New legislation – Implementation of the Blue Card Directive

In this proposal, the government suggests the legislative changes needed to implement the new Blue Card Directive, which replaces the 2009 Blue Card Directive. The proposals aim to improve the ability to attract and retain highly qualified workers and facilitate their mobility within the EU.

The proposals included the following:

• To be granted an EU Blue Card, a foreign national must have an employment contract for a highly qualified position with a duration of at least six months and a salary that is at least 1.25 times the average gross annual salary in Sweden.
• The scope is expanded so that fewer categories of people are excluded from the possibility of being granted an EU Blue Card.
• The possibility to switch from other types of residence permits to an EU Blue Card from within Sweden is expanded.
• A foreign national who wishes to change to another type of work or employment will no longer need to apply for a new EU Blue Card. Instead, the foreign national must notify the Swedish Migration Agency of the change of employer or changes affecting the conditions of the permit.
• A person who has been granted an EU Blue Card by another EU state may enter Sweden and conduct business for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
• A foreign national who has held an EU Blue Card in another EU state for at least twelve months may, under certain conditions, apply for an EU Blue Card in Sweden with a somewhat simplified procedure.

The Riksdag approved the proposal which entered into force on 1 January 2025.

Read more here.