Trainee in Sweden

Requirements for obtaining a work permit

In order to obtain a work permit you should:

• have a valid passport;
• have received a written offer which describes the employment or assignment that you are to undertake.

Traineeship through an agreement on trainee exchanges between countries

You must apply for a permit from your country of origin or another country outside of Sweden in which you live. Fill in the form Application for Swedish work permit – for applicants currently outside Sweden, number 149011, and submit this to a Swedish embassy or consulate general. Before you submit your application you should contact the embassy or consulate-general.

You will probably be required to pay a fee.

Documents and information that the applicant shall submit:

• copies of the pages in your passport which show your personal information, photograph, signature, passport number, passport issuing country, the period of the passport's validity and whether you have permission to live in countries other than your country of origin;
• a written invitation from the organisation or company which specifies the conditions of your appointment or assignment as a trainee.

Make sure to extend your passport if it is about to expire – you cannot obtain a work permit for longer than your passport's period of validity.

If you are granted a permit that is valid for more than three months, you will be given a residence permit card. The card proves that you have permission to reside in Sweden and contains information such as your fingerprints and photograph.

If you require a visa in order to travel to Sweden, you must visit the Swedish embassy or consulate general as soon as possible, in order to be photographed and fingerprinted. You must do so even if you have previously held a residence permit card. This is because your photographs and fingerprints cannot be saved. Contact the embassy or consulate general before your visit.

If you do not require a visa, you should submit your details for a residence permit card to the Swedish Migration Agency once you have arrived in Sweden.

The decision is sent to the embassy or consulate general you selected in your online application. If the trainee organisation applied on your behalf, the decision will be sent to the embassy or consulate general closest to where you live. When you come to collect your decision, you must bring your passport with you. You may be granted a permit which is valid for the period of your traineeship, but not for longer than your passport is valid. A permit for a trainee may be granted for one or more periods, up to a maximum of 18 months.

When the residence card is ready, the embassy or consulate general will hand over or send the finished card to you. Please note that it can take up to four weeks from the time you receive the decision to make and deliver the card to the embassy or consulate general. When you travel to Sweden, you must show your residence permit card together with a valid passport.

If you do not need a visa for travel to Sweden, you should be able to present a copy of the decision when you arrive. You must book an appointment in order to be fingerprinted and photographed as soon as possible following your arrival in Sweden. When your residence permit card is ready, it will be sent to your address in Sweden.

If you are granted a permit that is valid for less than three months, you will not be given a residence permit card. You should therefore show the decision together with your passport when you travel to Sweden.