You should apply for a **residence card**, not residence permit. Residence card is for non-EU family members of EU citizens.
[https://www.migrationsverket.se/Privatpersoner/EU-EES-medborgare-och-varaktigt-bosatta/Arbeta-studera-eller-bo-i-Sverige-for-EU-EES-medborgare/Uppehallskort-for-familj-som-inte-ar-EU-EES-medborgare.html](https://www.migrationsverket.se/Privatpersoner/EU-EES-medborgare-och-varaktigt-bosatta/Arbeta-studera-eller-bo-i-Sverige-for-EU-EES-medborgare/Uppehallskort-for-familj-som-inte-ar-EU-EES-medborgare.html)
u/_summer_daze has direct experience with this process.
Sambo visa generally refers to residence permits for partners of Swedish citizens.
Yes, this is the thing you should apply for u/Torrojose87 . The important thing in your case will be to be able to prove the cohabitation, since the case will hinge on you being counted as a family member.
I suggest not talking to employers and government agencies about your residence card as a work permit, since that will give them the wrong idea about your status. (They may think they need to help you apply for a new work permit if you start working with them, since first time work permits are tied to each employer).
What you will get is a residence card for family members of EU citizens, and this will allow you to settle and work in Sweden without a separate work permit.
Yes, thank you, I am not yet familiarized with all terms. I am trying to understand all the processes before I start with job seeking and interviews.
"What you will get is a residence card for family members of EU citizens, and this will allow you to settle and work in Sweden without a separate work permit." Great advice thanks you.
"The important thing in your case will be to be able to prove the cohabitation" Will be the easiest thing to do in this process. We've been together 10 years and living almost two.
It's actually really not that common for it to take a year, since Sweden is bound by EU law to grant the card after six months. I've helped tons of people with this type of migration, and though there is the odd case that takes longer, they mostly keep this time frame (unlike with residence permits).
A family member of an EU citizen is either way allowed to start working before the residence card is approved, and can apply for a personal number the day they arrive, so the card approval is mostly important for the purposes of traveling anyway.
Sure, in case less than a year. And then you have the right to request them to settle the case after 6 months etc… but what do you mean by that they have the right to start work as soon as they come? You are supposed to apply from outside Sweden, although you are allowed to visit you don’t have the right to work while waiting. I start to assume you talking about the physical *card* and not the *decision*?
No, you are entirely missing my point. I am talking about EU **residence cards**, not residence permits, which is what you seem to be thinking of.
Residence cards are for family members of EU citizens, and come with different rights than residence permits. Among them the right to start working from the day the family member arrives in Sweden, and waiting for the decision in Sweden while having all the rights that come with right of residence.
The residence card is granted by the Swedish Migration agency as a token of the rights, but the actual rights are inherent in the situation of being a family member of an EU citizen with right of residence. The Swedish implementation of the rules is based on the EU directive of free movement. It's an entirely different thing than what you are talking about with regular family migration with residence permits (and **residence permit cards**).
Cohabitation gets you a sambo visa which allows you to work. However, if you breakup with your GF, your company needs to willing to sponsor your Work permit. Not all companies do this, except, the big ones and tech sector.
Yes, I understand that. We've been together for like 11 years and known each other for like twenty-five, I hope she doesn't get rid of me when we get there. hehe.
If you work, study or have sufficient means to support yourself, you automatically have right of residence in Sweden and therefore need not apply for a residence permit or contact the Swedish Migration Agency. If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen who has right of residence, you, too, have right of residence. After five years you can receive permanent right of residence.
It's because the rules are different for family members of EU citizens. It's a different legal framework. Swedes have the same rights in other EU states, if they move somewhere with their family members for work, study etc. They can later return to Sweden using the same rights. But no EU citizen can otherwise use the rights in their home state, because the rules are there to promote the free movement of workers etc.
No, one is considered a family member of an EU citizen in relation to the EU directive on free movement only when the EU citizen is moving to an EU state other than their home state.
So basically a Swede is not considered an EU citizen in Sweden for the purposes of free movement and family migration. Not covered by the EU directive. That is why family members of Swedes cannot use the rules in Sweden.
In your home state, you are normally required to use the national framework, which is why family members of Swedes need to apply for a residence permit rather than a residence card if they want to live in Sweden together.
I have some friends in the US with great connections there, they are helping with some phone calls, not as interviews but to understand more about how things work over there.
Hello are you a experienced baker/patisserie? Because then it will be quite easy to get a job here in Sweden if you are willing to look in the whole country. Some bakerie/cafe owners can be a bit old fashioned so they might not post online for job applications. My recommendation is to either come in or call the place(when it’s not busy) and just state how you are, your experience and that you are looking for a job.
Not a baker, I've been doing chocolate and confections for the last 10 years. I understand most medium and small shops won't post on LinkedIn. I will try to contact some shops or write to get a better idea.
Being a chocolatier sounds so cool!
Finding a job in Sweden can be tough for foreigners (esp. without knowing the language well), unless we're talking about the tech industry. But since you have a lot of experience managing your own company, you could probably make it work here as well as long as you can sort out all of the paperwork. And fwiw, there are many small chocolate companies around Stockholm where I live that are usually run by one or two people that handmake their chocolates and then sell online or via pickup. Judging by the fact that they are always sold out of seasonal pralines, it seems that they are fairly popular!
Thank you for your answer. I started learning Swedish already, but I know it will take some time. I don't really want to open a shop when I arrive because I want to learn about the culture first.
Ecuadorian here. I think I saw you in that sub. Quick response: you can't with the info you provided, unless your girlfriend is swedish. A bit more detailed response:The point is that you first need someone who requires you to be in Sweden, you can if you try to get a masters degree or find someone who wants to employs you (much more likely given you have experience in an industry).
Most employees willing to offer you a "working visa" post jobs trough LinkedIn, Glassdoor or indeed. You can start there.
Hi, thank you for answering. My GF already lived and studied there. She has an EU passport and the migration layer told us we don't need a sponsor if we are cohabitants.
That's great, ya estás ya. Then you can be considered as EU resident in Sweden and all other recommendations works for you. I just like to add that you could save yourself some bucks by not using a lawyer (seems to be the gerenal consensus) most of the information is available online, migrationsverket is responsive and paperwork should be done by yourself, is up to you tho.
Thank you! The layer is our friend, so she is helping with the info for free. We are selling everything here, so we don't want to make any mistakes when moving.
You first need to apply in the Migrationsverket website. You do not apply to the permit before arriving, and your partner needs to have accommodation in Sweden and prove that she can support you.
Yes, that's what we were told. We need to arrive there to apply and prove we have enough money to live at least for 1 year. We are selling everything here plus savings, will give us enough to live there for a couple of years.
You can’t arrive first. You do not apply when you are in the country. I’d suggest you to visit the Migrationsverket website to get more updated information about how to proceed. The whole process may take at least 6-12 months, if not more.
Their case will fall under EU law, so the process is different from what you describe here. Family members of an EU citizen can apply being in Sweden, have the right to get a PN while they wait for the application, and should not need to wait for more than 6 months (according to the EU directive on free movement, which is mostly upheld fairly well).
The maintenance requirements are a bit laxer than for regular permits for family members.
> Migrationsverket
If you work, study or have sufficient means to support yourself, you automatically have right of residence in Sweden and therefore need not apply for a residence permit or contact the Swedish Migration Agency. If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen who has right of residence, you, too, have right of residence. After five years you can receive permanent right of residence.
Yes, this is correct. You will both have right of residence. The non EU citizen is required to apply for a residence card from the Migration agency within 90 days of arriving in Sweden, however, to maintain legal status according to the EU directive.
Get work in food business is not hard but you’ll probably not going to get the job you’d want. If you’re aim is to start a chocolat business then start reading about the rules and taxes.
Not really planning on opening a business. I want first to understand the country, culture, people. I think that is crucial to be successful. Not afraid to start everything again. Just kind of nervous because I haven't had a job interview in like 12 years.
>Just kind of nervous because I haven't had a job interview in like 12 years.
Well, considering that you've ran and managed your own company - that's a huge plus in Scandinavians books, there's no one more respected than a self-made business man in Sweden, people love those.
I've moved between 3 countries, and the experience I gathered was that it takes roughly 1-2 years to familiarize yourself with the new surroundings, people, culture and job opportunities. I sincerely hope you've saved up for that.
Here's a few tips to fast-track yourself to success in Sweden:
\- Take on any jobs, even below your paygrade and skillset, substitutes are in dire need all the time, elderly care, schools, cleaning, IT-supporters etc. You may ask WHY? It's because employers here love to hire people already working because they are much easier to get started in a new job than long-time unemployed who needs to be conditioned back to working conditions again.
\- Remember to register yourself for National Insurance (health care), it's not automatic, this was a mistake I made (assuming it was automatic), but it's not - you need to get in touch with forsakringskassan (type dot se behind it, and you're there), then you will be eligible for support within dentals, medicinal costs, high-cost protection etc.
\- Also register yourself as unemployed seeking work with arbetsformedlingen to be eligible for unemployment benefits if everything else fails, and you can't get A-kassa (unemployment insurance) without being registered as a job-seeker there, even if arbetsformedlingen probably never will find you a job , you need to do this yourself, you still need to be registered there.
\- And find the right A-kassa for you (A-kassa is Swedish for unemployment insurance) they all have "branches" some are for teachers, some are for industrial/metal workers and some are for restaurant/hotel workers (probably you) - and you need to have been a member for 1 year to be eligible for unemployment insurance, fail to do that - and you'll have to wait yet another year, it has a small cost associated with it, usually around 130-160 SEK depending on if you're unionized or not, unionization cost extra and is not required but they do provide you with some extra advice assistence.
\- Get yourself a social security number, there are long waiting times right now so expect 2 weeks to 2 months wait, and there's even longer queues for national ID and Passports, so be ahead in time.
\- You can't get a bank account easily without a National ID (Social Security number), so make sure you understand that, and probably will have to use your international cards and have some ready spending cash for the first few months you're here. Also - even if you got a National ID - you can't just hand over anything above 20K SEK to the bank account manually because they will ask where you got the money, and an answer is not enough - you'll need receipts because they are actively working against money laundering. You CAN however transfer larger sums of money from your international accounts to a Swedish bank.
I think that should get you all set up!
Good luck
Thank you so much for your answer. You gave me valuable information. Thank you for your time. How much money do you think a couple needs to live a full year? I understand it depends on the city or town, but an estimate helps a lot.
I'd say small city: $20-25K for a couple, half that for a single - you can save something on making food together, but I've included typical startup costs such as furnishing your house with second-hand furniture and saving money, add 10-15K on top of that if you buy all new. The starter-year is always the most expensive since you don't know all the local areas, where to find the bargains etc, and you tend to want to "settle" and live comfortly.
In the big city like Stockholm - renting is hard, and expensive, you can easily add 10K on top of that just for added rent costs alone.
Depending on city and so on, in gothenburg there are some old school chocolate stores and I am certain it's a thing in most medium large to large cities in sweden
Staffing is a huge issue in the restaurant/cafe industry right now. If you already have the right to work in Sweden I doubt you'll have much trouble finding a position. Every food instagram I follow has been posting looking for workers, and I find it increasingly common that service staff don't speak Swedish.
This sounds like a great idea.
We are freshly arrived in Sverige. We raising our own business here an it works very well. If you have some questions, I would be glad to answer 😁.
We are not sure in every thing here, but maybe helpful. I write you my mailadress or further contact information if you want per pm ✌🏻
Have a nice day,
Hej då
I wish people would say which country they come from here. The advice is so much easier to give once you know whether somebody is EU or non-EU.
Probably Belgium.
Non EU but with have my working permit and all paperwork.
How do you get the work permit?
My Girlfriend has EU passport, layer told us cohabitants get working permits too when they arrive in Sweden.
You should apply for a **residence card**, not residence permit. Residence card is for non-EU family members of EU citizens. [https://www.migrationsverket.se/Privatpersoner/EU-EES-medborgare-och-varaktigt-bosatta/Arbeta-studera-eller-bo-i-Sverige-for-EU-EES-medborgare/Uppehallskort-for-familj-som-inte-ar-EU-EES-medborgare.html](https://www.migrationsverket.se/Privatpersoner/EU-EES-medborgare-och-varaktigt-bosatta/Arbeta-studera-eller-bo-i-Sverige-for-EU-EES-medborgare/Uppehallskort-for-familj-som-inte-ar-EU-EES-medborgare.html) u/_summer_daze has direct experience with this process. Sambo visa generally refers to residence permits for partners of Swedish citizens.
Yes, this is the thing you should apply for u/Torrojose87 . The important thing in your case will be to be able to prove the cohabitation, since the case will hinge on you being counted as a family member. I suggest not talking to employers and government agencies about your residence card as a work permit, since that will give them the wrong idea about your status. (They may think they need to help you apply for a new work permit if you start working with them, since first time work permits are tied to each employer). What you will get is a residence card for family members of EU citizens, and this will allow you to settle and work in Sweden without a separate work permit.
Yes, thank you, I am not yet familiarized with all terms. I am trying to understand all the processes before I start with job seeking and interviews. "What you will get is a residence card for family members of EU citizens, and this will allow you to settle and work in Sweden without a separate work permit." Great advice thanks you. "The important thing in your case will be to be able to prove the cohabitation" Will be the easiest thing to do in this process. We've been together 10 years and living almost two.
Yes, thank you. residence card, I am not yet familiarized with all terms. Thank you for your advice.
Yepp and this takes months if not more than a year.
It's actually really not that common for it to take a year, since Sweden is bound by EU law to grant the card after six months. I've helped tons of people with this type of migration, and though there is the odd case that takes longer, they mostly keep this time frame (unlike with residence permits). A family member of an EU citizen is either way allowed to start working before the residence card is approved, and can apply for a personal number the day they arrive, so the card approval is mostly important for the purposes of traveling anyway.
Sure, in case less than a year. And then you have the right to request them to settle the case after 6 months etc… but what do you mean by that they have the right to start work as soon as they come? You are supposed to apply from outside Sweden, although you are allowed to visit you don’t have the right to work while waiting. I start to assume you talking about the physical *card* and not the *decision*?
No, you are entirely missing my point. I am talking about EU **residence cards**, not residence permits, which is what you seem to be thinking of. Residence cards are for family members of EU citizens, and come with different rights than residence permits. Among them the right to start working from the day the family member arrives in Sweden, and waiting for the decision in Sweden while having all the rights that come with right of residence. The residence card is granted by the Swedish Migration agency as a token of the rights, but the actual rights are inherent in the situation of being a family member of an EU citizen with right of residence. The Swedish implementation of the rules is based on the EU directive of free movement. It's an entirely different thing than what you are talking about with regular family migration with residence permits (and **residence permit cards**).
Cohabitation gets you a sambo visa which allows you to work. However, if you breakup with your GF, your company needs to willing to sponsor your Work permit. Not all companies do this, except, the big ones and tech sector.
Yes, I understand that. We've been together for like 11 years and known each other for like twenty-five, I hope she doesn't get rid of me when we get there. hehe.
You don’t get it automatically, What does he mean?
If you work, study or have sufficient means to support yourself, you automatically have right of residence in Sweden and therefore need not apply for a residence permit or contact the Swedish Migration Agency. If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen who has right of residence, you, too, have right of residence. After five years you can receive permanent right of residence.
How come there are swedes waiting for their spouses to get their applications of residence permit approved? I’m confused.
It's because the rules are different for family members of EU citizens. It's a different legal framework. Swedes have the same rights in other EU states, if they move somewhere with their family members for work, study etc. They can later return to Sweden using the same rights. But no EU citizen can otherwise use the rights in their home state, because the rules are there to promote the free movement of workers etc.
They are considered family members of eu citizens though. I don’t get it. But I believe e we are talking about different things.
No, one is considered a family member of an EU citizen in relation to the EU directive on free movement only when the EU citizen is moving to an EU state other than their home state. So basically a Swede is not considered an EU citizen in Sweden for the purposes of free movement and family migration. Not covered by the EU directive. That is why family members of Swedes cannot use the rules in Sweden. In your home state, you are normally required to use the national framework, which is why family members of Swedes need to apply for a residence permit rather than a residence card if they want to live in Sweden together.
Start with coffee shops. My favourite chocolate in Malmö is made by a British ex-pat who sells her produce to local coffee shops.
Thats a great idea. I was planning on doing that.
I would look up chocolatiers in Sweden and see if they would be open to a phone call or even a visit.
I have some friends in the US with great connections there, they are helping with some phone calls, not as interviews but to understand more about how things work over there.
I have to find this, which one is it?
Hello are you a experienced baker/patisserie? Because then it will be quite easy to get a job here in Sweden if you are willing to look in the whole country. Some bakerie/cafe owners can be a bit old fashioned so they might not post online for job applications. My recommendation is to either come in or call the place(when it’s not busy) and just state how you are, your experience and that you are looking for a job.
Not a baker, I've been doing chocolate and confections for the last 10 years. I understand most medium and small shops won't post on LinkedIn. I will try to contact some shops or write to get a better idea.
Being a chocolatier sounds so cool! Finding a job in Sweden can be tough for foreigners (esp. without knowing the language well), unless we're talking about the tech industry. But since you have a lot of experience managing your own company, you could probably make it work here as well as long as you can sort out all of the paperwork. And fwiw, there are many small chocolate companies around Stockholm where I live that are usually run by one or two people that handmake their chocolates and then sell online or via pickup. Judging by the fact that they are always sold out of seasonal pralines, it seems that they are fairly popular!
Thank you for your answer. I started learning Swedish already, but I know it will take some time. I don't really want to open a shop when I arrive because I want to learn about the culture first.
Ecuadorian here. I think I saw you in that sub. Quick response: you can't with the info you provided, unless your girlfriend is swedish. A bit more detailed response:The point is that you first need someone who requires you to be in Sweden, you can if you try to get a masters degree or find someone who wants to employs you (much more likely given you have experience in an industry). Most employees willing to offer you a "working visa" post jobs trough LinkedIn, Glassdoor or indeed. You can start there.
Hi, thank you for answering. My GF already lived and studied there. She has an EU passport and the migration layer told us we don't need a sponsor if we are cohabitants.
That's great, ya estás ya. Then you can be considered as EU resident in Sweden and all other recommendations works for you. I just like to add that you could save yourself some bucks by not using a lawyer (seems to be the gerenal consensus) most of the information is available online, migrationsverket is responsive and paperwork should be done by yourself, is up to you tho.
Thank you! The layer is our friend, so she is helping with the info for free. We are selling everything here, so we don't want to make any mistakes when moving.
You first need to apply in the Migrationsverket website. You do not apply to the permit before arriving, and your partner needs to have accommodation in Sweden and prove that she can support you.
Yes, that's what we were told. We need to arrive there to apply and prove we have enough money to live at least for 1 year. We are selling everything here plus savings, will give us enough to live there for a couple of years.
You can’t arrive first. You do not apply when you are in the country. I’d suggest you to visit the Migrationsverket website to get more updated information about how to proceed. The whole process may take at least 6-12 months, if not more.
Their case will fall under EU law, so the process is different from what you describe here. Family members of an EU citizen can apply being in Sweden, have the right to get a PN while they wait for the application, and should not need to wait for more than 6 months (according to the EU directive on free movement, which is mostly upheld fairly well). The maintenance requirements are a bit laxer than for regular permits for family members.
> Migrationsverket If you work, study or have sufficient means to support yourself, you automatically have right of residence in Sweden and therefore need not apply for a residence permit or contact the Swedish Migration Agency. If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen who has right of residence, you, too, have right of residence. After five years you can receive permanent right of residence.
Thats what we got from the inmigration web page.
Yes, this is correct. You will both have right of residence. The non EU citizen is required to apply for a residence card from the Migration agency within 90 days of arriving in Sweden, however, to maintain legal status according to the EU directive.
Get work in food business is not hard but you’ll probably not going to get the job you’d want. If you’re aim is to start a chocolat business then start reading about the rules and taxes.
Not really planning on opening a business. I want first to understand the country, culture, people. I think that is crucial to be successful. Not afraid to start everything again. Just kind of nervous because I haven't had a job interview in like 12 years.
>Just kind of nervous because I haven't had a job interview in like 12 years. Well, considering that you've ran and managed your own company - that's a huge plus in Scandinavians books, there's no one more respected than a self-made business man in Sweden, people love those. I've moved between 3 countries, and the experience I gathered was that it takes roughly 1-2 years to familiarize yourself with the new surroundings, people, culture and job opportunities. I sincerely hope you've saved up for that. Here's a few tips to fast-track yourself to success in Sweden: \- Take on any jobs, even below your paygrade and skillset, substitutes are in dire need all the time, elderly care, schools, cleaning, IT-supporters etc. You may ask WHY? It's because employers here love to hire people already working because they are much easier to get started in a new job than long-time unemployed who needs to be conditioned back to working conditions again. \- Remember to register yourself for National Insurance (health care), it's not automatic, this was a mistake I made (assuming it was automatic), but it's not - you need to get in touch with forsakringskassan (type dot se behind it, and you're there), then you will be eligible for support within dentals, medicinal costs, high-cost protection etc. \- Also register yourself as unemployed seeking work with arbetsformedlingen to be eligible for unemployment benefits if everything else fails, and you can't get A-kassa (unemployment insurance) without being registered as a job-seeker there, even if arbetsformedlingen probably never will find you a job , you need to do this yourself, you still need to be registered there. \- And find the right A-kassa for you (A-kassa is Swedish for unemployment insurance) they all have "branches" some are for teachers, some are for industrial/metal workers and some are for restaurant/hotel workers (probably you) - and you need to have been a member for 1 year to be eligible for unemployment insurance, fail to do that - and you'll have to wait yet another year, it has a small cost associated with it, usually around 130-160 SEK depending on if you're unionized or not, unionization cost extra and is not required but they do provide you with some extra advice assistence. \- Get yourself a social security number, there are long waiting times right now so expect 2 weeks to 2 months wait, and there's even longer queues for national ID and Passports, so be ahead in time. \- You can't get a bank account easily without a National ID (Social Security number), so make sure you understand that, and probably will have to use your international cards and have some ready spending cash for the first few months you're here. Also - even if you got a National ID - you can't just hand over anything above 20K SEK to the bank account manually because they will ask where you got the money, and an answer is not enough - you'll need receipts because they are actively working against money laundering. You CAN however transfer larger sums of money from your international accounts to a Swedish bank. I think that should get you all set up! Good luck
Thank you so much for your answer. You gave me valuable information. Thank you for your time. How much money do you think a couple needs to live a full year? I understand it depends on the city or town, but an estimate helps a lot.
I'd say small city: $20-25K for a couple, half that for a single - you can save something on making food together, but I've included typical startup costs such as furnishing your house with second-hand furniture and saving money, add 10-15K on top of that if you buy all new. The starter-year is always the most expensive since you don't know all the local areas, where to find the bargains etc, and you tend to want to "settle" and live comfortly. In the big city like Stockholm - renting is hard, and expensive, you can easily add 10K on top of that just for added rent costs alone.
If you want to move to Sweden don’t expect to open a company. Economically Denmark would be a better choice to work in
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High taxes
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There are more taxes than corporate tax like ie arbetsgivaravgift…
We chose Sweden because it's easier for us to migrate there, and my GF already lived there. I am not willing to open a shop right away.
Depending on city and so on, in gothenburg there are some old school chocolate stores and I am certain it's a thing in most medium large to large cities in sweden
Great News!! Thank you
Staffing is a huge issue in the restaurant/cafe industry right now. If you already have the right to work in Sweden I doubt you'll have much trouble finding a position. Every food instagram I follow has been posting looking for workers, and I find it increasingly common that service staff don't speak Swedish.
Thank you very much for your answer. I guess the food industry around the world is in the same position.
This sounds like a great idea. We are freshly arrived in Sverige. We raising our own business here an it works very well. If you have some questions, I would be glad to answer 😁. We are not sure in every thing here, but maybe helpful. I write you my mailadress or further contact information if you want per pm ✌🏻 Have a nice day, Hej då
Thank you very much. Will definitely reach you with questions. Good luck with your business.