Authorization to work in Sweden

How do I get authorization to work in Sweden?

It is the authority associated with the individual profession that can request documentation and approve your ability to carry out your profession in Sweden. To get authorization to work in a protected profession, you must be able to document that you comply with the requirements. To do that, you submit an application for Swedish authorisation (“legitimation”) to the relevant Swedish authority.

Find further information on uhr.se

To whom should I submit my application for authorization to carry out my profession?

The Swedish authorities who issue professional authorizations include:

• The National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) for people in health professions
• The Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket) for veterinarians and veterinary nurses
• The Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) for school teachers
• The National Electrical Safety Board (Elsäkerhetsverket) for electrical work

Example of documentation required to obtain Swedish authorisation of a Danish profession

The documentation requirements for protected professional titles vary. For a nurse with Danish or Norwegian citizenship, for example, who is authorized to carry out her profession in a Nordic country, it includes submitting the following:

• A certified copy of a passport/ID document
• A certified copy of the exam certificate and attachments describing the course contents, activities and length in the original language
• A certified copy of proof of professional qualifications in the original language
• A certified copy of a certificate in the original language in which the employer describes the nature of the applicant’s employment and responsibilities
• A certificate describing the level of the applicant’s educational qualifications

You can read more about the requirements for the authorization of nurses on the website of the National Board of Health and Welfare, where you can also find the address to which you submit your application.

Working as a teacher in Sweden

If you are a teacher who has graduated and worked in Denmark, it is important to remember that you must have Swedish authorization to get a permanent job and be able to provide grades. This also applies to teachers who wish to teach at pre-school level in Sweden. You can often obtain a time-limited contract while you apply for authorization.

Authorization of teachers was introduced in 2011 to ensure the quality of teaching in Swedish schools. There are exceptions to the rule, however. The requirement for authorization still doesn't apply to mother tongue teachers and vocational trainers, among others.

Read more about the different requirements for people with foreign teacher education, and how to apply for a swedish authorization in the link below to skoleverket.se - The Swedish National Agency for Education.

List of exceptions from teacher authorisation on Swedish National Agency for Education

Read about requirements and application at skolverket.se

Regardless of the type of profession you wish to practice in Sweden, you should remember to familiarise yourself with the relevant Swedish rules for subject knowledge and conduct which you are obliged to comply with when working in Sweden.