ICT Permit

Sweden's ICT permit is the national implementation of the EU Intra-Corporate Transfer Directive. It allows multinational companies to move managers, specialists and trainee employees from a unit outside the EU to a Swedish branch, subsidiary or group company of the same corporate group, without the employee having to apply for an ordinary work permit.

The permit is processed by Migrationsverket, the Swedish Migration Agency. It is designed specifically for internal corporate transfers: the employee remains employed by the foreign sending entity while working temporarily in Sweden. Three categories are covered - managers running a unit or department, specialists with essential knowledge of the company's operations, and trainee employees on a graduate-development posting.

A defining advantage of the ICT permit is intra-EU mobility. Once issued by Sweden, it can allow the transferee to work at group entities in other EU member states under that state's mobility rules. In 2026 it remains the standard tool for global firms rotating talent into Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, with maximum stays of three years for managers and specialists and one year for trainees.

To qualify for a Swedish ICT permit you must be transferred within the same group of companies, from a unit established outside the EU to a host entity in Sweden. You must have been employed by the sending company for an uninterrupted period immediately before the transfer - generally several months - and the transfer must be temporary.

You must fall into one of three categories: manager, specialist or trainee employee. Managers and specialists need relevant professional qualifications and experience; trainees normally require a university degree and a training agreement. Pay and employment terms must be at least equal to those set by Swedish collective agreements or practice for the occupation. The host company and the sending company must belong to the same corporate group, and the role in Sweden must match the ICT category claimed.

Step one: the Swedish host company confirms the corporate-group relationship with the sending entity and identifies the correct ICT category - manager, specialist or trainee.

Step two: the host company in Sweden initiates the application; in practice the employer often starts the case in Migrationsverket's online system and the employee then completes their part.

Step three: assemble documentation - passport, the assignment or transfer letter, evidence of prior employment with the sending company, proof of the group relationship, the employment terms, and a training agreement for trainees.

Step four: submit the application to Migrationsverket and pay the fee.

Step five: if applying from abroad, attend a Swedish embassy or consulate to provide biometrics and, where required, collect a residence-permit card or entry visa.

Step six: Migrationsverket assesses the case and issues the ICT permit, with family members able to apply at the same time.

Step seven: travel to Sweden, and if you later need to work at a group entity in another EU country, follow that country's intra-EU mobility notification procedure.

Migrationsverket's application fee for an ICT permit is in the region of SEK 2,200 in 2026; confirm the current amount on the agency's website. Accompanying family members each pay a separate fee, typically lower. Add the cost of certified translations of corporate and personal documents, biometric-appointment travel, and any courier charges for residence-permit cards. The sending or host company usually covers the fees as part of the assignment package. After arrival, the larger costs are practical - Stockholm housing, deposits and the general expense of living in Sweden - and are normally addressed through the corporate relocation budget.

Migrationsverket processing times for ICT permits vary with caseload, but complete applications from established corporate groups are often decided within a couple of months. Cases are slower when the group relationship is poorly documented or prior-employment evidence is missing. Family-member applications submitted together are generally handled alongside the main application. Because the ICT permit is temporary - capped at three years for managers and specialists and one year for trainees - and tied to the specific assignment, plan renewals or onward moves well ahead of expiry. Intra-EU mobility to another member state requires that state's separate notification.

On arrival in Sweden, if you will stay for at least a year you should register with the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) to receive a personal identity number (personnummer), which is essential for banking, healthcare and most services; shorter stays may instead receive a coordination number. Register your address and apply for a Swedish ID document.

With a personnummer you gain access to subsidised public healthcare and can register with a vårdcentral (health centre). Open a Swedish bank account and arrange BankID for digital services. Accompanying family members register with Skatteverket too; children can enrol in school or preschool. Although the assignment is temporary, learning some Swedish through municipal SFI courses, where eligible, eases daily life. Keep your assignment and employment documentation accessible, as it may be needed for renewals or intra-EU mobility.