You’re all ready to work in Sweden, but you realize that to even get into the country, you have to complete a complicated and often frustrating process to get your Verified International Stay Approval (visa). Whatever your work situation may be, you need something easy to follow and understand to get you to Sweden with minimum complications.
You are right where you need to be — below is a set of easy-to-follow steps that will provide you with everything that you need to know to easily acquire your work visa for Sweden. Before you know it, you’ll be on a plane, watching the miles float away below you as you prepare to enter this beautiful country and start your new job!
Will I Even Need a Work Visa For Sweden?
Before you start the process of applying for your Sweden work visa, first consider whether you need one at all; it’s certainly more convenient to have the option of traveling without one! Surprisingly, there are over ninety countries that are allowed passage into the country with only a valid ID and/or a passport that is valid for the duration of your visit. This is because Sweden has signed the Schengen Passport-exempt Agreement, which gives residents of the Schengen area unlimited stay in the country for any travel reasons!
There are also many other countries that are not in this zone but are eligible for a visa-free stay of up to 90 days for employment purposes and other purposes besides. However, if you are from one of these countries and need an extended stay beyond those limitations, you will still need to acquire a work visa. For a list of countries that require a visa, there is a list here, which also provides information about restrictions on visa approval due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Check Also: Programs in Europe for International Students
What Will I Have to Have to Acquire a Visa in Sweden?
Once you have established that you need a visa, you need the following:
- Your passport
- Copies of any previous visas
- Two recent photos
- An offer of employment
- A letter describing your purpose for visiting
- An itinerary for your stay
- Your flight ticket reservation
- Your return ticket reservation
- Health insurance verification
- Lodging documentation
- Civil documents
- Proof of financial subsistence
- Receipts to show that your fees are paid
The Process for Work Visa Application in Sweden
Below are the step-by-step procedures you need to follow to get your work visa for Sweden!
1. Possess Offer of Employment
You need to have a valid offer of employment from a job that was posted in Sweden at least ten days before you received the offer.
2. Apply for Your Visa With Your Local Swedish Embassy or Consulate
Fill out the online application sincerely and accurately, which will facilitate a faster turnaround for your Visa as you will not have to face delays due to missing documents or inaccurate information. You will need to sign the Sweden work visa application when complete. The following steps include the information you will need to provide as attachments.
3. Provide Your Passport
You will need to provide photocopied pages of your passport that verify your identity and provide your personal information. The passport needs to be valid for at least three months OVER the time period in which you intend to stay in Sweden. Your passport must include at least two blank pages.
4. Two Recent Photographs
The photographs must be within the last six months and follow a strict set of guidelines to be acceptable for Sweden work visa application. The size requirement is 35 X 44 and the photos must be in color. The preferred background is light grey. Your face must be looking straight into the camera with a neutral expression, and your face needs to fill nearly the entirety of the photos. Avoid anything that prevents viewing your features, such as hats, glasses, or clothing that draws attention away from your face.
5. Work Documentation
To prove that you have employment in Sweden, you will need your employer’s offer of employment letter. You may also need to provide information specifying your job role and salary, the date of hire, and specifications as to what the work project entails, including the purpose of travel and your confirmation of leave approval — you must have an itinerary for your stay.
6. Residence Verification
To approve your work visa for Sweden, the embassy will want to know that you have a stable place to live while working in Sweden. This means you need to have documentation to prove that you have a hotel chartered for your visit, or in the event of alternate accommodations, solid documents to serve as proof of lodging to explain where you will be staying and with whom.
7. Proof of Financial Stability
To participate in the visa program in Swedish, you have to be financially stable. This means demonstrating that you have the means to appropriately sustain yourself while working in the country. To do so, you need six months of previous bank statements. If this is not an option for you, you may provide proof of other assets to demonstrate a state of financial comfort.
8. Travel Paperwork
All documents regarding your travel must be provided with your application. This includes both your initial flight booking to enter the country and reservation verification for your return trip.
9. Insurance Requirements
In the event of a medical emergency during your stay, provide documents regarding health insurance that indicate coverage during the period in which you will be in Sweden. This is important to show that you will have the means to handle any urgent medical situations that threaten your welfare while being on your Swedish work visa.
10. Paid Receipts
There will be several fees associated with completing the application process for your visa. Always make sure to keep receipts close at hand so that you can verify that all monetary requirements have been fulfilled.
We hope that this article on how to get a work visa in Sweden was helpful! If you are interested in studying in Europe, make sure to check out Available Programs in Europe for International Students.
