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.