Sweden job seeker visa: permit to look for work or start a business

Students who have completed at least two semesters of higher education in Sweden, with all courses passed, apply from inside Sweden before their study permit expires: up to 12 months after a Bachelor’s or Master’s, between 12 and 18 months after a doctorate. Maintenance is SEK 10,656 a month in 2026 and the fee SEK 1,500. You may apply before your final grades and add the certificate later.

You must have completed second-cycle studies: a one-year (60 credits) or two-year (120 credits) Master’s, a professional degree of 60 to 330 credits at that level, or a doctorate, or an equivalent foreign degree. The Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) checks the degree, which is why you sign a power of attorney for it. You must be outside Sweden when you apply, plan to look for work or explore starting a business, and hold a valid passport.

Show bank assets of SEK 13,000 for each month you ask for, so nine months means SEK 117,000, plus enough for the trip home. You also need comprehensive health insurance for the whole stay that covers emergency and other medical care, hospital care, emergency dental care and repatriation, because a permit under a year does not give access to the Swedish public system.

Apply online or on paper and pay SEK 2,200. You have your passport checked and fingerprints taken at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general. You must have the decision before you travel; arriving first on a Schengen visa and applying in Sweden is not possible for this permit.

A job offer lets you apply for a work permit from inside Sweden, and you can work for that employer in that profession while the application is processed. If you start a business, you apply for a residence permit for self-employment from Sweden and may run the business during processing. Former students and researchers applying for a first work permit only need 75 per cent of the median salary, SEK 28,725 a month, for two years.