Sweden Permanent Residence 2026: The Four-Year Rule
A permanent residence permit in Sweden has no expiry date. It lasts as long as you live in the country and gives you the right to live and work there. For most people on a work permit, the application is made together with an extension, and the test has three parts: time, money and conduct. This guide sets out each one from the Swedish Migration Agency's pages, as read on 13 October 2026.
Quick answer
If you hold a work permit, you must have had one, met its conditions and worked in Sweden for four of the past seven years. You must support yourself through employment or your own company: in 2026, your income after tax must leave SEK 6,243 per month for a single adult once housing costs are paid. You must also be expected to live a well-behaved life. The application fee is SEK 2,200. Family members need at least three years with a residence permit.
What the permit is
- A permanent residence permit does not have a limited period of validity.
- It remains valid as long as you are resident in Sweden.
- It gives you the right to live and work in Sweden. Holders do not need to apply for a work permit.
How long you must have lived in Sweden first depends on the type of permit you hold today. The Migration Agency has separate rules for people with a work permit, self-employed people, doctoral students and people who live with someone in Sweden. This guide follows the work permit route.
Requirement 1: Four years of work
You must have had, and met the conditions for, a permit for work and have worked in Sweden for four of the past seven years. In most cases you apply for permanent residence when you submit the application to extend your current permit. This route is unaffected by the 12 July 2026 change, which removed permanent residence permits for asylum-related permit holders (refugees and people with subsidiary protection), not for work-permit holders.
Requirement 2: You can support yourself
You must support yourself through income from employment, your own company or a combination of the two. Income from several part-time jobs can be added together. Three conditions apply to that income:
- It must be sustainable. You have to show you can support yourself for a long time to come. Without a permanent position, the agency makes an individual assessment of whether your income is reliable.
- It must be real today. Only the income you actually have when the application is considered counts. Chances of another job or a higher income in the future do not.
- It must be taxed income from legal employment.
How much
Your income after tax must be high enough that, after you pay your monthly housing costs, a set amount is left for food, clothing, hygiene, telephone, electricity and insurance. In 2026 that amount is SEK 6,243 per month for a single adult. You only need to be able to support yourself, not your family members.
| Housing | What counts as the housing cost |
|---|---|
| Rented flat | The rent, plus water and heating if they are not included |
| Tenant-owner flat | Fees to the tenant-owner association, interest on home loans and necessary operating costs |
| Freestanding house | Interest on home loans and necessary operating costs such as water and heating |
Repayments of the loan itself are not included. If you live with other adults, you divide the housing cost by the number of adults and count only your share.
What counts and what does not
| Counts | Does not count |
|---|---|
| Taxed income from legal employment | Income from a family member |
| Parental or sickness benefits, if you have ongoing employment and the leave is not assessed to be longer than 12 months | Wealth or returns from capital |
| Income from a business you own at least half of and are responsible for | Unemployment insurance, grants, scholarships and subsidised employment |
Pensions do not count as income, but people entitled to a pension may be exempt from the maintenance requirement. Exemptions also exist for applicants under 18 and for people who cannot support themselves on other special grounds that are not temporary, such as permanently impaired working capacity.
Requirement 3: A well-behaved life
You must be expected to live a well-behaved life. The agency looks at how you have lived so far, including whether you have been convicted or suspected of any crime in Sweden or abroad. There are no detailed rules on which crimes or sentences block a permit, and it is not only serious crimes that are taken into account: less serious offences or other misconduct may also be an obstacle. The only exemption is for children under the age of 15.
If you do not qualify yet
Failing the test for permanent residence does not end your stay. You may still be granted an extended work permit if you meet its requirements. Note that the salary rules for extensions are changing: applications to extend made between 1 June and 1 December 2026, for permits granted before 1 June, are assessed at 80 per cent of the median salary, SEK 30,640 a month. From 2 December 2026 the new requirement of 90 percent, SEK 34,470, applies.
Your family
Each family member must meet these requirements for a permanent residence permit of their own:
- They have had a residence permit in Sweden for at least three years.
- Family members aged 18 or older can support themselves financially.
- They live a well-behaved life.
Fees and waiting time
| Applicant | Fee |
|---|---|
| Employee | SEK 2,200 |
| Adult family member | SEK 1,500 |
| Child | SEK 750 |
There is no refund if the application is rejected. The agency cannot say exactly how long a decision takes; it depends on whether the application is complete and whether other authorities must be consulted.
One timing trap
Apply before your current permit expires. The agency warns that if you wait too long after your permit has run out, you lose the right to work while you wait for a decision, and so will not meet the maintenance requirement.
How a permanent permit can be lost
- If you are no longer resident in Sweden, or have been abroad for a long time, the agency can revoke it.
- It can also be revoked if you deliberately gave inaccurate information or withheld information that mattered to the decision.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I need to work in Sweden to get permanent residence?
You must have had a work permit, met its conditions and worked in Sweden for four of the past seven years.
How much income do I need for permanent residence in Sweden?
After tax and after your housing costs, you must have SEK 6,243 per month left as a single adult in 2026.
Does a permanent residence permit in Sweden expire?
No. It has no limited period of validity and remains valid as long as you are resident in Sweden. It can be revoked if you move away or stay abroad for a long time.
Can my family get permanent residence in Sweden too?
Yes, if each family member has had a residence permit for at least three years, adults can support themselves, and they live a well-behaved life.
Do savings count towards the income requirement?
No. Wealth and returns from capital do not count, and neither does income from a family member.
How much does the application cost?
SEK 2,200 for an employee, SEK 1,500 for an adult family member and SEK 750 for a child.
What if I do not meet the requirements?
You may still be granted an extended work permit, if you meet the requirements for one.
Official sources
- Swedish Migration Agency — Apply for a permanent residence permit
- Swedish Migration Agency — Apply for an extension of a work permit (permanent residence requirements)
- Swedish Migration Agency — New rules for work permits now apply, 1 June 2026
- Swedish Migration Agency — How have migration regulations changed?
All figures verified against the official pages above on 13 October 2026. The rules differ by type of permit, so check the Migration Agency's page for your own. Information, not legal advice.