Sweden residence permit to look for work after a Master's or PhD 2026

People from outside the EU and the EEA generally need a permit to work in Sweden, and this permit is designed for those who have completed a second-cycle qualification and want to come to Sweden to look for a job or to explore the possibility of starting their own business. A degree counts as second-cycle if it corresponds to a Master's degree, a professional degree of the required size or a postgraduate or PhD-level degree.

Applicants must hold a valid passport, plan to look for work or investigate business possibilities, and be outside Sweden when they apply. They must show that they can support themselves for the whole period, with bank assets covering a monthly amount set by the Swedish Migration Agency for each month applied for, plus money for the return journey. They also need comprehensive health insurance valid for the entire stay that covers urgent and other medical care, hospitalisation, emergency dental care and medical repatriation.

Documents should be submitted in Swedish or English, and translations must be certified. Depending on where the application is made, the person may have to present the passport or attend an interview at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general, in some places by video link. The permit can be granted for a maximum of nine months and never for longer than the passport is valid. Applications are made in the agency's e-service, or on a paper form when the e-service cannot be used.

There is no application window, so applications can be submitted throughout the year.