Can I move to Sweden if I am self-employed?

Work permits were the second most popular permit applied for permits during January – October of 2018. As with most other permit categories, work permit applications have on average been increasing during the past four years. After the large influx of asylum seekers during the end of 2015 and during 2016 we have seen that the Migration Agency has become stricter and more thorough when reviewing applications.

If you are currently in Sweden or planning on moving there shortly, it is therefore essential that you are aware of these requirements in order to avoid any unnecessary additional requests for information or rejections. As processing times have become quite lengthy, a request for additional information is definitely something you want to avoid as it can set your application back an additional 1-2 months.

How do I register as self-employed in Sweden?

Using your personal identification number, you should apply for an F-tax card and value-added tax (VAT) with the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). You can optionally also choose to register your business name with the Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket), which will give you exclusive rights to the use of your company name. You can also apply to the Bolagsverket by mail using Form 903 e.

If you decide to register your business with the Bolagsverket, you can also apply for your F-tax card and VAT through them.

While Sweden is associated with a high quality of life, that privilege doesn’t come cheaply. You’ll be required to pay the F-Tax, which indicates you will pay your own social security contributions and corporate tax. You’ll also be required to pay VAT for the services you provide.

As a permanent establishment, you’ll also pay a corporate income tax on the income you generate from your business. At the beginning of each year, you will submit a preliminary tax return that estimates your profits. You’ll then be required to pay a monthly tax based on that preliminary return. At the end of the year, you’ll submit a year-end account summary to Skatterverket. From that summary, you’ll receive a final tax notice to resolve any discrepancies with the monthly taxes you’ve already paid.

Can I move to Sweden as a freelancer?

To apply for a residence permit to run your own business, you must

have a valid passport (if your passport is about to expire, you should extend it because you cannot get a permit for longer than your passport if valid)
show that you have considerable experience in the industry and previous experience of running your own business
show you have relevant knowledge in Swedish or English. If you have contact with, for example, many suppliers or customers in Sweden, you must have very good knowledge in Swedish.
prove that you are the person who is running the company and has executive responsibility for the business
show that you have enough money of your own to provide for yourself and any family members, the equivalent of SEK 200,000 for you, SEK 100,000 for your accompanying wife/husband and SEK 50,000 for each accompanying child for a permit period of two years
present plausible supporting documentation for your budget
show that you have created customer contacts or a network
in most cases pay a fee (application fees for residence permits).

The Swedish Migration Agency will do a financial assessment of your business plans.

How much tax do you pay as self-employed in Sweden?

If you want to work as self-employed in Sweden, you will have to register yourself as a sole trader. An alternative is to open your own limited company. Apart from these two, there are other types of companies, such as general partnership, limited partnership and economic association. Being a sole trader is the simplest way to get started. That doesn’t mean registering a limited company is difficult.

You should register both at the Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket), and the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). You can understand both the processes below:

Unlike salaried individuals, freelancers have to pay their own corporate income tax, VAT, and social welfare costs. The financial year in Sweden runs from January 1 to December 31. Tax returns are subject to the May 2 due date for individuals, whereas the deadline for companies is July 1.

Let’s understand the income, expenses and tax structure for freelancing sole traders through a simple example:

Say you are a freelance writer and you do business as a sole trader. In a particular month, you wrote content for four clients and the amount that you invoiced for all four assignments is 20,000 kronor.

Can I work without work permit in Sweden?

Migrationsverkets webbplats fungerar bäst i moderna webbläsare som Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox och Apple Safari. För att vara säker på att webbplatsen visas korrekt rekommenderar vi dig att byta till någon av dem om du använder webbläsaren Internet Explorer på din dator eller mobila enhet. Vi kan inte ge någon teknisk support om du använder vår webbplats i Internet Explorer.

How long can I stay in Sweden without a visa?

Planning a holiday in Sweden? Find out more about passport and visa information for your visit to Sweden. Please note that we do not have any visa application service at Visit Sweden and are not able to assist with your visa application.

Holders of certain British Passports/Travel Documents do not need a visa to travel to Sweden.

How many people are self-employed in Sweden?

The number of people in employment aged 15 to 74 increased in the fourth quarter of 2022 by 121 000 compared with the same period of 2021, amounting to 5 171 000. Fewer women than men were employed. A total of 2 501 000 women and 2 669 000 men were employed.

How do I register as unemployed in Sweden?

Report to arbetsförmedlingen every month Remember to report your job seeking activities to arbetsförmedlingen between the 1st and 14th every month. If your activity report is not submitted on time or if the employment service believe that you have not been active enough in your job seeking, we will get a notice. A notice can result in a warning or suspension of payment.

Why report? The more your employment officer knows, the sooner he/she can help you. To be able to get the right support they need to know which jobs you have applied for, and what other activities you have undertaken to overcome unemployment.

How long can I stay in Sweden without a job?

Sweden work visa permits you to enter the country and a Sweden residence permit is the authorization to stay in the country for longer than 90 days. Anyone who wants to stay in Sweden for long terms or longer than 90 days needs a residence permit.

The type of residence permit is up to the visa you apply for. If you apply for a Sweden student visa, your residence permit becomes a study permit but the names are not different.

In case you apply for a Sweden work visa, your residence permit is a work permit. You might have to apply for a residence permit when you enter Sweden like the study permit or apply before you come to the country like a work permit which the employer applies for it.

Contract of employment
Bank statements for the past six months.
Permission letter from your employer.
Income Tax Return (ITR)

When you move to Sweden, you would better carry some of the original and translated documents you used in your application process.

Sweden travel documents or entry requirements might vary for each person. Your passport with the visa stick-on is a must.

Proof of accommodation or a rented place you will stay and enter a quarantine is also a must. If you have a work visa, you need the residence permit applied by your employer and issued by Swedish officials. In case you have applied for a student visa, you need an acceptance letter from the Swedish university or education center.

Is it possible to live as a freelancer?

The biggest problem you will face as a freelancer is cash flow. Some seasons are inherently slower than others—think post-holiday season—and regular clients can vanish overnight on you, taking a percentage of your income with them. This is why it’s so important to plan ahead for those dry spells.

Set aside some money each month (at least 10 percent, but more if you can) to build a 6-month cash reserve. This means that you should have enough money to live for six months in the event that you draw zero income for that period of time. More likely it will simply be your safety net—not to mention peace of mind!—that you can use for emergency expenses and income supplementation without going into debt.

Planning ahead also means consistently marketing, even when you’ve already got plenty of work. You may not be able to market as much when you’re busy, but you don’t want to suddenly have an empty schedule and no leads. Many freelancers do all their marketing on one day of the week or every morning for a couple of hours. By looking ahead like this, chances are when the work slows down, your marketing efforts from last month will pay off.

What is the 183 day rule in Sweden?

Sweden’s restrictions were today (9th February 2022) lifted, and the entry ban on travellers from EU/EEA, was also removed. Thus, the stream of business travellers to Sweden is expected to increase.

What should one keep in mind to stay compliant in relation to business trips to Sweden? Should one just board the plane and sit back, or are there tax and social security rules to consider? In this brief article, we at Skeppsbron Skatt address some topics, to keep in mind for business trips.

How much tax do I pay as a sole trader in Sweden?

Sweden offers its citizens some of the finest social programs: universal health insurance, unlimited sick days, subsidized childcare, and free university tuition.

However, these luxuries do not come without a cost, and Sweden’s tax rates are among the highest in the world. In addition to Swedish taxes, Americans living abroad cannot forget their US expatriate income tax return obligation or other reporting requirements, like FBAR.

When contemplating relocating to Sweden, it’s essential to consider the impact it may have on your income tax return as a US expat, in addition to understanding the Swedish tax rates and deadlines. In other words, familiarizing yourself with the Swedish taxes for US expats is crucial before deciding to move.

Primary Tax Form for Residents: Swedish Tax Return (inkomstdeklaration)
Tax Year: January 1st to December 31st.
Tax Deadline: May 2nd (for online filing) or August 2nd (for paper filing)
Currency: Swedish krona (SEK)
Population: Approximately 10.4 million
Number of US Expats: Approximately 18,000
Capital City: Stockholm
Primary Language: Swedish
Tax Treaty: Yes
Totalization Agreement: Yes

Sweden is renowned for its comprehensive social programs. However, to support those social programs, Sweden also has some of the highest tax rates in the world. Swedish tax law is also known for its complexity, often making it difficult for expats to keep track of their obligations.

To help clear things up, here’s an overview of how Sweden’s tax law applies to US expats.

Can I stay in Sweden while waiting for work permit?

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How can I get work visa for Sweden without a job?

You need a work permit if you are a non-EU national and want to work in Sweden. Sweden is the fourth European country that has launched a Job Seeker visa to address labour shortages. It means you can now go to Sweden without an offer of employment before arrival.

Sweden unveiled the job seeker visa in April 2022, and in addition, it also determined the process for prospective immigrants seeking to move to Sweden without a job offer.

With this new accomplishment, Sweden joins Germany, Austria, and Portugal among the European countries that launched the job seeker visa due to the massive shortage of workers.

What happens if you stay longer than 90 days in Sweden?

If you already have an on-going application for a residence permit at the Swedish Migration Agency, you cannot be granted two permits at the same time. You will only receive a decision in the application considered to be most advantageous for you, which most often is an application for a residence and work permit as it gives you the right to settle in Sweden. If the application for a visitor’s permit is made while you are in Sweden, you are at risk of having your application for a residence and work permit rejected. If you are outside Sweden, you must wait until a decision is made in the application that is most advantageous for you. This may mean that the dates that you apply for a visitor’s permit may have passed when the decision is made. The Swedish Migration Agency therefore recommends that you do not apply for a visitor’s permit in these cases.

be able to support yourself during the time you will be in Sweden
have a valid passport (the passport must be valid for at least three months after the end date of the visit)
have a return ticket or money to buy a ticket.

Is there a Sweden self employment visa?

So, here’s the deal. There isn’t a Sweden self employment visa, however, there are other ways. Number one being applying for a job and get a work permit, or get someone in Sweden to start a business for you. Work permits were the second most popular permit applied for permits during January – October of 2018.

Can a self-employed person start a business in Sweden?

You are only allowed to work for the employer and in the profession for which you have applied for a permit. If you decide to start a business in Sweden, you can apply for a residence permit as a self-employed person in Sweden and run your business while the Swedish Migration Agency processes your application.

Do I need a residence permit in Sweden?

If you are going to be in Sweden for longer than three months running your own business you must have a residence permit. The residence permit must already have been granted before you travel to Sweden. You can apply online from your home country or any other country outside Sweden where you live.

How do I get a Swedish work permit?

If you are unable to apply online, fill out Application for Swedish work permit, number 149011, and turn it in to a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in the country where you are living. The application form indicates the documents you need to enclose.

Is there a Sweden self employment visa?

So, here’s the deal. There isn’t a Sweden self employment visa, however, there are other ways. Number one being applying for a job and get a work permit, or get someone in Sweden to start a business for you. Work permits were the second most popular permit applied for permits during January – October of 2018.

Can a self-employed person start a business in Sweden?

You are only allowed to work for the employer and in the profession for which you have applied for a permit. If you decide to start a business in Sweden, you can apply for a residence permit as a self-employed person in Sweden and run your business while the Swedish Migration Agency processes your application.

Do I need a residence permit in Sweden?

If you are going to be in Sweden for longer than three months running your own business you must have a residence permit. The residence permit must already have been granted before you travel to Sweden. You can apply online from your home country or any other country outside Sweden where you live.

How do I get a Swedish work permit?

If you are unable to apply online, fill out Application for Swedish work permit, number 149011, and turn it in to a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in the country where you are living. The application form indicates the documents you need to enclose.