News · Permits & visas · Published 11 July 2026
Sweden proposes work permits that follow workers between employers
A government draft would end employer-specific permit ties, add reporting duties and give some workers up to six months to find a new job.
DailySweden Editorial Desk
Updated 17:00 · 3 min read
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Sweden's government has proposed a significant change to the way work permits are linked to employment. Under a law-council referral published on 8 July, a permit would no longer be tied to one named employer and one particular type of work. A permit holder changing employer would therefore no longer have to submit a new work-permit application solely because of the change.
The proposal replaces that application step with a reporting duty. A person holding a work permit would have to notify the Swedish Migration Agency when an employment ends and when a new one begins. The draft also introduces a longer adjustment period for some people who become unemployed: anyone who has held a work permit for more than two years would be allowed up to six months to find new employment.
These are proposed rules, not changes already in force. The document is a referral to the Council on Legislation, which reviews draft laws before the government can proceed with a bill to parliament. The government proposes that the amendments take effect on 1 February 2027, but that date depends on the remaining legislative process.
A government draft would end employer-specific permit ties, add reporting duties and give some workers up to six months to find a new job.
For workers, the central change would be greater mobility after arriving in Sweden. Changing jobs would no longer, by itself, require a fresh permit application. For employers, the proposal would remove one administrative step when recruiting someone who already holds a Swedish work permit. The notification requirement means job changes would still have to be reported to the Migration Agency rather than becoming invisible to the permit system.
Permits & visas essentials
The government says the package implements the EU's revised single-permit directive, covering a combined right for third-country nationals to reside and work and a common set of rights for those legally present. Its stated aim is also to make Sweden more attractive to international expertise and make the process more predictable for employers and individuals.
The referral does not mean every condition attached to working in Sweden disappears. It addresses how a valid permit is connected to a job and what must happen when employment changes. Until parliament has considered a later government bill and any legislation has entered into force, permit holders should continue to follow the rules that apply now.
What happens now
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