Sweden’s New Student Permit Rules From 11 June 2026

On 11 June 2026 Sweden changed the rules for residence permits for higher education studies. Two of the changes will decide whether students keep their permits, and most affected students will not discover them until they apply to extend, which is exactly when it is too late to act.

Who the new rules apply to

If you applied before 11 June but the Migration Agency decides on or after 11 June, the new rules apply to you. If your permit was granted before 11 June, the previous rules continue to apply until you apply for an extension.

Work is now capped at 15 hours a week

During semesters you may work a maximum of 15 hours per week. June, July and August are unrestricted. Exceptions apply for work connected to your education, research or artistic activity at the institution. Graduates who have completed at least two semesters may work without limitation.

This is the change with the most immediate financial consequence. Students who built a budget on more hours than that need to recalculate now rather than in term time.

Study progress is now a permit condition

• 37.5 credits in the first year of full-time study
• 45 credits per year from the second year onwards

Fall short and the extension is at risk. Credits missed in year one cannot be argued away at the extension application, so this needs monitoring during the year, not after it.

Address notification within 30 days

You must notify the Migration Agency of your address within 30 days of receiving your permit, and again whenever you move. It is a small requirement that is easy to miss and awkward to explain later.

Switching to a work permit

As a general rule you must have completed at least two semesters before applying for a work permit from inside Sweden. If the plan is to stay and work after graduating, that timeline needs to be built in early. See work permits.

What to do now

If you hold a student permit granted before 11 June, work out today which extension cycle you fall into and what credit total you will need by then. If you are applying now, assume the new rules apply to you. See our Swedish page on studenttillstånd, or contact us.

Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket), New rules for residence permits for studies in higher education, published 25 May 2026. Last reviewed 27 August 2026. General information, not individual legal advice.

Nya regler för svenskt medborgarskap från 6 juni 2026

Den 6 juni 2026 skärptes kraven för svenskt medborgarskap. Det som gör ändringen ovanligt ingripande är att den infördes utan övergångsbestämmelser. Har du en ansökan som ligger i kö prövas den mot de nya kraven, oavsett när du lämnade in den.

De nya hemvistkraven

• Huvudregel: åtta år, tidigare fem
• Nordiska medborgare: två år
• Statslösa: fem år, tidigare fyra
• Flyktingar: sju år, tidigare fyra
• Under 21 år: sju år
• Make, maka eller sambo till svensk medborgare: sju år, tidigare tre, med krav på fem års sammanboende
• Den som inte kan styrka sin identitet: tio år

Medborgarskapsprov

Provet gäller sökande mellan 16 och 66 år. Samhällskunskapsdelen infördes i augusti 2026, språkdelen kommer senare. Universitets- och högskolerådet ansvarar för provet.

Försörjningskravet

Minst tre inkomstbasbelopp per år, alltså ungefär 20 000 kronor i månaden före skatt. Den som haft försörjningsstöd i mer än sex månader under de senaste tre åren uppfyller inte kravet.

Vad du bör göra nu

Har du en pågående ansökan, utgå inte från att den bedöms enligt de regler som gällde när du lämnade in. Kontrollera vilken kategori som faktiskt gäller dig, hur hemvisttiden ska räknas i just ditt fall, och om ställning som varaktigt bosatt är ett alternativ, eftersom kravet på permanent uppehållstillstånd inte gäller den som har den ställningen och uppfyller hemvistvillkoren.

Läs mer på vår sida om svenskt medborgarskap, eller kontakta oss för en bedömning av ditt eget ärende.

Källa: Migrationsverket, Nya regler för svenskt medborgarskap från den 6 juni 2026. Senast granskad 27 augusti 2026. Allmän information, inte individuell juridisk rådgivning.

Lönekravet för arbetstillstånd: 34 470 kronor och deadline 2 december 2026

Sedan den 1 juni 2026 är försörjningskravet för arbetstillstånd 90 procent av medianlönen, alltså 34 470 kronor i månaden före skatt. En reducerad nivå på 75 procent, 28 725 kronor, gäller för vissa grupper.

Datumet som få arbetsgivare har tittat på

En övergångsregel gör att vissa förlängningsansökningar fortfarande bedöms mot 80 procent av medianlönen. Den upphör den 2 december 2026. Efter det gäller det fulla kravet.

Sju steg att gå igenom nu

1. Lista alla tillståndshavare och deras utgångsdatum, sorterat efter utgång
2. Jämför nuvarande lön mot 34 470 kronor, inte mot den gamla siffran
3. Granska lönen som faktiskt betalats under hela den pågående tillståndsperioden, eftersom förlängning innebär retroaktiv granskning
4. Kontrollera att sjukförsäkring, livförsäkring, trygghetsförsäkring vid arbetsskada och tjänstepension fanns från första anställningsdagen
5. Stäm av villkoren mot gällande kollektivavtal, som omförhandlas
6. Lämna in innan nuvarande tillstånd går ut, eftersom det är ansökan i tid som ger rätten att fortsätta arbeta
7. Lämna in familjens ansökningar samtidigt

Om det redan finns en brist

Det är bättre att själv lyfta den med en förklaring och bevis på rättelse än att få den upptäckt. Ett lönefel som identifierats, korrigerats och betalats i efterhand före inlämning är ett helt annat ärende än en oförklarad lucka som hittas vid granskning.

Läs mer om arbetstillstånd i Sverige eller om corporate immigration för arbetsgivare.

Källa: Migrationsverket. Senast granskad 27 augusti 2026. Allmän information, inte individuell juridisk rådgivning. Lönekravet är kopplat till medianlönen och ändras.

Sweden Work Permit Extensions: The 2 December 2026 Deadline Checklist

There is a date in your permit population that most employers have not looked at yet. On 2 December 2026 the transitional rule allowing certain extension applications to be assessed against 80 per cent of the median salary comes to an end. After it, the full requirement applies.

The numbers

• Since 1 June 2026 the maintenance requirement is 90 per cent of the median salary: SEK 34,470 per month before tax.
• A reduced level of 75 per cent, SEK 28,725, applies to certain groups.
• Both figures are tied to the published median salary, so they move when it moves. Check the figure in force on the date of application, not the date of the offer letter.

The checklist

1. List every permit holder and their permit expiry date

Sort by expiry. Anyone whose extension falls due after 2 December 2026 is in scope, and so is anyone whose renewal you might file close to it.

2. Compare current salary against SEK 34,470, not against the old figure

If someone sits between the transitional level and the full requirement, that is your gap. Closing it is a budget decision now and an emergency later.

3. Audit the salary paid across the whole current permit period

Extension assessments look backwards. A shortfall from eighteen months ago, including one caused by a payroll error or an unpaid month during leave, can surface in a decision today. Find it now, correct it, and document the correction.

4. Verify all four insurances were in force from day one

Health, life, industrial injuries and occupational pension insurance must be in place by the first day of employment. Late-starting insurance is one of the most common avoidable grounds for refusal.

5. Confirm terms still match the collective agreement

Terms must be at least equal to Swedish collective agreements or what is customary in the occupation. Agreements are renegotiated; a package that cleared three years ago may not clear now.

6. File before the current permit expires

Filing in time is what preserves the right to keep working while the application is pending. It is not a formality; it is the difference between an employee who keeps working and one who cannot.

7. File the family at the same time

Spouse, cohabiting partner and children under 21 should move with the main application rather than behind it.

If a shortfall already exists

It is better to raise it yourself with an explanation and evidence of correction than to have it found. A payroll error identified, corrected and back-paid before filing is a very different case from an unexplained gap discovered during review.

What to do this quarter

Run steps 1 and 2 now, because they take an afternoon and they tell you whether you have a problem at all. If you do, there is still time to fix it with a normal salary review rather than an emergency one. See work permits and corporate immigration.

Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket). Last reviewed 27 August 2026. General information, not individual legal advice. Salary thresholds are tied to the median salary and change; confirm the figure in force before filing.

Work Permit Refused in Sweden: Reconsideration or Appeal?

A refusal is a deadline, not a verdict. It is also not an invitation to send the same application again with more attachments. Two separate routes exist, they do different jobs, and choosing the wrong one usually costs you the right one.

First, find the date you received it

Appeal deadlines run from receipt, not from the date printed on the decision. Before anything else, establish when it actually reached you and write that date down. Everything else follows from it.

Reconsideration: when the file was the problem

Under Section 37 of the Administrative Procedure Act, Förvaltningslagen (2017:900), an authority may reconsider its own decision where the decision is manifestly incorrect on account of new circumstances or for another reason, and the change can be made quickly, simply and without detriment to a private party.

This is the right route when the evidence existed and simply was not before the case officer: an insurance certificate that was issued but not submitted, an advertisement that ran but was not evidenced, a payroll correction already made but not explained.

Appeal: when the assessment was the problem

An appeal goes through Migrationsverket to the Migration Court. It is the right route when the error is legal rather than evidentiary:

• A condition applied that the Aliens Act, Utlänningslagen (2005:716), does not impose
• An overall assessment replaced by a mechanical month-by-month test where the law requires the former
• A decision that recites a general standard without applying it to your facts, against the objectivity requirement in Chapter 1, Section 9 of the Instrument of Government, Regeringsformen, and the right to good administration in Article 41 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

Permission to appeal further to the Migration Court of Appeal is granted only on limited grounds, principally where the case raises a question of precedential importance.

The most common work permit refusals we see

• Historic salary shortfall found on retroactive review of an earlier permit period
• Insurance in force late, often by days
• Advertising that cannot be evidenced, even though it ran
• Terms below the collective agreement in a component the employer had not considered, such as pension or holiday pay
• Passport validity shorter than the permit sought

The first four are usually reconsideration cases. The fifth is usually a fresh application.

When the honest answer is that neither route helps

Sometimes the authority applied the law correctly and the case is weak on its facts. We say so. An appeal filed to buy time costs money, burns the deadline, and leaves you in the same position later with fewer options. What we do instead is set out what would need to change for a fresh application to have a real prospect.

What to send us

The decision itself and the date you received it. That is enough for a first assessment. See appeal cases, work permits and do you need an immigration lawyer in Sweden.

Sources: Förvaltningslagen (2017:900); Utlänningslagen (2005:716); Regeringsformen; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Last reviewed 27 August 2026. General information, not individual legal advice. Deadlines are confirmed against your own decision document.

Samordningsnummer or Personnummer: Which One You Actually Need

Almost every problem an arrival has in Sweden traces back to a number. Which number you are entitled to depends on one thing above all: how long you intend to stay.

The dividing line is one year

A personnummer, a personal identity number, comes with registration in the Swedish Population Register. Registration normally requires an intention to stay in Sweden for at least one year. Once issued, the Swedish Tax Agency states it stays the same for the rest of your life.

A samordningsnummer, a coordination number, is for someone who has never been listed in the Population Register. The Tax Agency describes it as being for people planning to stay less than a year who have a connection to Sweden and can show they need one.

What a coordination number is not

It is not a lesser personnummer and it is not a stepping stone you upgrade. It has the same ten-digit structure, which is exactly why people assume it works the same way and are then surprised when a bank, a housing company or a healthcare provider treats it differently. It is provisional: if you are later registered as living in Sweden, the Tax Agency replaces the coordination number with a personal identity number.

The identity levels most people have never heard of

Since 1 September 2023 coordination numbers carry a status of confirmed, probable or uncertain. Applying yourself and verifying your identity in person gets you “confirmed”. Numbers issued before that date are automatically marked confirmed if they are still active.

This matters more than it sounds. A number marked probable or uncertain is the reason some people find a bank will not proceed even though they have a number in hand. If you are being told no with a number that should work, check its status before assuming the institution is wrong.

They expire

A coordination number stays active for five years and then becomes inactive automatically. Reactivating it requires a new application and a fresh identity check. If you leave Sweden, notify the Tax Agency rather than letting it lapse silently.

Who requests it

You can apply yourself, or a public authority, university or college can request one on your behalf, for example in connection with a passport matter or F-tax approval. The route affects the identity level you end up with, so applying yourself and verifying in person is usually the stronger position.

The practical answer

If you are moving to Sweden with a permit or as an EU citizen exercising free movement, and you intend to stay a year or more, you are aiming at population registration and a personnummer. Do not settle for a coordination number because it is faster; you will be doing the work twice.

If you are here for a fixed short assignment, studying a single semester, or need to be paid or taxed in Sweden without living here, the coordination number is the correct instrument and there is nothing second-class about it.

Where employers get this wrong is defaulting the whole cohort to one or the other. It is an individual question and the answer changes with each person’s actual intention. See personnummer in Sweden and corporate immigration.

Source: Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket), pages on coordination numbers and personal identity numbers. Last reviewed 27 August 2026. General information, not individual legal or tax advice. Confirm your own position with Skatteverket or with us before acting.

EU Long-Term Resident Status in Sweden: What Changed on 12 July 2026

EU long-term resident status is the most useful Swedish immigration status that almost nobody asks for by name. It is separate from a Swedish permanent residence permit, it is governed by EU law rather than purely national rules, and it gives you something a national permit does not: the right to move to other EU countries.

Two changes in 2026 make it more important than it was, and one of them changes what you actually receive.

What changed on 12 July 2026

Anyone granted long-term resident status in Sweden on or after 12 July 2026 is no longer issued with a permanent residence permit. Instead you receive a five-year residence permit.

The status itself does not expire in the way the permit does, but the document you hold now has an end date, and that is a practical change worth planning for.

The change that matters for citizenship

The Swedish Parliament also decided that the requirement to hold a permanent residence permit before applying for citizenship does not apply to those who have long-term resident status and meet the specific residency conditions.

Read alongside the new citizenship rules from 6 June 2026, which raised the general residence requirement from five years to eight, this matters. For some people long-term resident status is now a cleaner route toward citizenship than waiting on a permanent residence permit. Whether it is better in your case depends on your permit history, and it is worth actually working out rather than assuming.

Who can apply

Non-EU and non-EEA citizens who have lived in Sweden continuously for five years. You must hold a valid passport and be able to support yourself.

Which time counts, and which does not

The five years can include time on a residence permit or legal residence on other grounds. Some permits do not count, including permits for temporary stays such as visits, and time spent studying at a level below doctoral.

This is the detail that most often derails an application. People count five years on the calendar, apply, and discover that two of those years were on a permit type that does not qualify.

Absences

You cannot have been absent from Sweden for longer than six consecutive months, or ten months in total across the five-year period, without interrupting your eligibility. Frequent long trips home, or a posting abroad, can quietly break the chain.

The self-support requirement

You must work, run your own business, or have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family in the long term, both now and in the future. A partner’s income may be included in the calculation.

Note the forward-looking wording. This is not simply a question of what you earned last year; it is an assessment of durability.

What the status gives you

• Rights similar to those of EU citizens in several respects
• Greater freedom to move to another EU country, to work, study, start a business or live on your pension. This is the central advantage and the thing a Swedish national permit cannot give you
• No work permit required

Long-term resident status or permanent residence?

They are not alternatives in every case, and for some people applying for both makes sense. If your future may involve another EU country, whether for work, a partner or retirement, long-term resident status is the one that travels with you.

Timing and cost

Migrationsverket states that 75 per cent of recently decided cases were decided within nine months. The application fee is SEK 1,000 for adults and SEK 500 for children.

Frequently asked questions

What is EU long-term resident status?

A status for non-EU citizens who have lived in an EU member state continuously for five years, giving rights similar to EU citizens in several respects, including greater freedom to move to other EU countries.

Is it the same as permanent residence in Sweden?

No. Permanent residence is a Swedish national permit. Long-term resident status derives from EU law and carries mobility rights to other EU member states that a Swedish permit does not.

Do I still get a permanent permit with long-term resident status?

Not since 12 July 2026. Those granted the status on or after that date receive a five-year residence permit instead.

Does student time count towards the five years?

Time studying below doctoral level does not count, nor do permits for temporary stays such as visits. Doctoral-level study is treated differently.

How long can I be outside Sweden?

Not more than six consecutive months, or ten months in total across the five-year period, without interrupting eligibility.

Does it help with Swedish citizenship?

It can. The requirement to hold a permanent residence permit before applying for citizenship does not apply to those with long-term resident status who meet the specific residency conditions.

Work out which status you should be applying for

Sweden Relocators AB handles long-term resident status, permanent residence and citizenship applications, including appeals. Since the 2026 changes the right sequence differs from what it was, and the answer depends on your permit history rather than on general advice.

Call +46 72 327 62 76, message the same number on WhatsApp, or email info@swedenrelocators.se.

Sources: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket), “Apply for long-term resident status in Sweden” and “Long-term residents are granted a five-year residence permit” (25 June 2026). General information, not individual legal advice. Last reviewed 26 August 2026.

New Swedish Citizenship Rules From 6 June 2026: Eight Years, a Test and a Self-Support Requirement

Sweden changed its citizenship rules on 6 June 2026, and there are no transitional arrangements. The new requirements apply to applications already in the queue, regardless of when they were submitted.

If you applied under the old rules and your case has not yet been decided, it is now being assessed against the new ones. This is catching a very large number of people by surprise, and it is the single most important thing to understand about Swedish citizenship right now.

The residence period rose from five years to eight

The change affecting spouses of Swedish citizens, from three years to seven, is the largest single increase and affects a great many families who had planned around the old timeline.

A citizenship test now applies

From 6 June 2026, applicants aged 16 to 66 must demonstrate knowledge of the Swedish language and of Swedish society. The test is being introduced in stages: the first part, covering knowledge of Swedish society, began in August 2026, with the Swedish language component to follow. Testing is administered through the Swedish Council for Higher Education.

Applicants outside the 16 to 66 age range are not subject to this requirement.

A self-support requirement now applies

You must be able to support yourself through your own income, amounting to at least three income base amounts per year, which is approximately SEK 20,000 per month before tax.

There is a second limb that is easy to overlook: you may not have received income support (försörjningsstöd) for more than six months in total over the past three years. Periods of unemployment or of parental leave supported by benefits should be checked against this before applying.

Conduct requirements have tightened

A qualifying waiting period applies after a criminal conviction, and that period has been extended. How long depends on the offence and the sentence. If there is anything on your record, including matters that feel minor or historic, have the position assessed before you file.

What to do if you already applied

1. Work out your revised qualifying date under the new rules. For many people it has moved by three years or more.
2. Check the self-support condition against your actual income and any benefits received over the past three years.
3. Find out whether the test applies to you, and if so, plan for it rather than waiting to be asked.
4. Consider whether to leave the application in the queue. If you clearly no longer qualify, a refusal is not a neutral outcome, and there may be better options.
5. If you receive a refusal, act immediately. Deadlines are short.

Permanent residence may now be the sensible interim step

If citizenship has moved several years further away, permanent residence gives an unlimited right to live and work in Sweden while the clock runs. The two are assessed separately and against different criteria, so qualifying for one does not guarantee the other, but for many people it is now the more realistic near-term objective.

If your application is refused

A refusal can be challenged where the decision contains a legal or procedural error, or where the individual assessment the law requires was not properly carried out. The routes are reconsideration by Migrationsverket under the Administrative Procedure Act (Förvaltningslagen 2017:900), or appeal to the Migration Court. Both have short deadlines that are strictly applied.

Frequently asked questions

How many years do I now need for Swedish citizenship?

Eight years of habitual residence under the general rule. Nordic citizens need two, stateless people five, recognised refugees seven, and spouses or partners of Swedish citizens seven with five years of cohabitation.

Do the new rules apply to my pending application?

Yes. They apply from 6 June 2026 without transitional arrangements, so pending applications are assessed under them regardless of when they were filed.

How much income do I need?

At least three income base amounts per year, approximately SEK 20,000 per month before tax, with no more than six months of income support over the past three years.

When did the citizenship test start?

The society knowledge component began in August 2026. The Swedish language component follows later.

Get your position assessed

Sweden Relocators AB has handled Swedish citizenship applications since 2015. Given these changes, the most useful thing we do right now is tell people honestly whether they still qualify, what their revised date is, and whether an application already in the queue is worth leaving there.

Call +46 72 327 62 76, message the same number on WhatsApp, or email info@swedenrelocators.se.

Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket), “New rules for Swedish citizenship from 6 June 2026”. General information, not individual legal advice. Rules and figures change; last reviewed 26 August 2026.

ICT Permit Sweden: Intra-Corporate Transfers Explained

The ICT permit allows a company outside the EU and EEA to transfer an employee to a business within the same group in Sweden. It exists because a transfer is not a hire, and forcing one through the standard work permit route usually fails on the facts.

Who qualifies

The three-month rule

The employee must have been employed by the foreign employer for at least three months without interruption before the transfer.

This is the requirement most often missed and it cannot be cured after the fact. A recent hire cannot be transferred, however senior the role. If your group is recruiting someone specifically in order to move them to Sweden, plan the three months in from the start rather than discovering the problem at filing.

Salary, insurance and terms

Compensation must be at least on par with the minimum for full-time work under the applicable Swedish collective agreement. Note that this is a collective agreement test, not a percentage-of-median test like the ordinary work permit.

The employer must provide health insurance, life insurance, industrial injuries insurance and occupational pension cover. The employee must additionally hold comprehensive health insurance covering urgent care, hospitalisation, emergency dental care and medical repatriation.

One practical trap: a permit cannot be granted for longer than the passport is valid. Check passport expiry before filing, not after.

Family members

Spouses, registered partners, cohabiting partners and children under 18 may apply at the same time. Adult family members, and children turning at least 16 during the current year, are permitted to work. The transferee must be able to support the family, evidenced by documented income.

ICT, Blue Card or work permit?

• ICT where the person already works for the group outside the EU and EEA and is being moved, not hired
• EU Blue Card for a highly qualified external hire above SEK 53,625 per month
• Work permit for a standard external hire meeting the 90 per cent threshold of SEK 34,470

The wrong route is expensive to unwind, because a refusal restarts the clock on a transfer the business has usually already planned around. Choosing correctly at the outset is worth more than any efficiency later in the process.

Frequently asked questions

How long must an employee have worked for the group before an ICT transfer?

At least three months without interruption with the foreign employer.

How long can an ICT permit last?

Up to three years for managers and specialists, and up to one year for trainees. A permit cannot exceed the validity of the passport.

Can the family of an ICT transferee work in Sweden?

Yes. Adult family members and children turning at least 16 during the current year are permitted to work.

Does the ICT permit have a fixed salary threshold?

Not a percentage threshold. Compensation must be at least on par with the minimum for full-time work under the applicable Swedish collective agreement.

Can an ICT permit lead to permanent residence?

ICT permits are time-limited by design. If long-term settlement in Sweden is the objective, discuss the route before the transfer rather than near its end.

We handle corporate transfers

Sweden Relocators AB handles ICT permits, EU Blue Cards and work permits for employers moving staff into Sweden and Denmark, including auditing an existing permit population and planning renewals. If you are moving several people, the sequencing usually matters as much as the individual applications.

Call +46 72 327 62 76, message the same number on WhatsApp, or email info@swedenrelocators.se.

Source: Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket), “Apply for an ICT permit to work at a business in Sweden by which you are employed outside the EU/EEA”. General information, not individual legal advice. Last reviewed 26 August 2026.

Moving to Norway as an EU or EEA Citizen: Registration and Family

Norway is not in the EU, but it is in the EEA. EU and EEA citizens have the right to live, work and study there, and the process is registration rather than permission. That distinction matters: you are documenting a right you already hold, not asking for one to be granted.

The three-month rule

EU and EEA nationals must register if they are going to be in Norway for more than three months. A registration certificate documents that you registered. It is not in itself proof that you hold a right of residence, which depends on your grounds.

Grounds for residence

You need to fall into one of these categories:

• Employed
• Self-employed
• A service provider
• A student
• Holding sufficient funds to support yourself

Job seekers may remain for up to six months while looking for work, and must register with the police within three months.

Family members from outside the EU and EEA

This is where most families run into difficulty, and where the legal work actually sits.

Family members who are not themselves EU or EEA nationals must apply for a residence card. Their right is derived from the EU or EEA national’s right, which means it can be questioned, and refusals do happen. In practice this means the documentation of your grounds for residence matters to their application as much as their own paperwork does.

One point worth planning around: after a divorce, a non-EU or EEA spouse retains rights only if the marriage lasted at least three years, of which at least one year in Norway, and they independently satisfy the employment or financial requirements.

After five years

After five years of continuous legal residence, EU and EEA nationals and their eligible family members may obtain a permanent right of residence. There is no language course requirement for this route, which differs from the path non-EEA nationals follow.

Sweden, Denmark and Norway are not the same

Families frequently assume the Nordic countries work alike. They do not. Sweden and Denmark are EU member states; Norway participates through the EEA Agreement. Registration procedures, identity numbers and family documentation differ in each:

• Sweden: personnummer, via Skatteverket
• Denmark: CPR number, preceded by an EU residence document from SIRI
• Norway: D-number or fødselsnummer, alongside the registration scheme

If your move involves more than one Nordic country, or you are choosing between them, the sequence you follow affects how quickly you get an identity number, a bank account and a tenancy. It is worth deciding that order deliberately rather than discovering it.

Frequently asked questions

Do EU citizens need a visa or permit for Norway?

No. EU and EEA citizens have the right to live, work and study in Norway. If the stay exceeds three months, you must register.

How long can I stay in Norway to look for work?

Job seekers may remain for up to six months, and must register with the police within three months.

What does my non-EU spouse need?

A residence card. Their right derives from yours, so the documentation of your own grounds for residence matters to their application as much as theirs does.

When can I get permanent residence in Norway?

After five years of continuous legal residence. No language course is required for EU and EEA nationals using this route.

Is a registration certificate the same as a right of residence?

No. The certificate documents that you registered. Whether you hold a right of residence depends on meeting one of the grounds above.

Nordic moves, handled together

Sweden Relocators AB and our partner company Nordic Relocators cover immigration and relocation across Sweden, Denmark and Norway. For families moving within the Nordics, or bringing non-EU family members with them, having one adviser across all three avoids the gaps that appear when each country is handled separately.

Call +46 72 327 62 76, message the same number on WhatsApp, or email info@swedenrelocators.se.

Source: Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), EU/EEA regulations and answer pages. General information, not individual legal advice. Last reviewed 26 August 2026.