As of June 17, 2025, a new minimum maintenance requirement applies for those applying for a work permit in Sweden. You must have a salary equal to at least 80% of the current Swedish median salary, which, according to Statistics Sweden (SCB), is now SEK 37,100 per month before taxes. This means that the new maintenance requirement for a work permit is SEK 29,680 per month before taxes.
Who is affected by the change?
All applications submitted on or after June 17, 2025, must meet the new maintenance requirement. This applies to both new work permit applications and extensions of existing work permits. However, if you submitted your application before June 17, the previous maintenance requirement applies instead. In other words, it’s the date you submitted your application—not the date the Swedish Migration Agency makes a decision—that determines which maintenance requirement applies.
The previous minimum maintenance requirement for a work permit was SEK 28,480 per month before taxes and applies to applications submitted between June 18, 2024, and June 16, 2025.
Who is exempt from the maintenance requirement?
Not everyone applying for a Swedish work permit needs to meet the SEK 29,680 per month requirement. The following groups are exempt:
- EU/EEA citizens and their family members
- Seasonal workers
- Applicants for the EU Blue Card or ICT permit
- Au pairs
- Interns through international exchange programs
- Interns in higher education
- Researchers, athletes, and coaches
The groups listed above are subject to other requirements.
Will there be more changes?
The Swedish government has discussed the possibility of raising the maintenance requirement for work permits again. For example, there have been talks about setting the requirement at 100% of the median salary in Sweden instead of the current 80%. If that happens, the new income threshold would be SEK 37,100 per month before taxes. However, no such change has been officially decided at this time—these are still only discussions.
Do you need legal help?
We have several lawyers who can help you in this area. Book an appointment with one of them in the Kliently app, or contact us to hire one of the lawyers. We recommend: Anastasia Martin,
Aja Wadii,
Caroline Nabavieh
