New salary requirement for work permits – what applies to extensions after 1 December 2026

The salary requirement: 90 per cent of the median salary

The salary requirement replaces the previous requirement of adequate means of support (Chapter 6, Section 2 of the Aliens Act (utlänningslagen)). The salary must be at least 90 per cent of the median salary most recently published by Statistics Sweden (SCB) on the day the application is received by the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket). Since 16 June 2026, the median salary has been SEK 38,300. The minimum permitted salary is therefore SEK 34,470 per month. The median salary is updated every year in June, so the amount is normally increased each summer.

The requirement applies irrespective of the extent of employment. A person who works part-time must therefore also have a monthly salary of at least SEK 34,470. The salary must also be on a par with the applicable collective agreement or with what is customary in the occupation or sector. In many occupations this means that the salary must exceed SEK 34,470. A person who is to stay in Sweden for no more than one year must, in addition, hold, or have applied for, comprehensive health insurance.

The new requirement applies to everyone who applies for a work permit for the first time and receives a decision on or after 1 June 2026. It also applies to those who submitted their application before 1 June.

The transitional rule: applications registered no later than 1 December 2026

If the employee obtained their current work permit before 1 June 2026, it may be extended under the previous requirement of adequate means of support. That requirement is 80 per cent of the median salary, currently SEK 30,640 per month. This presupposes, however, that the extension application has been registered with the Swedish Migration Agency no later than 1 December 2026. Applications registered on 2 December or later are assessed against the new salary requirement. The rule also applies where the employee changes employer, since an application for new employment is assessed as an extension.

Please note that it is the date of registration that is decisive. In the e-service, the application is registered only once the employee has completed and submitted their part. It is therefore not sufficient that the employer has begun the application.

Can an application be made earlier than two months before expiry?

On its website, the Swedish Migration Agency states that an extension may be applied for at the earliest two months before the permit expires. However, no such limit is found in either the Aliens Act or the Aliens Ordinance (utlänningsförordningen). The legislation imposes only one time requirement: the application must be made before the current permit has expired, in order for the employee to be allowed to continue working while the application is being examined (Chapter 5, Section 3 of the Aliens Ordinance). The transitional provisions require only that the application has been registered no later than 1 December 2026. According to the wording of the legislation, the length of time remaining on the current permit is of no significance.

In our assessment, an application for the extension of a permit that expires after 1 February 2027 should therefore also be assessed against the previous requirement, provided that the application has been registered no later than 1 December 2026. For employees with a monthly salary of between SEK 30,640 and SEK 34,470, this may be the difference between an extension and a refusal. It remains to be seen, however, how the Swedish Migration Agency will deal with applications submitted earlier than two months before the permit expires.

The requirements apply throughout the permit period

The salary requirement applies not only when the application is examined. If the salary falls below the requirement during the permit period, the permit shall, as a general rule, be revoked (Chapter 7, Section 7 e of the Aliens Act). This also applies where other conditions are no longer met. A lower income due to, for example, illness or parental leave does not lead to revocation. Nor do minor deviations necessarily do so.

In connection with an extension, the Swedish Migration Agency may verify that salary, insurance cover and other conditions have been met during the preceding permit period. If there have been deficiencies that would have led to revocation, the extension shall be refused, even where the transitional rule applies.

Exception: 75 per cent of the median salary

For certain occupations and groups, it is sufficient that the salary amounts to 75 per cent of the median salary, currently SEK 28,725 (Chapter 5, Sections 6–6 b of the Aliens Ordinance). This applies to:

• Occupations on the Government's list. These include, among others, assistant nurses, children's nurses, care assistants, certain IT technicians, welders, maintenance mechanics, butchers, forestry workers and operators of agricultural and forestry machinery.
• Students and researchers. This applies to persons who hold a permit as a student or researcher in Sweden when they apply for a work permit for the first time. The exception applies for two years, or until the permit ceases to be valid if it has a longer period of validity.
• Persons with temporary protection under the Temporary Protection Directive. The same time limit applies as for students and researchers.
• Pharmacists, doctors, nurses and dentists with a foreign qualification, where the work forms part of the process of obtaining a Swedish licence to practise.
• Employees of certain technology and life sciences companies. The company must be in a clear start-up phase, be less than five years old and have fewer than 100 employees.

The list that applies is the one in force when the Swedish Migration Agency issues its determining decision. If an occupation has been removed from the list by the time the permit is to be extended, the ordinary salary requirement applies.

Occupations that no longer qualify for a work permit

Since 1 June 2026, work permits are not granted for work as a personal assistant or as a berry picker in the forest (Chapter 5, Section 5 of the Aliens Ordinance). The transitional rules apply only to the salary requirement. The prohibition therefore also applies to a person who already works as a personal assistant and wishes to extend their permit. Berry picking for an employer established in Sweden may instead give rise to a permit for seasonal work.

Stricter requirements for the employer

The Swedish Migration Agency may now refuse an application on the basis of circumstances relating to the employer or its representative (Chapter 6, Section 2 c of the Aliens Act). This applies where they are suspected of, or have been convicted of, certain offences under the Aliens Act or of trafficking in human beings or human exploitation. It also applies where they have been charged a special fee for having employed a person without a work permit, or a tax surcharge for incorrect reporting of work. Refusal is not mandatory, but the risk should be assessed before an application is made.

Two new offences have also been introduced: exploitation of foreign labour and trafficking in work permits. The latter means that it is a criminal offence to charge the employee for the employment or for assistance with the application, where the remuneration is manifestly disproportionate to the consideration provided. In addition, the employer must notify the Swedish Migration Agency if the employee has not started work within four months of the first day of validity of the permit. Permits for seasonal work may now be granted for nine months within a twelve-month period instead of six.

What should you do now?

Review all employees who hold work permits and note when each permit expires and what salary the employee receives. If the permit expires on 1 February 2027 or earlier, the extension application may be made in the e-service as usual, but ensure that it is registered well before 1 December. If the employee's salary is below SEK 34,470 and the permit expires later, you should already now assess whether an early application is an option or whether the salary needs to be increased ahead of the next extension.

Also check whether the occupation is still on the list of exceptions. A salary increase must be genuine, be set out in the employment contract and actually be paid. At the same time, check that salary, insurance cover and other conditions have been correct throughout the permit period. Deficiencies in the past are a common reason for refusal.

How we can help

Guard Advokater assists both employers and employees in work permit matters. We carry out reviews of employers' permits, employment contracts and salary levels. We assess whether an early extension application is possible and appropriate in the individual case, and can prepare and submit the application so that it is registered before 1 December 2026. We also appeal decisions refusing or revoking permits to the migration court (migrationsdomstolen). Because we work with both migration law and employment law, we can deal with the permit issue and the terms of employment in the same engagement.

Contact us for an initial assessment.

Frequently asked questions

What salary is required for a work permit in 2026?
At least SEK 34,470 per month, which is 90 per cent of the median salary. For exempted occupations and groups, SEK 28,725 is sufficient.

Does the new salary requirement apply when I extend my work permit?
That depends on two factors. If you obtained your current permit before 1 June 2026 and the application is registered no later than 1 December 2026, the previous requirement of SEK 30,640 applies. Otherwise, the new salary requirement applies.

Can I apply for an extension earlier than two months before my permit expires?
The Swedish Migration Agency states two months, but that limit is not found in any statute or ordinance. In our assessment, an application registered no later than 1 December 2026 should be covered by the transitional rule even if the permit expires later. The question has, however, not been tested, and the application may need to be made on a paper form. Have a lawyer assess your case before you apply.

Does the transitional rule apply if I change employer?
Yes. An application for new employment is assessed as an extension, so the same rules apply.

Is the salary sufficient if I work part-time?
Only if the monthly salary nevertheless amounts to at least SEK 34,470. The requirement applies irrespective of the extent of employment.

Can I extend my permit as a personal assistant?
No. Since 1 June 2026, work permits are not granted for work as a personal assistant, nor in the case of an extension.