Moving to Sweden

To conduct research in Sweden, a valid residence permit is required. Here, we have gathered essential information and helpful links to support your move to Sweden.

Residence permit for research

If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA, you will in most cases need a permit to work in Sweden. If you are invited by an approved research principal to conduct research in Sweden for a lengthy period, you must apply for a residence permit for research.

You can be granted a permit for a maximum of four years at a time, but not for longer than the hosting agreement is valid. If you want to continue working beyond the period of validity of the residence permit, you can apply to extend the permit.

Look for work after completing research (the Swedish Migration Agency website) External link.

Approved research principals in Sweden

List of approved research principals

Organisations that carry out research activities in Sweden and want to host a researcher from a third country for more than three months must be approved for this. Below is a list of approved research principals, and the period of validity of the approval.

List of approved research principals according to Act (2008:290) and Ordinance (2008:353) on Approval of Research Principals to Receive Visiting Researchers.

Approved research principals
Applicant	Validity of the decision
3N Bio AB	Up to and including 28 March 2028
ABB AB	Until further notice
Astra Zeneca AB	Until further notice
Atlas Antibodies AB	Up to and including 28 January 2026
BioReperia AB	Up to and including 9 August 2028
Blekinge tekniska högskola	Until further notice
CBI Betonginstitutet AB	Until further notice
Chalmers tekniska högskola AB	Until further notice
Double Bond Pharmaceutical AB	Up to and including 2 December 2027
Epishine AB	Up to and including 29 November 2029
Ericsson AB	Until further notice
European Spallation Source ERIC	Until further notice
Equa Simulation AB	Up to and including 3 October 2027
Försvarshögskolan	Until further notice
Göteborgs universitet	Until further notice
Gymnastik- och idrottshögskolan	Until further notice
Hot Disk AB	Up to and including 11 January 2028
Hälsohögskolan i Jönköping AB	Until further notice
Handelshögskolan i Stockholm	Until further notice
Högskolan Dalarna	Until further notice
Högskolan i Borås	Until further notice
Högskolan i Gävle	Until further notice
Högskolan i Halmstad	Until further notice
Högskolan i Skövde	Until further notice
Högskolan Kristianstad	Until further notice
Högskolan på Gotland	Until further notice
Högskolan Väst	Until further notice
The institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy (IFAU)	Until further notice
Ilya Pharma AB	Up to and including 3 February 2026
Innventia AB	Until further notice
Institutet för Finansforskning (SIFR)	Until further notice
Institutet för framtidsstudier	Until further notice
Institutet för Livsmedel och Bioteknik AB	Until further notice
Institutet för rymdfysik	Until further notice
Institutet för Säkerhets- och Utvecklingspolitik	Until further notice
Internationella Handelshögskolan i Jönköping	Until further notice
IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet AB	Until further notice
Johannelunds teologiska högskola	Up to and including 5 October 2028
Karlstads universitet	Until further notice
Karolinska institutet	Until further notice
Konstfack	Until further notice
Kungl. Konsthögskolan	Until further notice
Kungl. Musikhögskolan	Until further notice
Kungl. Tekniska högskolan	Until further notice
Kungl. Vetenskapsakademien	Until further notice
Landstinget Blekinge, Blekinge kompetenscentrum	Until further notice
Landstinget i Uppsala län	Until further notice
Lavivo AB	Until further notice
LinkoCare Life Sciences AB	Up to and including 25 September 2029
Linköpings universitet	Until further notice
Linnéuniversitetet	Until further notice
LinXole AB	Up to and including 7 March 2030
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd	Until further notice
Luleå tekniska universitet	Until further notice
Lunds universitet	Until further notice
Mälardalens högskola	Until further notice
Malmö högskola	Until further notice
MinervaX AB	Up to and including 4 July 2027
MIP Technologies AB	Until further notice
Mittuniversitetet	Until further notice
Modelon AB	Until further notice
Molecular Attraction AB	Up to and including 22 February 2028
Moligo Technologies AB	Up to and including 9 January 2029
Nanologica AB	Until further notice
Naturhistoriska riksmuseet	Until further notice
Nordiska Afrikainstitutet	Until further notice
Omnio AB	Up to and including 11 December 2029
Pelago Bioscience AB	Up to and including 25 April 2026
Pfizer AB	Until further notice
Prostista Biotechnology AB	Until further notice
QureTech Bio AB	Up to and including 12 January 2026
Qualisys AB	Up to and including 22 November 2026
Raoul Wallenberg Institutet	Until further notice
RG Discovery AB	Up to and including 10 November 2030
RISE Energy Technology Center AB	Until further notice
RISE Interactive Institute AB	Until further notice
RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB	Until further notice
RISE SICS Västerås AB	Until further notice
RISE Viktoria	Until further notice
Rättsmedicinalverket	Until further notice
Röda Korsets högskola	Until further notice
Sankt Ignatios	Up to and including 8 November 2028
Saveggy AB	Up to and including 28 September 2026
Skånes universitetssjukhus	Until further notice
Skogforsk	Until further notice
Smittskyddsinstitutet	Until further notice
Södertörns högskola	Until further notice
SpinChem AB	Up to and including 15 November 2026
Statens meterologiska och hydrologiska institut (SMHI)	Until further notice
Statens Musikverk	Until further notice
Statens väg-och transportforskningsinstitut	Until further notice
Statens veterinärmedicinska anstalt	Until further notice
Stiftelsen Chalmers Industriteknik	Until further notice
Stiftelsen Högskolan i Jönköping	Until further notice
Stiftelsen Institutet för Näringslivsforskning	Until further notice
Stiftelsen Stockholm International Peace and Research Institute (SIPRI)	Until further notice
Stiftelsen The Stockholm Environment Institute	Until further notice
Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)	Until further notice
Stockholms universitet	Until further notice
SureCapture Technologies AB	Up to and including 8 March 2027
Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet	Until further notice
Swedish Institute of Computer Science AB (SICS)	Until further notice
Swerea IVF AB	Until further notice
Swerea KIMAB	Until further notice
Swerea SICOMP AB	Until further notice
Swerim	Until further notice
Tekniska Högskolan i Jönköping AB	Until further notice
Tobii Technology AB	Until further notice
Totalförsvarets Forskningsinstitut	Until further notice
Umeå universitet	Until further notice
Uppsala universitet	Until further notice
Utrikespolitiska institutet	Until further notice
Volvo Technology AB	Until further notice
Västra Götalandsregionen	Until further notice
WahTsui Biotech AB	Up to and including 11 November 2027
World Maritime University	Until further notice
Ytkemiska Institutet AB	Until further notice
Örebro läns landsting	Until further notice
Örebro universitet

A guide to Swedish academia

Young Academy of Sweden has developed a guide that helps to navigate Swedish academia and avoid time-consuming obstacles.

A Beginner’s Guide to Swedish Academia (Young Academy of Sweden) External link.

Euraxess Sweden provides assistance to mobile researchers

The EURAXESS portal contains practical information concerning professional and everyday life in Sweden, research news, as well as information about jobs and funding opportunities. All services of the network are free of charge.

EURAXESS Sweden website External link.

Stockholm PhD Academy programme 2025/2026

Stockholms Akademiska Forum is launching a programme to help international doctoral students navigate the Swedish labour market. This autumn, an introductory series of lectures will take place.