or what is customary within the occupation or industry.

How can you find this job offer?

Well, that’s where things get tricky. I actually wrote a few articles about how to find employment in Sweden, you can check them out.

You might be interested in: How to find a job in Sweden? How to find a job in Stockholm? How to find a job with no experience in Sweden?

But in short, this is what you must do to find a job in Sweden:

• Adapt your CV and cover letter to the job position you’re applying for
• Practice your interview skills by learning about common interview questions in Swedish companies
• Take advantage of international job boards (like linkedIn and Glassdoor) and local job boards (like Arbetsförmedlingen and or Thelocal)
• Be opened to get help from recruitment agencies and to apply to international companies where not speaking Swedish is not a huge issue

Step 2: Receive Application Link from Employer

Once you have a suitable job offer, your employer will initiate the process of you getting a blue card at the Swedish Migration Agency’s website e-service.

Unless you’re planing on declining the job offer, you’ll receive a link to your personal email which will start your side of the application process.

Step 3: Gather Necessary Documentation

Once you receive the link to your email, then it’s time to ensure you have all required documents ready, this includes:

• Your passport and copies of its pages.
• A valid job offer and employment contract from your Swedish employer.
• Documentation proving your professional qualifications, such as a degree certificate or an employer’s certificate.
• A statement on the conditions of employment from the relevant trade union.
• Proof of comprehensive health insurance coverage valid in Sweden.

Step 4: Complete the Application & Submit

Now that you gather all your documents, you must follow the link provided by your employer to access the e-service.

Here, you’ll need to fill in your personal and professional details, attach the necessary documents, and pay the application fee using a credit card.

Now, submit your application through the e-service.

Step 6: Wait for the Decision

The processing time for a Blue Card application can take up to 90 days. During this period, you can track the status of your application online through the Swedish Migration Agency’s website.

If You Cannot Apply Online

If for any reason you’re unable to apply online, you can fill out the form “Application for an EU Blue Card for work in Sweden, 181011.” (You can download this form here)

Once completed, submit it in person or via mail to the nearest Swedish embassy or consulate-general in your home country.

How to Apply for a Swedish Blue Card in Stockholm

There are some cases when you can apply for a blue card visa while being in Stockholm (or anywhere in Sweden) legally.

This normally happens when you’re looking to transition from another type of residence permit (e.g. job seeker visa) or if you’re holding a Blue Card from another EU country.

There are two offices of Migrationsverket (Swedish Migration Office) near Stockholm where you can go to clear your questions, located in:

• Sturegatan 15, 172 31 Sundbyberg, Sweden
• Pyramidvägen 2A, 169 56 Solna, Sweden

The steps you’ll need to follow to apply for the EU Blue Card while being in Sweden are fairly similar to the ones previously explained as the process is completed online too.

The only difference lies in that you’ll be able to clear all your questions at the Migrationsverket offices near Stockholm where you’ll also find workers willing to assist you with your application.

Oh, and along the documents you present in your EU Blue Card application you’ll need to submit your existing residence permit that allows you to apply while being physically in Sweden.

You might be interested in: What are the salaries like in Stockholm?

What Happens After Applying for the Swedish Blue Card

As explained, after submitting your application for a Swedish Blue Card you’ll have to wait about 90 days to get a decision back from the Swedish Migration Agency.

Getting your Residence Permit

If your application is approved, the next steps are aimed towards formalizing your residence status.

These “steps” can be done at the nearest Swedish embassy or consulate if you’re outside Sweden, or, if you’re already in Sweden, at a Migrationsverket (Swedish Migration Agency) office located in your current town of residence.

Here, you’ll get your biometric data (photograph and fingertips) taken, if not already provided.

These biometric details are necessary for the issuance of your Blue Card’s residence permit card which you will pick up a few weeks later at the embassy/consulate or in the nearest Swedish Migration Agency if you’re already living in Sweden.

Family Reunification with the Blue Card

Just like as with other residence permits, the Swedish Blue Card facilitates the process of family reunification, allowing you to bring your family members to Sweden from abroad.

I’ll answer a few questions that most people have regarding family reunification in Sweden:

Who can you bring?

• Spouse or Registered Partner: Your husband, wife, or registered partner is eligible to join you.
• Dependent Children: This includes your own children or those of your spouse/partner, provided they are under 21 years of age or are dependent on you.

What are the requirements?

• Proof of Relationship: You must provide documents proving your relationship with the family members you wish to bring, such as marriage or birth certificates.
• Financial Support: Your post-tax monthly income must cover both housing costs and the “normal amount” for living expenses, set annually by the Swedish Enforcement Authority. For 2024, the normal amount is SEK 6,090 for a single adult, SEK 10,061 for couples, and varies for children based on age, ranging from SEK 3,255 for those 0–6 years, to SEK 5,208 for children 15 years or older.
• Accommodation: Adequate living arrangements must be in place for your family in Sweden.

How to apply for family reunification?

If applying together (you as the potential EU Blue Card holder and your family members), your Swedish employer should include all your family members in their online application.

That way, when you are approved, you and your family will get all residence permits and be able to move to Sweden to legally live and work.

On the other hand, if the EU Blue card visa holder is already in Sweden, other family members can apply online from abroad.

Here’s how to apply if you’re already in Sweden with your own Swedish Blue Card and residence permit:

• The family member starts the process online (here) from their home country
• The application should detail their relationship to the Blue Card holder while showing supporting documentation (this includes: passports, proof of relationship such as marriage certificates or birth certificates for children, and consent forms if applicable)
• Answer questionnaire on maintenance and housing completed by the Swedish resident, with supporting documents.
• Submit you application, pay the fee (SEK 1,500 for adults and SEK 750 for each child under 18) and wait for the decision

What are the costs and processing time?

The processing time for family reunification applications can vary, but the Swedish Migration Agency aims to process these applications within a similar timeframe to the Blue Card application (which is less than 90 days).

As explained before, you’ll have to pay SEK 1,500 for adults and SEK 750 for each child under 18.

What happens after?

If the family reunification is accepted, then your family members will have to go to the closes Swedish consulate or embassy in their home country to get their photograph and fingerprints taken.

After a few weeks, they’ll have to set an appointment again to pick up their residence permit card that will allow them to move to Sweden and work there (if applicable) as family members of an EU Blue Card holder.

Cost of a Swedish Blue Card

The cost for obtaining a Swedish Blue Card is SEK 2,000 for the initial application. If you need to extend your Blue Card in the future, the fee for extension applications is SEK 2,200.

Limitations of the Swedish Blue Card

Initially, the Blue Card is valid for a period ranging from a minimum of one year to a maximum of two years granting you the right to work in Sweden only for the employer and within the profession specified in your application.

After you have worked in Sweden for 24 months and successfully extended your Blue Card, you gain the flexibility to change employers without needing to submit a new application, provided you remain within the same professional field.

Extending a Swedish Blue Card Visa

To extend your EU Blue Card in Sweden, you can apply online in the Swedish Migration Agency’s website.

I’d recommend to start this process well before your current permit’s expiration to maintain uninterrupted legal work status in Sweden.

Once you initiate the process online, here’s what you’ll need to attach:

• passport
• summary of your PAYE (Pay As You Earn) tax return demonstrating last year’s income
• current year’s payslips if you are employed in Sweden, employment certificates outlining your work history in Sweden
• statement from the relevant trade union concerning your current employment conditions
• certificates from all previous employers.

Don’t forget: If your family members are residing with you in Sweden and their permits need renewal, include their applications with yours to streamline the process.

Upon submitting your application, you retain the right to work while awaiting a decision, provided your application was submitted before the expiry of your current permit.

The decision on your application will be mailed to your registered address in Sweden. Should your application be denied, information on how to appeal the decision will be included in the notification.

And, if things go according to plan and the extension gets approved, you and the family members that applied for the extension receive a new residence permit card.

Path to Permanent Residency

After holding an EU Blue Card for 48 months, you become eligible to apply for a permanent residence permit.

The criteria for this include having worked in Sweden for four years within the last seven years under a Blue Card or work permit, and demonstrating the ability to financially support yourself.

Once you apply for an extension or for permanent residency, the decision will be communicated to you through mail sent to your residence in Sweden.

Swedish Blue Card Alternatives

For those exploring alternatives to the Swedish Blue Card, Sweden offers various visa options to achieve residence permits that will allow people to live and work in Sweden legally.

Each alternative serves specific goals, let’s take a closer look at the most popular alternatives:

1. Work Visa: Made for people who have received a job offer from a Swedish employer. This visa is perfect for those whose occupations may not meet the stringent qualifications for a Blue Card but still contribute significantly to the Swedish job market. (You might be interested: How to get a work visa in Sweden?)
2. Freelance Work Visa: Ideal for independent professionals who plan to work in Sweden on a freelance basis or by opening a business in the country (You might be interested: How to get a freelance visa in Sweden?)
3. Job Seeker Visa: This visa option is for highly skilled individuals who wish to move to Sweden to look for employment or explore business opportunities. It allows for a stay in Sweden while searching for a job that matches the applicant’s skills and qualifications. (You might be interested: How to get a job seeker visa in Sweden)
4. Volunteer Visa: For individuals interested in contributing to non-profit, charitable, or volunteer work in Sweden, this visa is an option that will give them a residence permit for up to one year (You might be interested: Volunteering in Stockholm for English Speakers)
5. Internship Visa: Tailored for students or recent graduates who intend to gain professional experience in their field of study by engaging in an internship in Sweden.

Along these visas, there are other ones that are a bit less popular but still relevant to get a residence permit (like the au pair visa), you can check them out in the official Swedish Migration Office’s website.

What Happens if you Quit/Loose Job?

If you submit your resignation letter or lose your job while holding a Swedish Blue Card, you don’t immediately lose the card but there’s definitely some things you must address right away.

You might be interested in: How to quit a job in Sweden?

Here’s what you need to know:

• 3-moths to find a new job: You are granted a grace period to find new employment which typically is up to three months, allowing you some time to seek another job that meets the Blue Card criteria.
• Unemployment benefits: Eligibility for unemployment benefits depends on whether you’ve been a member of a Swedish unemployment insurance fund (a-kassa) and have met the fund’s work and membership duration requirements. If eligible, you can receive benefits while looking for a new job.
• Communication with other authorities: Besides the Swedish Migration Agency, you may need to inform other relevant authorities or organizations, such as the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) or your unemployment insurance fund, about your employment status change (You might be interested in: How does the Social insurance system work in Sweden)

Traveling with Swedish Blue Card

Holding a Swedish Blue Card gives you the possibility to travel visa-free to other Schengen area countries.

It’s a significant advantage for those citizens of certain countries that need visas in order to enter the EU, such as India, China, Russia, and many countries in Africa and the Middle East.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Work in the EU With a Swedish Blue Card?

No, the Swedish Blue Card allows you to work only in Sweden. While it permits travel within the Schengen area, your employment is restricted to Sweden.

Do I Lose My Swedish Blue Card If I Change or Lose My Job?

Just as explained, if you change or lose your job, you don’t immediately lose your Swedish Blue Card.

However, there are certain conditions to be aware of:

• 3 months to find a new job: You have a 3 month grace period to secure new employment so that you don’t loose your residence permit
• Changing jobs: You can change jobs to another employer only after 24 months have passed working with the same employer. After that period passes, you may change employers within the same profession