Guide to temporary entry into Sweden under CETA

On this page

1. Short-term business visitors
2. Business visitors for investment purposes
3. Investors
4. Contractual service suppliers
5. Independent professionals
6. Intra-corporate transferees

This guide is for a Canadian business person temporarily travelling to Sweden to do business. It provides general information about temporary entry and stay requirements for business people under the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and under Sweden’s laws. This guide aims to facilitate the entry of Canadian business people into Sweden for the purposes of exploring, entering and expanding operations in Sweden’s market. You will find relevant links and summaries of main steps for work permit and visa applications, including costs and lengths, for the categories of business people covered in CETA.

Text of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement – Chapter 10: Temporary entry and stay of natural persons for business purposes

CETA entered into force provisionally in 2017, which means that Sweden is bound by the Temporary Entry Chapter. However, there are still significant differences between CETA requirements and the Sweden’s laws regulating temporary entry. As such, some of the paths for entry identified in this guide do not fully overlap with the categories of business people covered in CETA.

For any questions regarding Sweden's temporary entry commitments under CETA, please contact: enquiry-demande.TE@international.gc.ca.

Short-term business visitor

Do I qualify as a short-term business visitor under CETA?

Under CETA, a short-term business visitor is a Canadian traveling to Sweden for one of the following activities:  

• meetings and consultations
• research and design
• marketing research
• training seminars
• trade fairs and exhibitions
• sales (negotiations or taking orders, cannot deliver goods or services themselves)
• purchasing
• after-sales or after-lease service
• commercial transactions as an employee of a Canadian enterprise (management and supervisory or financial services personnel only)
• tourism/travel operations as an employee of a Canadian enterprise
• translation and interpretation

The detailed list of activities can be found under Annex 10-D of CETA.  

A short-term business visitor cannot:

• sell a good or a service to the general public
• receive payment from a source located in Sweden
• provide any other service to a consumer in Sweden that is not listed under activities of a business visitor

Under CETA a Canadian short-term business visitor can stay in Sweden for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.

Do I need a work permit or a visa as a short-term business visitor?

Under CETA, an eligible short-term business visitor does not need a work permit but may need a visa.

Under Swedish law, Canadian nationals do not require a Schengen C visa to enter the EU. They are entitled to stay within the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period (rolling period).

Canadian companies can also send non-Canadian nationals locally hired in Canada for short-term business travel in Sweden. In this case, a Schengen C visa may be required, if the short-term business visitor is not a national of Canada or another visa exempt country. Applications for Schengen C visas must be filed with the relevant Swedish Consulate or Embassy. The processing time is approximately two weeks.

Related links

• Schengen area
• Schengen calculator
• Schengen C Visa exempt countries (Annex II)
• Visa information
• Work permit exemption information

Under Sweden’s laws, short-term business visitor arriving to Sweden cannot have their main residence in Sweden. In addition, short-term business visitors may not receive wages, salary, or consultancy fees from an entity based in Sweden. They may not enter into an employment contract with an entity in Sweden and are not able to be assigned/seconded to an entity in Sweden.

Generally, international companies sending their employees to Sweden on business trips must ensure that:

• Employees remain under the direction of the foreign employer
• Profits of employee/s activity must go to the foreign employer and shall accrue abroad
• Employees continue to be paid by the foreign employer
• Services being performed are not ones which a Swedish worker would have to be hired for, are not inherently part of the Swedish labour market, and are not primarily benefitting the Swedish entity as local work
• Employee/s activities are not billable by the Swedish host company to its own customers
• Employee/s do not travel to Sweden to undertake gainful employment

No work permit application process is required as these are work permit-exempted activities. For more information, please consult the EU Immigration Portal for Sweden.

Business visitor for investment purposes

Note: The business visitors for investment purposes category is covered under CETA but does not exist under Swedish law. A Canadian business visitor for investment purposes may qualify under the short-term business visitor category.

Do I qualify as a business visitor for investment purposes under CETA?

Under CETA, a Canadian business visitor for investment purposes is a Canadian manager or specialist responsible for setting up an enterprise in Sweden.

A Canadian business visitor for investment purposes cannot:

• work directly with the general public in Sweden
• receive compensation from a source located within Sweden

Under CETA, Canadian business visitors for investment purposes can stay in Sweden for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

Do I need a work permit or visa as a business visitor for investment purposes?

There are no specific provisions for business visitors for investment purposes in Sweden. Their stay must be limited to a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen Area.

For more information, please consult the EU Immigration Portal for Sweden.

Investor

Do I qualify as an investor under CETA? 

Under CETA, an investor is a Canadian supervisor or executive, responsible for establishing, developing, or operating an investment, that they or their employing enterprise have committed, or are in the process of committing, a substantial amount of capital to.

Under CETA, Canadian investors can stay in Sweden for up to 12 consecutive months. Extensions are possible at the discretion of Sweden’s officials.

Do I need a work permit or a visa as an investor?

Swedish legislation does not provide for an entry route specifically for investors but does outline the conditions for a residence permit for highly qualified individuals who wish to look for work or start a business.

The permit may be granted for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 9 months.

What are the eligibility requirements for the residence permit?

Under Swedish law, investors applying for a residence permit for highly qualified individuals must comply with the following eligibility requirements:

• Applicants must have completed studies corresponding to an advanced level degree (for a degree to count as advanced level, it must correspond to a 60-credit Master's degree, a 120-credit Master's degree, a professional degree worth 60-330 credits, or a postgraduate/PhD-level degree)
• They plan to seek employment or explore the possibilities to start their own business
• They have financial stability during the period for which they are applying for a permit and have funds to cover the cost of a journey back to their home country. (approximately EUR 1,170 per month)
• They are located outside of Sweden
• They hold comprehensive health insurance valid in Sweden

How do I apply for the residence permit? 

The process for obtaining this permit consists of the following steps:

Step 1: Submission of the application online at the Swedish Migration Agency

Step 2: Appointment at the Swedish mission abroad to present the passport and provide biometrics

Step 3: Issuance of decision

Step 4: If successful, search for employment or a business opportunity upon entry and application for either a work permit or a permit for independent professionals

For more information, please see the Residence permit for highly qualified persons to look for work or start a business webpage of the Swedish Migration Agency.

How much will it cost for the residence permit?

Application cost: EUR 200 (2,200 SEK) residence permit fee.

How long will it take to process a residence permit? 

Average processing times are up to 3 months if the authorities do not require further information or documentation.

Contractual services supplier

Do I qualify as a contractual services supplier under CETA? 

Under CETA, a contractual services supplier is a Canadian service supplier employed by an enterprise in Canada with a contract to provide a service to a consumer in Sweden in an eligible service sector. A list of eligible services sectors under CETA is found under CETA Annex 10-E, number 9.

A Canadian contractual service supplier must also:

• have provided services as an employee of the contracted Canadian enterprise for at least one year before the date of their application for entry into Sweden
• have a university degree or an equivalent qualification
• have at least three years of professional experience since the age of 18 in the sector of the contracted activity
• have any professional qualifications required to practice the activity according to the laws or requirements in Sweden

For engineering technologists seeking entry as a contractual service supplier, a 3-year post-secondary degree from an officially recognised institution in engineering technology is considered equivalent to a university degree.

For scientific technologists seeking entry as a contractual service supplier, a 3-year post-secondary degree from an officially recognised institution in the disciplines of agriculture, architecture, biology, chemistry, physics, forestry, geology, geophysics, mining and energy is considered equivalent to a university degree.

A Canadian contractual service supplier cannot get paid for their services during their stay in Sweden other than what is paid to them by their Canadian employers.

The Canadian enterprise that employs a Canadian contractual service supplier cannot have any establishment in Sweden.

Fulfilment of the contract must require the temporary presence of the Canadian contractual service supplier in Sweden.

Under CETA, a Canadian contractual services supplier can stay in Sweden for up to 12 consecutive months, or for the duration of the contract, whichever is less. Extensions are possible at the discretion of Sweden’s officials.

Do I need a work permit or a visa as a contractual service supplier?

Swedish legislation does not provide for an entry route specifically for contractual service suppliers. Alternatively, contractual service suppliers can make use of the general work and residence permit.

The initial work and residence permit is issued for a maximum duration of 2 years, and can be extended for another 2 years. After 4 years the Canadian nationals may qualify for permanent residency or can request an extension of their permit for another 2 years.

What are the eligibility requirements for a work and residence permit?

The general work and residence permit can be obtained for the activities in any sector if the following conditions are met:

• A service agreement, signed between the Canadian company and the Swedish client
• The applicant must have a valid passport;
• The applicant must have a market conforming salary as set by Swedish collective agreements or which is customary within the occupation or industry;
• The applicant can support themselves (i.e. earn minimum SEK 13,000 per month; EUR 1150).
• The applicant must have health insurance covering health, life, employment, and pension.

How do I apply for a work and residence permit for assignments?

The process for this permit consists of the following steps:

Step 1: Provision of information about the local sponsoring company, the position, and the person they intend to host, by the Swedish client in the E-service portal

Step 2: Review by the relevant trade union of the terms of employment and give feedback via the E-service

Step 3: Application for a work permit via the link received in the email sent to the Swedish entity

Step 4: Processing of the application by the Swedish Migration Agency and instruction to present the employee’s passport at the Swedish embassy

Step 5: Approval of the application via a letter sent to the host entity in Sweden;

Step 6: Collection of the combined work and residence card (at the embassy or sent to home address)

Step 7: Once in Sweden; completion of the Tax Registration at the Swedish Tax Agency to obtain a personal number

How much will it cost for a work and residence permit?

Application cost: EUR 195 for a work and residence permit.

A Posted Worker Notification (PWN) will also be required.

If there is no bilateral social security agreement with Sweden and no Certificate of Coverage can be obtained, social security registration in Sweden may be required. More information about the social security registration can be found on the workers’ rights and obligations webpage of the Swedish Work Environment Authority.

How long will it take to process a work and residence permit? 

Estimated processing time is 7-9 months.

For more information, see the Work permit for employees and citizens of non-EU countries webpage of the Swedish Migration Agency.

Independent professional

Do I qualify as an independent professional under CETA? 

Under CETA, an independent professional is a self-employed Canadian service supplier with a contract to supply a service to a consumer in Sweden in an eligible sector. A list of eligible services sectors under CETA is found under CETA Annex 10-E, number 9.

A Canadian independent professional must also have:

• at least 6 years of professional experience in the sector of the contracted activity at the date of application of entry
• a university degree or equivalent qualification
• any professional qualifications required to practice the activity, according to the laws or requirements in Sweden

Other requirements:

• a Canadian independent professional must not have established an enterprise in Sweden
• fulfilment of the contract must require the temporary presence of the independent professional in Sweden

For engineering technologists seeking entry as a contractual service supplier, a 3-year post-secondary degree from an officially recognised institution in engineering technology is considered equivalent to a university degree.

For scientific technologists seeking entry as a contractual service supplier, a 3-year post-secondary degree from an officially recognised institution in the disciplines of agriculture, architecture, biology, chemistry, physics, forestry, geology, geophysics, mining and energy is considered equivalent to a university degree.

Under CETA, a Canadian independent professional can stay in Sweden for up to 12 consecutive months, or for the duration of the contract, whichever is less.

Do I need a work permit or a visa as an independent professional?

Swedish legislation does not provide an entry route specifically for independent professionals. However, independent professionals may benefit from the immigration routes for self-employed individuals via the self-employed residence permit. In Sweden, this permit is suitable for foreign nationals with experience in their industry and running their own business.

The self-employed residence permit is granted for up to two years and can be extended. However, self-employed persons who are going to work in Sweden for less than 3 months do not need a residence permit.

For more information consult the EU Immigration Portal for Sweden.

What are the eligibility requirements for a Self-Employed Residence Permit?

The applicant must comply with the following eligibility criteria for the Self-Employed Residence Permit:

• have a valid passport
• demonstrate considerable experience in the industry and previous experience of running their own business
• relevant knowledge of Swedish or English. If the IP has many suppliers or customers in Sweden, they must have very good knowledge in Swedish
• executive responsibility for the business
• a network of Swedish customer contacts

How do I apply for the Self-Employed Residence Permit?

The process for obtaining a Self-Employed Residence Permit consists of the following steps:

Step 1: Submission of application

Step 2: Passport check at a Swedish Embassy or Consulate general upon request from the Migration Agency

Step 3: Approval of application

Step 4: Once in Sweden; completion of biometrics at the Swedish Migration Agency

Step 5: Collection of the residence permit card

How much will it cost for the Self-Employed Residence Permit?

Application cost: SEK 2,000 Self-Employed Residence Permit fee (approximately 180 EUR).

How long will it take to process the Self-Employed Residence Permit? 

The estimated processing time is lengthy and may exceed 24 months.

For more information, see the Residence permit for people who have their own business webpage of the Swedish Migration Agency.

Intra-corporate transferee

Do I qualify as an intra-corporate transferee under CETA? 

Under CETA, Canadian intra-corporate transferees are senior personnel, specialists, or graduate trainees at a Canadian enterprise who are being temporarily transferred to a subsidiary, branch, or head company of the Canadian enterprise in Sweden.

Senior personnel are Canadian business people in a senior position within an enterprise who:

• primarily direct the management of the enterprise or a department or sub-division of the enterprise
• make a wide range of decisions, including recruitment, promotions and dismissals
• receives general supervision or direction from higher-level executives, the board of directors, or stockholders of the business or their equivalent
• supervises and controls the work of other supervisory, professional or managerial employees and exercise discretionary authority over day-to-day operations

Specialists are Canadian business people who have:

• uncommon knowledge of the enterprise's products or services and its application in international markets, or
• an advanced level of expertise or knowledge of the enterprise's processes and procedures such as its production, research equipment, techniques, or management.

In assessing such expertise or knowledge, Sweden's officials will consider abilities that are unusual and different from those generally found in a particular industry and that cannot be easily transferred to another business person in the short term. These abilities would have been obtained through specific academic qualifications or extensive experience with the enterprise.

Graduate trainees are Canadian business people who:

• have a university degree
• are being temporarily transferred to an enterprise in Sweden for career development purposes, or to obtain training in business techniques or methods

The training delivered to a graduate trainee must be linked to their university degree.

Under CETA, Canadian senior personnel and specialists can stay in Sweden for whichever is shorter, three years or the length of the contract, with a possible extension of up to 18 months at the discretion of Sweden's officials.

Canadian graduate trainees can stay in Sweden for whichever is shorter, one year or the length of the contract.

Do I need a work permit or a visa as an intra-corporate transferee?

Under Swedish law, Canadian companies can transfer highly skilled managers, specialists and graduate trainees to an entity in Sweden belonging to the same group by obtaining an EU Intra-Corporate Transferees (ICT) permit for the employees. This permit also grants the employees the right to work at a client site.

The maximum duration of this work and/or residence authorisation is three years (for managers and specialists) and one year (for graduate trainees). A Canadian national with a valid EU ICT Permit can apply for an extension of stay in country, within the maximum allowable duration of the permit.

More information on the EU ICT permit for long-term mobility can be found on the EU intra-corporate transferee webpage.

What are the eligibility requirements for an EU Intra-Corporate Transferee (ICT) permit?

The following criteria must be met in order to be eligible for an EU ICT permit:

• the employee (the Canadian national) has been employed by the corporate group for at least three months before the transfer
• the employee is working for an employer located outside the EU/European Economic Area (EEA)
• the employee resides outside of the EU/EEA area
• the employee will work as a manager, specialist, or a graduate trainee for more than 90 days at the company in Sweden
• the employee’s salary is in line with the local collective bargaining agreement (gross base salary plus allowances), or at a level suitable for the profession or industry
• the home employer and host entity (in Sweden) are entities within the same company or part of the same corporate group
• the employee continues to be employed outside the EU/EEA (in this case, Canada, or another non-EU country) after their assignment in Sweden ends

How do I apply for an EU Intra-Corporate Transferee (ICT) permit?

The process for obtaining an EU Intra-Corporate Transferee permit consists of the following steps:

Step 1: Provision of employment’s information in the e-service and selection of the relevant trade union

Step 2: Submission of the work permit application

Step 3: Presentation of the passport at the embassy or consulate and submission of fingerprints

Step 4: Approval letter received by the employer in Sweden

Step 5: Capture of the individuals' fingerprints in a combined Swedish work and residence card allowing the individual to enter Sweden and start working

Step 6: In Sweden, tax registration at the Swedish Tax Agency to obtain a personal number, in parallel with the Swedish host entity also notifying the Tax Agency

How much will it cost for an EU Intra-Corporate Transferee (ICT) permit?

Application cost: SEK 2,200 (EUR 202) for a Residence EU ICT permit.

How long will it take to process an EU Intra-Corporate Transferee (ICT) permit? 

Estimated processing time is approximately seven months.

More information on the ICT permit for long-term mobility can be found on the EU intra-corporate transferee webpage.

A Posted Worker Notification (PWN) will also be required.

If there is no bilateral social security agreement with Sweden and no Certificate of Coverage can be obtained, social security registration in Sweden may be required. Canada and Sweden have a bilateral social security agreement in place. More information about the social security registration can be found on the Posted worker’s rights and obligations webpage.

What if I am a business person from a category that is not covered?

Entry into Sweden for Canadian business people not belonging to any of the categories covered under the CETA is subject to Sweden’s acts and regulations governing entry and stay.

To explore other paths for entry into Sweden, please consult Sweden’s immigration portal.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is current as of June 2023 (national immigration legislations may change, sometimes at short notice). It is offered for informational purposes only and does not constitute general legal advice. The information: (i) must be regarded as a practical guide for general information and not a process guide for determining the specific immigration requirements of the countries covered, (ii) should not be a substitute for a more in-depth analysis of applicable facts and circumstances (including, without limitation, criminal or health-related circumstances) conducted by competent professionals, (iii) indicated processing times and fees herein are approximate, are subject to the specific case circumstances, and  change. The information herein does not guarantee the outcome or approval of any particular immigration application.