Sweden – Intra-corporate transferee (ICT)

You work for a company established outside the European Union (EU) and you are going to be transferred to a branch in Sweden? You can find information below on the conditions, procedures, rights and mobility you can enjoy during your stay.

Conditions

You can enter, reside and work in Sweden as an intra-corporate transferee if you are a manager, specialist or trainee employee. The definitions and conditions of admission are governed by the EU Directive on intra-corporate transfer (Articles 3 and 5 of Directive 2014/66/EUSearch for available translations of the preceding linkEN•••). If you fulfil the conditions, you will be issued an intra-Corporate Transferee permit.

Please note that before being transferred from a company branch located outside of the EU to a branch in Sweden you must have been employed by that company for a certain time period: if you are a manager 3 months; a specialist 3 months; a trainee 3 months.

Procedures

Where and how to apply

You (the applicant) can apply for an ICT permit by using the form Application for ICT permit to work in Sweden – for persons who are not in Sweden, which you can hand in at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general.

The application must be made before entry, and you may not be residing in an EU country.

The applicable fee is 2000 SEK (approximately 200 Euro).

Regarding the indicative processing time, a decision on the ICT permit and extended-stay mobility ICT permit will be made within 90 days.

The decision to grant a permit is sent to the embassy or the consulate-general where you submitted your application. You must have your passport with you when you come to collect your decision. You may receive a permit for the time period for which you are offered work, but not longer than the validity period of your passport.

If your application for an ICT permit is granted, you will receive a residence permit card that says “ICT”. If you apply for an extended-stay mobility ICT permit, and you application is granted, you will receive a residence permit card that says “ICT mobile”. The card is proof that you have permission to stay in Sweden, and contains your fingerprints and a photograph of you.

When the residence permit card is ready, you may come and collect it from the embassy or consulate-general, or they will send it to you. Bear in mind that it can take up to four weeks to produce and deliver the card to the embassy or consulate-general after you have received your decision. When entering Sweden, you must present your residence permit card together with a valid passport.

If you need a visa to travel to Sweden, you will need to visit the Swedish embassy or consulate-general as soon as possible to have your fingerprints and photograph taken. You need to do this even if you have had a residence permit card previously, as your photograph and fingerprints cannot be saved.

If you are able to travel to Sweden without a visa, you will need to be able to present a copy of the decision when entering Sweden. You must make an appointment to have your fingerprints and photograph taken as soon as you can after arriving in Sweden. When your residence permit card is ready, it will be sent to your address in Sweden. This also applies if you apply for an extended-stay mobility ICT permit when you are in Sweden.

The card entitles you to work in Sweden for the employer, and in the occupation, that you specified in your application. The card is valid for the time period stated in the decision.

An ICT permit, or an extended-stay mobility ICT permit, cannot be granted if you have reached the maximum time limit for a transfer within the company. This means that a permit cannot be granted for a longer time than three years for managers and specialists, or for longer than one year for trainees. If you have an ICT permit for another EU state, you may only receive an extended-stay mobility ICT permit that is valid during the same time period as the ICT permit.

Documents required

To be granted an ICT permit, you must:

  • hold a valid passport;
  • be working as a manager, specialist or trainee with the company in Sweden for more than 90 days;
  • have the professional qualifications and experience that is required for the position of manager or specialist, or have the education that is required for a trainee position;
  • have an employment contract from your employer outside the EEA area regarding your employment in your country of origin. If you are a trainee, you must also submit a trainee agreement for the training period in Sweden;
  • have taken out or applied for comprehensive health insurance that covers health and medical care in Sweden. If your stay in Sweden is shorter than one year, this requirement applies to the entire stay. If your stay is longer than one year, your health insurance must be valid for three months;
  • have been employed for at least three months, continuously, at the time of your transfer within the company;
  • be able to relocate, following the period of the transfer, to a company in a country outside the EU that belongs to the same company, or to a company in the same corporate group;
  • be able to prove you are qualified to practise your profession in Sweden, if the transfer relates to a regulated profession.

Your employer must:

  • provide an offer of employment
  • offer compensation that is as least on par with Swedish collective agreements, or with what is customary in the profession or industry
  • offer terms of employment that are at least equal to those of an employee posted in Sweden
  • offer employment that enables you to support yourself.

The employment contract and trainee agreement must contain the following information:

  • the employer’s name and address outside the EEA area;
  • the employee’s name and address;
  • when the employment outside the EEA area started;
  • the location where the work/training is carried out;
  • a brief description of the employee’s work duties;
  • wages and other benefits;
  • the employee’s professional title or the title of his/her job position (does not apply to trainees);
  • the contract must be translated into Swedish or English.

Duration of validity of permits

The period of validity of the ICT permit is of at least one year or the duration of the transfer (whichever is shorter), and may be extended to a maximum of 3 years for managers and specialists and 1 year for trainee employees.

Appeals

If the Swedish Migration Agency rejects your application, you may lodge an appeal against the decision within three weeks of the date when you received notification of the decision. Information on how to do this can be found in the documentation for your decision.

Extension or renewal

If you wish to continue working in Sweden, you must extend your ICT permit or extended-stay mobility ICT permit. The application must be submitted before your current permit expires. The permit may be extended for up to three years if you are working as a manager or specialist, or up to one year if you are a trainee.

Rights

Change of status

f you have, or have applied for, an ICT permit, or have an extended-stay mobility ICT permit, you must notify the Swedish Migration Agency if anything changes that affects the terms of the permit. This could apply if, for example, you are not receiving the remuneration you have been offered, or your terms of employment have been downgraded.

If you do not report changes that affect the terms of the permit, your application for a permit or extension of a permit may be rejected, your permit may be withdrawn, or you may, in the worst case, be fined or imprisoned for up to six months.

You can report changes by sending a letter to the Swedish Migration Agency in which you explain what has changed. You must clearly state your name and reference number (case number).

Send your letter to the Swedish Migration Agency, PO Box 3100, 903 03 Umeå.

Your employer must also notify the Swedish Migration Agency if anything changes that affects the terms of your permit.

Family members

Your family may also receive a residence permit for the same period as you.

The following count as family members:

  • your partner (cohabiting partner, husband/wife or registered partner);
  • your or your partner’s unmarried children under 18.

If your family will be accompanying you, and you are applying for them at the same time, you must also enclose:

  • copies of the pages in their passports showing their personal information, photograph, signature, passport number, country of issue, period of validity, and the machine-readable code on the identity page, and the pages indicating whether they have a permit to live in countries other than their country of origin;
  • a copy of the wedding certificate, marriage certificate or equivalent (applies to married couples and registered partners);
  • document(s) showing that you have been living together in your country of origin (applies to cohabiting partners);
  • birth certificate(s) for child(ren);
  • consent from the other custodian, if this person is not accompanying you to Sweden, confirming that the child may move to Sweden
  • adoption papers, if the child is adopted;
  • power of attorney, if you are the legal representative of your partner.

The documents must be translated into Swedish or English by an authorised public translator. You must enclose a copy of the original document and a copy of the translation of the documents.

The family members can also be granted work permit

Other rights

A person with an ICT permit benefits from equal treatment with nationals of (Member State) in what regards freedom of association; recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications; provisions regarding social security (with conditions); access to goods and services (with exceptions). For more information click here.

Mobility

Upon the fulfilment of certain conditions you can, on the basis of an ICT permit issued in one EU country, work in other EU countries if the entity where you will work belong to the same company. If the duration of your mobility is shorter than 90 days during a 180-day period you are subject to short-term mobility rules. If the duration of the mobility is longer than 90 days, you are instead subject to long-term mobility rules.

The following procedures apply if you have an ICT permit in an EU Member State and intend to move and work in Sweden:

Short-term mobility

If you have an ICT permit for an EU country, you may enter, stay and work in Sweden for a maximum of 90 days over a 180-day period. The company in Sweden should be a department that is a part of the same company, or a company within the same corporate group as the company that is established in the EU country where you work. Your permit for the other EU country must be valid for the entire period you will be staying and working in Sweden.

Long-term mobility

If you have an ICT permit for another EU country and you intend to work in Sweden, you must apply for an extended-stay mobility ICT permit if your stay in Sweden is longer than 90 days over a 180-day period.

You must enclose a copy of your residence permit card with your application. The card must confirm that you have an ICT permit.

In order to be granted an extended-stay mobility ICT permit, you must:

  • hold a valid passport;
  • have an ICT permit that was issued in another EU country;
  • be working as a manager, specialist or trainee with the company in Sweden for more than 90 days;
  • have an employment contract from your employer outside the EEA area. If you are a trainee, you must also submit a trainee agreement for the training in Sweden (see what the agreement should contain under the heading “Requirements for being granted an ICT permit”);
  • have taken out or applied for comprehensive health insurance that is valid in Sweden. If your stay in Sweden is shorter than one year, this requirement applies to the entire stay. If your stay is longer than one year, your health insurance must be valid for three months;
  • be able to prove you are qualified to practise your profession in Sweden, if the transfer relates to a regulated profession.

Your employer must:

  • provide an offer of employment
  • offer compensation that is in line with Swedish collective agreements, or with what is customary in the profession or industry
  • offer terms of employment that are at least equal to those of an employee posted in Sweden
  • offer employment that enables you to support yourself.

If you have an ICT permit that was granted to you in another EU country, you may submit your application for an extended-stay mobility ICT permit in Sweden.

Send your application to the Swedish Migration Agency, Box 3100, 903 03 Umeå.

You must enclose:

  • copies of the pages in your passport that show your personal details, photo, signature, passport number, country of issue, period of validity, and whether you have permission to live in countries other than your country of origin;
  • an offer of employment, and a statement from a trade union on the terms of employment you are being offered (you should obtain this from your employer);
  • an employment contract from your employer outside the EEA area. If you are a trainee, you must also submit a trainee agreement for the training period in Sweden;
  • a degree certificate/register extract from your university if you are a trainee;
  • information on the insurance company with which you have taken out an insurance policy, and the period of validity of the insurance policy;
  • documents confirming that you are qualified to practise your profession, if the application is for a regulated profession;
  • a copy of your current ICT permit, if you were granted an ICT permit for another EU country;
  • power of attorney, if you are the legal representative of the applicant.

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