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Home » Visa & Regulations » Sweden

Sweden

 Au Pair Employment

Age: between 18 and 30 (both years included)

Working hours: The Au Pair will have to work 25 hours a week maximum. In any case the au pair should not work more than 5 hours a day. The host family can request the au pair to do some additional baby-sitting once or twice a week.

Pocket money: about at least 3,500 SEK per month before tax

Travel costs: The Au Pair must bear the travel costs to Sweden herself/himself. If the host family wants to bear a part of the costs, it is advisable to do this after a successful stay of the au pair of at least 50% of the stipulated time.

General requirements: The purpose of working as an au pair in Sweden should be to learn more about Swedish language and culture as well as to gain international experience. Young people who want to work as an au pair in Sweden should have an expressed interest in learning Swedish and should be able to prove that they'll benefit from studies in the Swedish language and culture.

Length of stay: A work permit can be granted for a period of 12 months maximum. It cannot be renewed.

Employment offer: the host family has to send an employment offer to the au pair which has to contain 

• not more than 25 hours/week of house work
• Swedish language studies during a significant portion of the au pair's remaining time (an acceptance letter from the school must be included with the application for a work permit)
• room and board
• a minimum monthly salary of 3,500 SEK before tax

The au pair needs this employment offer to apply for a work permit. The Swedish Public Employment Services offers a standard form which you can use for this purpose.

Contract: According to the Swedisch Migration Board (migrationsverket) there is no official contract for au pairs or working holidaymakers. An employment offer written in Swedish will be sufficient (see above).

Insurance: Au pairs who will stay in Sweden for a limited time are not entitled to the same social benefits as permanent residents. Aupairs should therefore find out what insurance cover they need to be covered in case of illness or an accident. 

Language courses: The main purpose of the au pairs' stay in Sweden has to be to study the Swedish language and to broaden his/her knowledge of Swedish culture. The host family therefore is obliged to garantuee that the au pair will have enough spare time to follow a Swedish language course. A certificate of enrollment in a Swedisch language course has to be enclosed with the au pairs' application for a work permit.

Au Pair Employment for au pairs from EU and EEA countries

Work permit: Citizens of EU and EEA countries don't need a work permit to work in Sweden. They are allowed to start working immediately, even if they don't have a residence permit yet.
Citizens of Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway) don't need a work permit either.

Residence permit: Au pairs from EEA/EU countries only need a valid passport to enter Sweden. If they are employed for 3 months or less they don't need a residence permit. Au pairs who want to stay longer than 3 months have to apply for a residence permit. Applications can be made even after entering Sweden. The following documents are needed to apply for a residence permit:

• an application form
• a copy of a valid ID card or passport has to be attached to this document
• certificate of employment issued and signed by your employer - please see keyword 'certificate of employment' in this information
• a certificate of enrollment at a Swedish language course

There are no application fees for a residence permit
Citizens of Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway) don't need neither a work permit nor a residence permit.

Once all the documents have been received the au pairs' case will be forwarded to the Swedish Migration Board. The au pairs' passport will be kept at the Consulate General until a decision has been made. The permit, if granted, will be attached to the au pairs' passport and returned.

Certificate of employment: This certificate is needed to apply for a residence permit. The certificate has to be issued and signed by the employer and has to contain

• the name, address and phone number of the employer
• the number of working hours per week
• a description of the au pair's job including her responsabilities and duties

Au Pair Employment for au pairs from non EU and non EEA countries

Work permit: Au pairs coming from a country which is not a member of the European Union (EU) or EEA and wish to work as an au pair in Sweden must have a work permit sticker attached to their passport before entering the country.  
Important notice: Au pairs should ensure that their passport does not expire during your stay in Sweden. The expiration date of their permit (if granted) may not go beyond the expiration date of their passport.

Au pairs have to submit the following documents in order to obtain a work permit:

• 2 copies of employment offer from the host family including (1) no more than 25 hours/week of house work, (2) Swedish language studies during a significant portion of their remaining time (an acceptance letter from the school must be included with the application), (3) room and board, and (4) a minimum monthly salary of 3,500 SEK
• 2 copies of Application by Au Pair, completed, signed and dated
• valid National passport or other travel document (US citizens need an original US Alien Registration Card or an other valid resident visa (type A, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, O or R)
• 2 passport photos, color or black/white

A work permit can be granted for a period of 12 months maximum. It cannot be renewed.

Arrangement: An estimated time of 2-3 months is usually required to process the au pairs' application for a work permit.

Residence permit: Au pairs from a non-EEA and non-EU country wishing to stay in Sweden for more than three months must obtain a residence permit. Normally this has to be obtained and entered in his/her passport before he or she comes to Sweden.
Residence permits are applied for through a Swedish diplomatic mission in the au pair's country of orgin or residence. Permit applications are decided by the diplomatic mission or the Immigration Board. There is no application fee for a residence permit.

Some embassies or consulates may require a proof of identity (personbevis) of the future host family. The host family may request this document at the Swedish Tax Board (Skatteverket) and send it to the au pair.

Certificate of employment: This certificate is needed to apply for a residence permit. The certificate has to be issued and signed by the host family and has to contain

• the name, address and phone number of the host family
• the number of working hours per week
• a description of the au pair's job including her responsabilities and duties

The Swedish Public Employment Services offers a standard form which you can use for this purpose.

Once all the documents have been received your case will be forwarded to the Swedish Migration Board. Your passport will be kept at the Consulate General until a decision has been made. Your permit, if granted, will be attached to your passport and returned.

Schengen Agreement: Sweden has signed the Schengen agreement and is now member of the Schengen zone. As a result, people who hold a valid Swedish residence permit can travel freely throughout the zone for a period of three months without first applying for a visa. To benefit of these possibilities you must hold a valid passport and be able to prove your identity. The following countries have signed the Schengen agreement: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. 

Forms:

• application for a work permit for au pairs
• application for a residence permit for au pairs

For further useful information, please see also:

• Au pair

Working Holiday Makers

Sweden has stipulated a working holiday agreement with Australia and New Zealand. The agreement allows Swedish citizens to work in Australia and New Zealand as well as Australians and New Zealanders to come to Sweden under the Working Holiday Scheme.

Age: between 18 and 30 (both years included)

Working hours: The Working Holiday Maker will have to work 25 hours a week maximum. In any case the Working Holiday Maker should not work more than 5 hours a day. The host family can request the Working Holiday Maker to do some additional baby-sitting once or twice a week.

Pocket money: about at least 3,500 SEK per month

Travel costs: The Working Holiday Maker must bear the travel costs to Sweden herself/himself. If the host family wants to bear a part of the costs, it is advisable to do this after a successful stay of the Working Holiday Maker of at least 50% of the stipulated time.

General requirements:

• the main purpose of the stay in Sweden should be a holiday
• the working holidaymaker must hold a valid passport
• the young girl or boy has to have sufficiant money to support herself/himself for the first 3 months in Sweden (at least 15 000 SEK) before tax
• Australians and New Zealanders must have a valid health insurance policy
• the young girl or boy has to have a return ticket or enough money to buy one

Lenght of stay: a working holiday visa can be granted for a period of 12 months maximum.

Working Holiday Visa: A Working Holiday Visa can only be granted once. Applications can be made at a Swedish embassy or consulate in the home country of the Working Holiday Maker or at a Swedish embassy or consulate in the country where he/she is currently residing. Applications should be made at least six weeks before the Working Holidaymaker plans to enter Sweden. The applicant needs to obtain the visa label in the passport before he/she goes to Sweden.

Application fees: it costs 1000 SEK to apply for a working holiday visa. If the visa is denied this fee can not be refunded.

Insurance: Working Holiday Makers who will stay in Sweden for a limited time are not entitled to the same social benefits as permanent residents. They should therefore find out what insurance cover they need to be covered in case of illness or an accident. 

Language courses: The host family should garantuee that the working holiday maker will have enough spare time to follow a Swedish language course. A certificate of enrollment in a Swedisch language course has to be enclosed with the working holiday maker's application for a work permit.

Work permit: A Working Holiday Maker may work in order to supplement his/her traveling funds while he/she is in Sweden. For that reason, he or she will be given a work permit. His or her job has to be a temporary one. A Working Holiday Makers can apply for work once he/she has entered Sweden.

Important notice: Working holiday makers should ensure that their passport does not expire during their stay in Sweden. The expiration date of their permit (if granted) may not go beyond the expiration date of their passport.

Working holiday makers have to submit the following documents in order to obtain a work permit:

• 2 copies of employment offer from the host family including (1) no more than 25 hours/week of house work, (2) Swedish language studies during a significant portion of the remaining time (an acceptance letter from the school must be included with the application), (3) room and board, and (4) a minimum monthly salary of 3,500 SEK
• 2 copies of Application by Working holiday maker, completed, signed and dated
• valid National passport or other travel document (US citizens need an original US Alien Registration Card or an other valid resident visa (type A, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, O or R)
• 2 passport photos, color or black/white

Applicaton fee: 1000 SEK (if the visa is denied, this fee will not be refunded).

Forms:

• application form for a working holiday visa

Please have a look at the list of Swedish embassies and consulates to learn where to apply in your country.

For further useful information, please see also:

• Working Holiday Visa for citizens of Australia and New Zealand
• Working Holiday Visa for citizens of Canada
   

We cannot guarantee that all information we gathered is correct or complete although we have done our best in the research. We appreciate any comments. Thank you.

Au Pair Visa & Regulations in other Countries

• America - USA
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Canada
• Denmark
• Germany
• Finland
• France
• Iceland
• Irland
• Italy
• Japan
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Spain
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

 Auf Deutsch: Schweden
 In English: Sweden
 En Français: Suède
 In Italiano: Au Pair in Svezia
 In het Nederlands: Au Pair in Zweden

Questions? Send an email to: support@aupair-world.net or call Aupair World at +49 5603 917 817