Sweden job seeker permit after studies: how long it lasts and how to apply

🇸🇪 SE · permits · 2026-10-02

Translating to Italian. Showing the English original for now.

If you finished a bachelor's or master's degree in Sweden, the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) can grant you a residence permit to look for work for up to one year; after doctoral studies the permit can run from one year to 18 months. The agency's page sets this maximum length but does not say the year starts on the day your study permit expired, and the permit can never be longer than your passport is valid. The dates that apply to you are the ones in your decision. The rest of the rules are concrete: you must apply before your current permit for higher education expires, you must have completed the whole programme with passing grades, and you must show that you can support yourself for the full period.

Who can get this permit

The permit is for people who have held a residence permit for higher education in Sweden, which the agency defines as first-cycle, second-cycle or third-cycle (doctoral) studies, and who have completed those studies here. With this permit you can look for work or explore the possibilities of starting your own business in Sweden. For the job offer stage, see Sweden's work permit salary requirement.

There is a second route. If you held a residence permit for studies in another EU country and stayed in Sweden for at least two semesters as part of your studies, you can also apply. The same applies to a residence permit for mobility studies issued by another EU country, as long as at least two semesters of the education took place in Sweden.

Studies in a higher vocational education programme do not count. The agency says "higher education programme" means education completed at a university or university college.

The requirements, one by one

Migrationsverket lists these requirements:

A valid passport.
Apply in time. The application must be submitted before your current permit for higher education expires. This holds whether that permit was issued by Sweden or by another EU country.
Completed studies. You must have completed a higher education programme lasting at least two semesters: the entire programme you were first admitted to, with all courses passed.
A plan. You must be planning to look for work or investigate the possibilities of starting your own business.
Money to live on. Your means of financial maintenance must be sufficient for the entire validity period of the permit.
Health insurance in some cases. If the total continuous period of your residence permits in Sweden is less than one year, you need comprehensive health insurance covering doctor's appointments, hospital visits, emergency dental care and transport back to your country of origin for medical reasons. If the continuous period is more than one year, the agency says you should get listed in the Swedish population register instead. See personnummer, bank account and BankID in Sweden for why it matters.

What "completed studies" means

This is the requirement people most often trip over. The agency says it is not enough to have completed all the compulsory elements of the programme: every course must have a passing grade.

If your study permit is about to expire and some grades are still missing, the agency's advice is to apply anyway, before the permit expires. You can supplement the application with a certificate of completed studies later.

As proof, the agency accepts a degree certificate, a certificate of study results, or an extract from the Ladok register. A Ladok extract must contain a note from your university confirming that you have completed your education.

How long the permit lasts and when it counts from

After bachelor's or master's level studies, the permit can be granted for up to one year. After doctoral studies, it can be granted for between one year and 18 months. You cannot be granted a permit for longer than your passport is valid, and the same passport limit applies to family members who apply with you.

The agency's page gives these maximum lengths. It does not describe the year as running from the date your study permit expired, and it does not give a fixed start date at all. If you applied before your study permit ran out and the decision came later, read the validity dates in the decision itself, and ask Migrationsverket if they do not match what you expected.

If you already applied to extend your study permit

A common situation: you applied to extend your study permit, then finished your degree while that application was still open. The agency covers this case. You do not need to submit a new application for a permit to look for work after completed studies. Instead, you can contact the Swedish Migration Agency, and it will help you change your existing application.

Money: the maintenance requirement

For applications made in 2026, the maintenance requirement is at least SEK 10,656 per month. For applications made in 2025 it was at least SEK 10,584 per month.

The amount can be reduced if you can show that you receive free housing or food through your university or an organisation that works for international exchange. For 2026 applications, the reduction is SEK 2,960 per month for free food and SEK 4,736 per month for free housing.

If your family applies with you, the monthly amount rises by SEK 4,440 for a spouse or cohabiting partner and SEK 2,664 for each child. The agency assesses the family's overall ability to support itself.

As evidence, attach bank statements or other documents showing that you have enough money for the period you are applying for. If you have ongoing income from work, include a copy of your employment contract and payslips.

Documents and how to apply

Documents should be in Swedish or English. Translations should be certified, and you must include a copy of the original as well. The agency asks for:

correctly made copies of your passport;
your degree certificate, certificate of study results, or a Ladok extract with the completion note;
a certificate from the Swedish university showing at least two semesters in Sweden, if part of your education took place outside Sweden;
a certificate from your supervisor, if you are a doctoral student;
documents showing that you can support yourself;
proof of comprehensive health insurance, if your continuous time on permits in Sweden is under one year.

You apply through the agency's e-service for job seekers after studies. To use it you must be 18 or older, have a valid email address, pay the fee with a Visa or Mastercard card, and be able to scan or photograph your documents. If you cannot use the e-service, you fill in form 189011 and submit it at a service centre or send it by post to the agency in Umeå.

The fee is SEK 1,500 for adults and SEK 750 for children under 18. It is not refunded if the application is rejected.

FAQ

How long is the Swedish job seeker permit after studies?

Up to one year after bachelor's or master's studies, and between one year and 18 months after doctoral studies. It is never longer than your passport is valid.

Does the year start when my study permit expired?

The Migration Agency's page does not say so. It gives a maximum length, not a start date. Check the validity dates in your decision, and ask the agency if they look wrong.

Can I apply if one course is still not graded?

Yes, apply before your study permit expires. You can send a certificate of completed studies later. The permit still requires all courses to be passed.

I have an open extension application and just finished my degree. Do I apply again?

No. The agency says you do not need a new application. Contact the Swedish Migration Agency and it will help you change the application you already have.

How much money do I need to show?

For applications in 2026, at least SEK 10,656 per month for the whole validity period, with higher amounts if your family applies with you.

Do I need health insurance?

Only if your total continuous time on residence permits in Sweden is under one year. Over one year, the agency says you should register in the population register instead.

How Jobsy fits

We build Jobsy, a job search service for Europe that searches for you: you say what work you want, and Jobsy finds employers and recruitment agencies, including in Sweden, and prepares outreach in the language of the recipient. It does not handle residence permits or contact the Migration Agency, so the permit questions above stay with you and Migrationsverket. The first result is free, and Jobsy Active, which keeps the search going, costs €6.70 a month.

Sources

Sources: Swedish Migration Agency: Look for work after completing your studies in Sweden · Swedish Migration Agency: Look for work after completing your studies, Important to know · Swedish Migration Agency: Look for work after completing your studies, Apply