Sweden Finalizes Bill to Hike Work Permit Salary Threshold to 33,390 SEK by 2026

Sweden finalizes the bill to hike the work permit salary threshold to 90% of the median salary (33,390 SEK) by June 1, 2026. Read the official details on exemptions, stricter penalties, and family reunification rules in this comprehensive guide.

Sweden Finalizes Bill to Hike Work Permit Salary Threshold to 33,390 SEK by 2026

The Swedish government has officially finalized and presented a comprehensive legislative bill aimed at significantly tightening the requirements for labor immigration, a move that includes raising the work permit salary threshold to 90 percent of the national median salary. Under the new proposal, which is set to come into force on June 1, 2026, the minimum salary requirement for non-EU/EEA nationals will increase to approximately 33,390 SEK per month, based on current statistics. This legislative package, presented by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Employment in December 2025, also introduces stricter penalties for employers who exploit foreign labor and tightens the maintenance requirements for family reunification. The reforms are designed to combat abuse of the system, reduce low-skilled migration to sectors where domestic labor is available, and ensure that labor immigration contributes positively to Sweden’s economy.

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A Major Shift in Labor Migration Policy

This finalized bill marks the most significant overhaul of Sweden’s labor migration system in recent years. For decades, Sweden maintained one of the most liberal labor migration policies in the OECD, allowing employers to hire non-EU nationals for any position as long as the salary met the collective agreement standards. However, the paradigm has shifted towards a “good self-sufficiency” model.

The new bill formalizes the political agreement between the government parties and the Sweden Democrats. The core of this reform is the elevation of the “good living” requirement. Previously set at 80 percent of the median salary (29,680 SEK) in June 2025, the new threshold of 90 percent demonstrates a clear intent to filter out low-wage labor migration. The government argues that this wage level is necessary to ensure that immigrants can fully support themselves and to prevent wage dumping in the Swedish labor market. You can read the government’s official proposal and legal text regarding these stricter rules on the Government Offices of Sweden website here.

While the exact figure of 33,390 SEK is based on the 2025 median salary, the law is drafted to be dynamic. The threshold will automatically adjust annually in line with the median salary statistics published by Statistics Sweden (SCB). This ensures that the requirement remains relevant and keeps pace with inflation and wage growth in the Swedish economy well into 2026 and beyond.

Exemptions and Excluded Categories

Recognizing the potential impact on critical sectors, the bill includes provisions for specific exemptions. The government will have the mandate to issue regulations that exempt certain occupational categories from the high salary threshold. These exemptions are expected to target professions facing severe labor shortages where hiring from outside the EU is essential for the delivery of welfare services or the competitiveness of Swedish industry.

Although the specific list of exempted professions will be determined in a separate ordinance closer to the implementation date, official statements indicate that healthcare professions, such as nurses and doctors in certain specializations, as well as highly specialized roles in the technology sector, are likely candidates for these exemptions. For these categories, the salary requirement may be set lower than the 90 percent threshold, though it must still be in line with collective agreements.

Conversely, the bill grants the government the power to entirely exclude certain professions from the possibility of obtaining a work permit. This is intended to stop labor migration to sectors where there is no shortage of labor within Sweden or where the risk of abuse and exploitation is deemed high. For more details on how these exemptions and requirements are currently interpreted, you can visit the Swedish Migration Agency’s official page on maintenance requirements.

Combating “Workplace Criminality” and Exploitation

A significant portion of the finalized bill is dedicated to cracking down on unscrupulous employers. The government has introduced new criminal classifications to penalize those who exploit foreign workers. A new crime, titled “exploitation of foreign labor,” will be added to the penal code. This offense targets employers who hire foreign nationals under clearly unreasonable conditions, taking advantage of the worker’s vulnerable situation.

In addition, the penalties for employing individuals without the right to work or reside in Sweden will be sharpened. The “special fee” (särskild avgift) that employers must pay if they are found to have illegal workers will be raised significantly. The bill proposes increasing this fee to prevent it from being seen merely as a “cost of doing business.”

Furthermore, the Swedish Migration Agency will be given expanded powers to reject work permit applications if the employer has a history of non-compliance. If an employer has previously been sanctioned for labor law violations or if there are suspicions of serious financial misconduct, they may be barred from sponsoring new work permits. This “seriousness assessment” aims to clean up the market and ensure that only reputable employers can access the global labor pool.

Stricter Rules for Family Reunification

Parallel to the work permit changes, the bill also tightens the rules for family immigration. The maintenance requirement for those wishing to bring family members to Sweden will be raised. The sponsor in Sweden must demonstrate a higher level of income to prove they can support their family members without relying on social benefits.

Under the new December 2025 proposal, the “reserved amount” (the money left over after housing costs are paid) will be increased considerably. For a standard family consisting of two adults and two children, the required disposable income after rent could rise by several thousand kronor compared to previous levels. This aligns the family reunification requirements with the stricter work permit salary thresholds, creating a unified approach to self-sufficiency in migration policy. Detailed information regarding the proposed hikes in family reunification maintenance requirements can be found in the official government press release here.

Timeline for Implementation

The bill is scheduled to be voted on by the Riksdag (Parliament) in the spring of 2026. Given the parliamentary majority held by the government and its support partner, the bill is expected to pass without major hurdles.

• December 2025: The finalized bill (proposition) is presented to the Parliament.
• Spring 2026: Parliamentary committee review and voting.
• June 1, 2026: The new law enters into force.

It is important to note that the bill includes transitional provisions. Applications submitted before the new law takes effect will generally be processed under the regulations that were in place at the time of application. However, extensions of existing permits that are submitted after June 1, 2026, will likely need to meet the new, higher requirements, subject to certain grace periods that may be defined in the final ordinance.

Impact on Businesses and International Talent

For Swedish businesses, particularly in the service and industrial sectors, this bill represents a challenge that requires immediate strategic planning. Companies relying on international talent for roles paying between 29,000 SEK and 33,000 SEK will need to either increase salaries to meet the new threshold or pivot their recruitment strategies to focus on the EU/EEA labor market, to which these rules do not apply.

For international talent eyeing Sweden as a destination for 2026, the message is clear: Sweden is seeking highly skilled professionals. The path for entry-level jobs is narrowing, but the country remains open and attractive for engineers, IT specialists, researchers, and other high-demand categories. The introduction of the European Blue Card reforms earlier in 2025 also complements this by offering a streamlined route for the most highly qualified workers, further emphasizing Sweden’s focus on “brain gain.”

The finalized bill of December 2025 cements a new era in Swedish migration policy. By raising the salary threshold to 90 percent of the median wage, Sweden is moving away from a volume-based approach to a skills-based approach. While this will undoubtedly reduce the overall number of work permits granted, the government maintains that it will improve the quality of labor migration, protect the integrity of the Swedish labor market, and ensure that those who come to Sweden have fair wages and good working conditions. As the implementation date of June 1, 2026, approaches, both employers and potential applicants must stay informed about the specific regulations and exemption lists that will follow this primary legislation.

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