Work permits no longer required for visiting researchers to Sweden

The EU directive concerning visiting researchers will be incorporated into Swedish law on 1 July. This means that work permits will no longer be required for visiting researchers who come to Sweden from countries outside the EU/EEA area.

Even though visiting researchers will not need work permits, they will still need residence permits if they are to work in Sweden for over three months. The residence permit must be granted before the applicant comes to Sweden.

In order to be included in the "visiting researchers category" a person must have a university or college education which qualifies him/her for access to postgraduate studies.

Hosting agreement required

In order to receive a residence permit, the visiting researcher must have a hosting agreement with an accepted research organisation. The research organisation must be approved by the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education.

Residence permits are generally granted for a year at a time or for as long as the hosting agreement is valid.

Researchers who work in Sweden for a shorter time than three months will need neither residence nor work permits.

However, researchers from countries whose citizens need a visa for entering Sweden must have such an entry visa before arriving in Sweden.

The family can also come

Members of the visiting researcher’s close family may be granted residence permits for the same period as the principal applicant.

They may also be granted work permits if the researcher has been granted a permit for at least six months.

Social benefits

People who stay in Sweden for a shorter time than one year will not be entitled to the same social benefits as permanent residents. Therefore, it is important that they have an insurance cover of their own.

More information

More information and forms will be available on our website as from 1 July.

Communications Unit, Migrationsverket