Residence permit and status as long-term resident

If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU and have lived in Sweden for five years without interruption, you can be granted the status of long-term resident in Sweden. This is not the same as a permanent residence permit, but if you have been granted long-term resident status, you must by law also be granted a permanent residence permit. No further examination of the conditions for a permanent residence permit are therefore required after a decision to grant long-term resident status.

Long-term resident status is based on an EU directive and also means that you have greater opportunities to work, study or start your own business in most other EU countries. If you have long-term resident status, you can reside outside Sweden for up to 6 years if you remain within the EU and in the countries that are covered by the directive. These countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. If you move to one of these countries more permanently, you can also transfer your long-term resident status.

To obtain long-term resident status in Sweden, you must:

• have lived in Sweden for at least five years without interruption (A period spent outside Sweden shorter than six consecutive months and no more than ten months in total during the five-year period is not considered an interruption.) There is some lack of clarity regarding the timing of the calculation of the qualifying period, but according to the EU directive and a court ruling, it is to be calculated at the time of application, while the Swedish Migration Agency has previously stated that it is calculated until the date the decision is made.
• have had a residence permit or otherwise resided legally in Sweden during the five years preceding your application. (Residence permits for visits or for studies other than doctoral studies may not be included.)
• be able to support yourself and your family financially. Note that this support requirement is not the same as the requirement for permanent residence.

Qualifying period – types of residence permit that can be counted

When it comes to the types of residence permits that can be accepted when calculating the qualifying period, all permits that can lead to a permanent residence permit can be counted. This applies, for example, to residence permits as a research student, researcher or for work. Also residence permits through a connection to a person living in Sweden as well as time with a right of residence (this applies, for example, to you who are a British citizen and who lived in Sweden before Brexit or to you who have lived in Sweden together with an EU/EEA citizen who has had a right of residence). Time that may not be counted is, for example, residence permits for studies other than research studies or, according to the Swedish Migration Board’s interpretation, time with a residence permit to seek work after graduation or completion of research.

A question that has arisen is whether a period of time between two residence permits should be considered as legal basis for residence when applying for a permanent residence permit. This question has been answered by the Migration Court of Appeal (case UM 12955-23). ​​The court concluded that such time should not be considered as legal basis for residence for the purposes of a permanent residence permit. This decision is precedent-setting for the Migration Board and the migration courts.

According to a statement from the Swedish Migration Board, the time spent without a qualifying residence permit means that you have to accumulate and completely new qualifying time in five years. They also believe that time spent abroad, in addition to that which is generally approved (see above), cannot be credited even if you were posted to another country by a state employer during that time. However, these are issues that can be tested in court.

If you have had an EU Blue Card or a residence permit for research in one or more other EU member states and have had an EU Blue Card in Sweden for the past two years, you may in some cases be able to count the time spent in the other member state(s).

The self-support requirement

The requirements regarding the ability to support yourself in order to be granted a permanent residence permit do not apply to applications for long-term resident status. Instead, the provisions that were in place before the new legislation came into force on 20 July 2021 continue to apply. An important difference is that income does not have to come from your own work or own company, so other income can also be included. What is assessed is whether you will be a burden on the social insurance system and whether your means of financial support are sufficiently long-term. This means, for example, that unemployment benefit and scholarships may be approved as forms of future support. Another important difference is that an application for long-term resident status can be approved if you have been supported wholly or partially by a family member. On the other hand, the Swedish Migration Agency does not allow you to count private savings, but any yield from savings can be included in the calculation.

As far as SULF is aware, there is no clear definition of long-term with regard to self-support. The Migration Agency assesses each case individually. However, sporadic or temporary short-term employment is not approved as a long-term means of support. New legal precedent may be needed to provide more clarity about these requirements.

In 2023, the Migration Agency indicated that it wants to see that applicants can support themselves for at least one year. Here, too, there is a lack of clarity about at which point in time the self-support requirement must be met, i.e. whether it should be calculated from the date of the application or from the date that the decision is made. Previous rulings by the European Court of Justice indicate that the former should apply. The Migration Agency has also said that unemployment benefits will be taken into account when assessing the self-support requirement, but in some in some cases the Agency has ruled that such compensation must be ongoing and did not accept proof that it will be paid later if required. SULF recommends that you contact the Akademikernas a-kassa unemployment insurance fund to request a document stating that you meet the eligibility requirements for compensation in the event of unemployment, how much compensation you would receive and that compensation would be paid for at least 14 months (300 compensation days and five days per week in the case of full unemployment).

Application

An application for long-term resident status can be submitted before your temporary residence permit expires. If your application is granted, you can in this case have your residence permit exchanged for a permanent residence permit even if you have a valid temporary residence permit when the decision is made. This means that you can apply as soon as you consider yourself to meet the requirements for long-term resident status. Read more below in the answers from the Migration Board. In order for you to have the right to live in Sweden and continue working (and thus also be entitled to unemployment benefits) while waiting for a decision in the event that the residence permit you have expires during the processing time, you also need to submit an application for some form of residence permit. It is also important because otherwise you may lose your right to benefits from the Social Insurance Agency. The most important thing, as always, is that you apply before your current residence permit expires.

If you have long-term resident status, you can reside outside Sweden for up to 6 years if you remain within the EU and in the countries that are covered by the directive. These countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. If you move to one of these countries more permanently, you can also transfer your long-term resident status.

Applying for long-term resident status can therefore be an alternative way to obtain a permanent residence permit if you have lived in Sweden for five years but for some reason do not meet the requirements for being granted a permanent residence permit or Swedish citizenship.

The provisions on permanent residence permits are based on Swedish national legislation, while the provisions on long-term resident status are based on EU directive 2003/109/EC

Read more about permanent residence permits for doctoral candidates (Migration Agency)

Read more about permanent residence permits for researchers (Migration Agency)

Read more about permanent residence permits for work (Migration Agency)

Read more about long-term resident status (Migration Agency)

The answer below is translated by our translator.

From 11 June 2026, doctoral candidates can obtain a residence permit for doctoral studies or for research. The different permits give different rights and have different application processes. Generally speaking, a residence permit for research is more beneficial than a permit for doctoral studies. You will need to discuss the matter with your higher education institution before applying for a new or extended residence permit.

In the table below, we have summarised information we have received from EURAXESS Sweden, produced in collaboration with the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions (SUHF) and the Swedish Migration Agency. We would like to thank EURAXESS Sweden for allowing us to publish this information here.

Rules on residence permits for doctoral candidates from 11 June 2026

Comparison between residence permits for research and residence permits for doctoral studies

* Does not apply to residence permits granted before the new rules came into force. However, the new rules apply if your permit was extended after the new rules came into force.
** Government inquiry report SOU 2025:95 (Stricter conditions for family reunification) proposes a financial support requirement for family members joining researchers.
*** The Swedish Migration Agency has a service pledge for both residence permits for research and
residence permits for higher education at doctoral candidate level, as well as their co-applicants: the processing time is to be 30 days for a complete application.

Changes for visiting doctoral candidates

• Visiting doctoral candidates may apply for a residence permit for
• The option to apply for a residence permit for research means that visiting doctoral candidates can count this time as part of the qualifying period when applying for a permanent residence permit (PUT).
• It will be easier for visiting doctoral candidates to change their residence permit category while in Sweden.
• For short-term activities that do not form part of the research, for example conferences, it is still possible to apply for a visitor’s residence permit.

Links

Aliens Act (2005:716) | The Swedish Parliament (in Swedish)

Aliens Ordinance (2006:97) | The Swedish Parliament (in Swedish)

New rules for researchers and doctoral students – Swedish Migration Agency

New rules on residence permits for studies in higher education – Swedish Migration Agency

Residence permits for studying in Sweden – Swedish Migration Agency

Apply for a residence permit to conduct research in Sweden – Swedish Migration Agency

What happens if I do not meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit but wish to stay in Sweden?

If you have held a residence permit for studies, (including doctoral studies), or research, you may apply for a residence permit to look for work.

You can read more about this in the information about looking for work after studying or conducting research. From 11 June 2026, if you have held a residence permit for research or doctoral studies, you may be granted such a permit for up to 18 months.

If you have a family member who is a Swedish citizen, an EU/EEA citizen or who holds a residence permit in Sweden, you may in certain cases be entitled to remain in Sweden through that person. In most cases, you can then submit such an application without having to leave Sweden.

Please remember to state all the reasons in your application for a permanent residence permit that may mean that you could instead be granted a temporary residence permit, in case you are not granted a permanent residence permit.

If your family member is an EU/EEA national, you may also have right of residence. You can read more about this under the question ‘What rules apply if I am a citizen of an EU/EEA country, a family member of such a citizen or a citizen of Switzerland?’

Please also bear in mind that when changing your residence permit, in certain cases you must leave Sweden and apply from abroad.

The Swedish Migration Agency has produced a guide where you can specify which permit you currently hold and which one you wish to apply for. It provides information on what rules apply in your specific case. The guide is available in both Swedish and English – scroll down to ‘You wish to apply for another type of residence permit’ (this is the Swedsish page).

You can apply for a residence permit for 12 months, (from 11 June 2026, up to 18 months), but not for fewer than 12 months, if you meet certain criteria. This applies both to people who have held a residence permit for studies, including doctoral studies, and to those who have held a residence permit for research. To be granted a residence permit to seek employment, you must have completed your studies, (with a qualification), or have completed your research, have sufficient means to support yourself, have comprehensive health insurance, and to apply before your current residence permit expires. Please note that, unlike the requirements for a permanent residence permit, you are not required to be able to support yourself through employment or self-employment. This means, for example, that unemployment benefit may be accepted as a means of support. The requirement for comprehensive health insurance is always met if you are registered in the population register and have a full Swedish personal identity number.

If you hold this type of residence permit, you do not need a work permit to begin work, but you should contact the Swedish Migration Agency to check whether you need to apply for another type of permit. If you hold a residence permit to seek employment, you do not need to earn the minimum salary level applicable to others to be eligible for a work permit, (90 per cent of the median level). In this case, a salary of 75 per cent of the median level in Sweden is sufficient. (In 2026, this corresponds to SEK 27,825 per month before tax). Please also bear in mind that your employer must have advertised the employment in a specific way for you to be granted a work permit.

Since 1 June 2026, you are entitled to apply for a residence permit for doctoral studies or research from within Sweden if you hold a permit to seek employment.

However, a residence permit to seek employment cannot be counted towards the four years of residence required for a permanent residence permit; in that case, you must have previously held a residence permit for doctoral studies, research or work, (you may combine all such periods), for at least four years within a seven-year period, (or, from 11 June 2026, three consecutive years with a residence permit for doctoral studies, research or an EU Blue Card).

You can read more about this at the website of Swedish Migration Agency

Resi­dence permit for looking for work after studies
Resi­dence permit after rese­arch

If you believe you meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit, we recommend that you apply for that first, as it is a significantly better type of residence permit. If the Swedish Migration Agency rejects your application for a permanent residence permit, they will also assess whether you are eligible for an extended permit for doctoral studies. If you have already completed your studies and are therefore not eligible for an extension, you must state in your application that you wish to apply for a residence permit to look for work if you would like the Swedish Migration Agency to consider that as well.

The new rules on the minimum salary level for people with a residence permit for work do not apply to you if you have a residence permit for studies or research, because it is a different type of permit.

However, the new rules that apply from June 2026 contain certain improvements that may be important for our member groups, especially for those with a residence permit for work.

The two most important changes are that:

• people with a residence permit for work can now apply for a residence permit for doctoral studies or research without first having to leave Sweden
• in certain cases, you may be allowed to re-enter Sweden while waiting for a decision when you have submitted your application

If you are a citizen of a country within the EU/EEA, you are covered by the provisions on the right of residence and therefore do not need to apply for a residence permit in Sweden. For example, people who come to Sweden to work or study, (and have means to support themselves), have the right of residence. People who have a right of residence need not apply for a residence permit for doctoral studies or research, nor can such a residence permit be granted. This also applies to family members.

Registration

If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country, you do not need to apply for a right of residence or contact the Swedish Migration Agency. However, you need to apply for registration with the Swedish Tax Agency. SULF has noted that the Swedish Tax Agency can refuse registration if you are not employed and cannot present proof that you have comprehensive health insurance. This is a situation that should not happen under free movement within the EU, but it can occur due to ambiguities about which member state is responsible for health insurance.

Family members of EU/EEA citizens

If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen with a right of residence who lives in Sweden, you also have a right of residence if you live with them. If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen, you must apply to the Swedish Migration Agency for a residence card so that you can prove your right of residence. You then do not need a work permit to work in Sweden.

However, family members of Swedish citizens must normally apply for a residence permit to live in Sweden with a Swedish citizen. You can be covered by the right of residence if the Swedish citizen has used the freedom of movement rights within the EU and returns to Sweden.

Permanent right of residence

When you have resided in Sweden with a right of residence for at least five years, you have a permanent right of residence. This also applies to family members of EU/EEA citizens who have had a right of residence for five years. (It is then referred to as a permanent residence card). Contact the Swedish Migration Agency to apply for a permanent right of residence/residence card. You do not have to meet any other requirements than having had a right of residence for five years.

Nordic citizens

If you are a Nordic citizen, you do not need to meet the requirements for either right of residence or a residence permit. You only need to contact the Swedish Tax Agency for registration.

Swiss citizens

If you are a Swiss citizen, special rules apply for residence permits. Neither you nor your family members need a work permit to work in Sweden. However, you must apply for a residence permit if you are to stay in Sweden for more than three months. Swiss citizens cannot be granted special residence permits for studies or research, but you still have the right to study and conduct research in Sweden if you fulfil the requirements for a residence permit. Please note that there are special rules that apply to citizens of Switzerland and their family members. For example, an application can be made free of charge. Contact the Swedish Migration Agency for more information.

Unfortunately, the fact that Swiss citizens cannot be granted residence permits for doctoral studies means that you cannot apply for a permanent residence permit after four years in the same way as other non-EU/EEA citizens. However, after five years, you can apply for long-term resident status.

There are different maintenance requirements associated with different residence permits and they can be different in different situations. A certain monthly salary, a sufficiently large home, your own or a family member’s salary, one or more incomes – these are just some of the things that the Swedish Migration Agency looks at.

You can find information about the most common maintenance requirements at the website of the Swedish Migration Agency.

SULF recommends that you start preparing now in anticipation of requirements regarding proficiency in Swedish and knowledge of Swedish society. A decision has already been made to introduce such requirements for Swedish citizenship from 6 June 2026.

At present, we do not know if or when similar requirements will be introduced for permanent residence permits, or what level of knowledge will be required.

One suggestion is that you raise the issue with your employer and find out whether you can be given the opportunity during working hours to take a course through a higher education institution that will help you meet these future requirements.

We understand that this is a difficult situation for members who are impacted by the change. The Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for answering questions about how the new law affects you. Therefore, we primarily refer all questions to the Swedish Migration Agency, as they have an obligation to provide everyone with the service they need. It is also the Agency that makes all decisions about residence permits. Through the questions and answers we have collected on this page, and by arranging seminars, we provide members with information about the regulations so that you can also ask the right questions to the Swedish Migration Agency based on your own situation.

This information will also help you to more easily understand the answers you receive from the Agency and to judge whether the answers seem unreasonable or incorrect. If you have questions about matters of principle and which are closely linked to your employment, we can also give individual advice about your situation. In general, in order to receive personal service from the trade union, you must have been a member for at least three months and the problem you have may not have arisen before you became a member.

In addition, SULF works on general level to improve conditions by lobbying politicians and other decision-makers and by influencing opinion on the issue. Read more below under the question “What is SULF doing with regard to permanent residence permits?”.

If you applied for a permanent residence permit or to extend a temporary permit before your current permit expired, you may continue to stay in Sweden. In the vast majority of cases, you are also allowed to work in Sweden while your application is being processed.

However, you should avoid leaving Sweden during this period, as it may be difficult to return if you do not receive your new permit in time.

From 11 June 2026, you can apply for a visa which allows you to travel abroad and then return to Sweden in certain situations.

Contact the Swedish Migration Agency for more information.

Yes, there is!

Although unemployment benefit cannot be counted in the self-support requirement for a permanent residence permit, you can still receive benefit if you meet the relevant criteria.

In the vast majority of cases, you can receive benefits while you are waiting for a decision on your residence permit. Furthermore, unemployment benefit can be counted in the self-support requirement if you wish to obtain a residence permit to look for work after completing your studies or research.

Read about Akademikernas a-kassa here.

SULF has been extremely critical of a number of the rules that affect our members, as well as of some of the proposals that have been presented. We have expressed this in various ways, for example through consultation responses, opinion pieces and direct contact with politicians.

We have emphasised the threat that the regulations will lead to fewer foreign nationals wanting or being able to stay in Sweden and contribute to the supply of skilled labour. There is a danger that we will lose out on many talented individuals and that the proposals will weaken the internationalisation of higher education. Today, a large proportion of both doctoral candidates and people in research-based positions have a non-Swedish background. It is clear that the focus of politicians has been on tightening the rules regarding asylum immigration rather than on how Sweden can retain qualified people who, for example, have obtained a doctorate in the country.

We can see that our work has yielded results. This is particularly evident in the improvements that the parliament approved unanimously, and which came into force on 11 June. These make it easier, for example, to obtain a permanent residence permit and to change residence permit categories without first having to leave Sweden. We have also succeeded in convincing politicians not to restrict doctoral candidates’ ability to work. Furthermore, we have helped ensure that, in certain cases, a permanent residence permit can be retained even if you are abroad for more than one year, (up to two years), which makes a postdoctoral period outside Sweden possible.

We are convinced that these changes would not have taken place without our intensive work on these issues.

SULF will continue to work on these issues to bring about further positive changes and to counteract negative proposals.