Joining The EU Blue Card Work Permit Scheme - Sweden

03 Sep 2013

Sweden became a part of the EU's (European Union) Blue Card Work Permit Scheme from 1^st August 2013. It is the 24^th country in Europe to sign up to the scheme.

The Blue Card is a European work permit and is not a permanent immigration visa. According to the EU, the intention of the Blue Card is to allow high-skilled non-EU citizens to live and work in any country within the European Union.

As of now, except UK, Ireland and Denmark, all other EU Countries have signed up to the scheme.

Though it is an EU-wide system, every country is allowed to set its own different qualification criteria for their own national Blue Card. However, all the countries must comply with the central principles of the Blue Card scheme which are:

• Providing salary and work conditions equal to citizens
• Allowing free movement within the Schengen Area
• Allowing favorable conditions for family reunification
• It is envisioned as a gateway to gaining permanent resident status.

The get the Blue Card for any EU country, the applicant must come from outside the EU, have a higher education qualification - either a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree and have a valid work contract in the EU.

However, to qualify for a Swedish Blue Card, the applicant needs to also have at least 5 years' experience in a professional role, a job offer with a salary at least 1.5 times the Swedish national average salary (at least 536,400 kronor per year) and take out health insurance. On successful application, the Blue Card will last for 2 years.

For more updates on EU Blue Card Work Permits follow us on Facebook