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Working in Sweden After Graduation: The Job-Seeking Permit

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

A degree from a Swedish university does not give you an automatic right to stay and work. If you came on a residence permit for studies, that permit ends with your studies. Sweden has a separate, short permit for graduates who want to look for a job or explore starting a business, and after that a regular work permit is the route to a longer stay. The figures below are from the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) in October 2026; check its pages before you plan around them.

Who needs this

EU and EEA citizens do not need a residence permit to work in Sweden, so this guide is for students from other countries. How you got your study permit is described in student visa for Sweden.

The job-seeking permit is open to you if you:

The programme must be a university or university college programme of at least two semesters. Higher vocational programmes do not count. The agency is strict about results: you must have passing grades in all your courses, not only the compulsory parts. If your permit is about to run out and one course is still missing, you can apply and send the proof of completed studies later.

When to apply

You must apply before your current study permit expires. This is the point that is easiest to miss, because a graduation ceremony or a delayed result can come after the date printed on your permit card.

If you already have an application to extend your study permit waiting for a decision but have meanwhile finished your studies, you do not need a new application. The agency says you should contact it, and it will help you change the existing application.

How long the permit lasts

After a bachelor's or master's degree the permit is granted for up to one year. After doctoral studies it is between 12 and 18 months. It can never be longer than your passport is valid, so check your passport's expiry date too.

The permit is for looking for work or exploring a business idea. The agency's pages for former students do not say in so many words whether you may take a job during these months, so ask the agency directly before you accept an offer.

Money, insurance and fee

Apply in the agency's e-service for job seekers after studies, or on paper if you cannot use it. The agency lists the documents to attach under the Important to know tab of the application page.

What comes next: the work permit

When you find an employer, the next step is a work permit for the job. The salary rule is the part graduates should check first. From 1 June 2026 the monthly salary must be at least 90% of the median salary in Sweden at the time of application. On 16 June 2026 the agency stated the median as SEK 38,300, which put the minimum at SEK 34,470 a month. The median is updated, so calculate with the figure valid on the day you apply.

The new level applies to first-time applicants decided on or after 1 June 2026. For extensions applied for between 1 June and 1 December 2026, the earlier rule of 80% of the median still applies. The agency also says that, for stays up to one year, you must have or have applied for comprehensive health insurance.

Two practical consequences follow. A job-seeking permit of up to a year is a short time, and Swedish helps outside the university, as the guide to bachelor's degrees in English in Sweden notes. And a job paid below the monthly minimum cannot qualify, so ask the employer about the salary before you apply.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.