Today, the Riksdag passed changes to migration law. This is a law that allows Ukrainians who are under temporary protection in Sweden to switch to a work permit, study permit, business permit, and research permit without leaving Sweden.

The essence of these changes is that people who have a residence permit with or after temporary protection are offered a separate mechanism that will allow them to apply for another type of permit from the territory of Sweden (without leaving), but only if they meet the requirements of that “new” permit.

According to the new law, you will be able to switch (if you meet the requirements): a residence permit for work or business activity, a residence permit for research or higher education, an EU Blue Card, i.e., highly qualified workers, and this all applies to family members of the above categories.

The procedure will look like this: you are in Sweden under temporary protection and apply for a new permit without leaving the country. This can be a work permit, a business permit, a research permit, a higher education permit, or an EU Blue Card. After submitting your application, you continue to stay in Sweden while the Migration Board processes your application.

However, we would like to point out that this is not an automatic transfer. You must meet all the requirements for the permit you are applying for. For example, for a work permit from 1 June 2026, your salary must be at least 90% of the median wage in Sweden, unless you fall under an exemption that has not yet been published.

If you are granted a new permit, your temporary protection will be revoked (återkallas) at your request, and you will be transferred to a work permit or other permit. If you are refused a work permit or other permit as provided for in this document, you will remain on the directive for as long as it is valid.

This model allows you to apply and receive a decision while you are in Sweden. This is an exception to the general rule. But there is a condition: you must apply while your temporary protection permit (or after it) is still valid.

In cases where the directive expires in 2027 and you do not apply for another permit by then, then you will have to apply from outside Sweden, as a general rule. After all, the new mechanism works by revoking temporary protection. If there is no longer protection, then there is nothing to revoke, and the exception does not apply.

It should also be noted that temporary protection is intended as a temporary mechanism that does not provide an opportunity to obtain a permanent residence permit, i.e. these 4 years do not count anywhere.

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That is, on the one hand, Sweden provides an opportunity to avoid this uncertainty by leaving to apply for a work permit, and on the other hand, it does not make exceptions for Ukrainians, for example, regarding the level of wages. For those who have already lived in Sweden for four years, the conditions are the same as for everyone. Well, except for certain professions, the list of which has not yet been published.

This law comes into force on June 11, 2026. Until that date, the old rules apply. Currently, it is impossible to apply for a work permit with a current directive (well, at least the migration law says so).

I would also like to say that this document only applies to the permits listed above. For those who plan to reunite with Swedish citizens, nothing has changed yet. You need to apply from outside Sweden and wait outside unless you can justify why you need to wait here. The waiting time is 15–18 months. This is as of now, and there is no information about changes specifically regarding the permit for reunification with Swedish citizens.

Source: Proposition 2025/26:146

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The Empower HUB project is implemented by HUG and partners. It is co-financed by the European Union through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).