The Swedish Parliament has decided to implement the new EU Blue Card Directive

Background

As Deloitte previously has shared, the Swedish government submitted a legislative proposal to the Council of Legislation on 15th of August 2024 regarding the new EU Blue Card Directive, replacing the 2009 Blue Card Directive. The aim of the new EU Blue Card Directive is to attract and retain highly qualified labour to Sweden and to the European Union. The Swedish Parliament has on the 28th of November 2024 decided to implement the suggested changes to the EU Blue Card Directive, and the implementation will come into effect as of the 1st of January 2025. 

Overview

To attract highly qualified labour to Sweden and the European Union, the Swedish Parliament has decided to implement the new EU Blue Card Directive. The EU Blue Card is a combined residence and work permit that can be granted to foreigners with employment contracts for highly qualified work in Sweden. Although having been available for several years, the permit type has been more popular in other European countries than Sweden, with only about 1300 cases handled by the Swedish Migration Agency since 2021.

As mentioned in Deloitte’s alert from August 2024, the changes that will be implemented are the following: 

• The duration of the employment contract requirement has changed to six months instead of one year. 
• The salary threshold is lowered to 1.25 times the average gross annual salary in Sweden instead of 1.5 percent of the national average gross salary. In the case of certain industries where there is a high demand for workers, the salary threshold may be lowered but must not fall below 1.0 percent of the national average gross salary.
• Introduction of a maintenance requirement for the main applicant.
• Greater possibilities to accumulate residence permit periods to reach the 5 years required to be granted status as a long-term resident.
• Expansions of categories of individuals that may be eligible for an EU Blue Card. 
• Opportunities to switch from other types of residence permits to an EU Blue Card from within Sweden are expanded.
• Greater possibilities to change occupation and/or employer without having to apply for a new EU Blue Card.
• The individual applying for an EU Blue Card must demonstrate that they have, or have applied for, comprehensive health insurance to be granted an EU Blue Card for stays up to one year.
• Higher flexibility for EU Blue Card holders from other EU countries to conduct business activities in Sweden, and to apply for an EU Blue Card in Sweden.
• An extension of the time to find a new employment if the EU Blue Card holder becomes temporarily unemployed.

For a more extensive account of the changes, please read our previous Immigration Alert that you can find here.

Deloitte’s comments

Deloitte finds that the decision by the Swedish Parliament to implement the EU Blue Card Directive is an important part in the government's paradigm shift in the field of immigration. Sweden aims to be an attractive destination for highly qualified labour, and these changes constitute important steps in facilitating and improving the conditions for this category of individuals. As Deloitte has previously commented, EU Blue Card applications have not been very common, which has also been commented on by the Swedish Migration Agency. The Swedish Migration Agency has also stated that the number of applications for EU Blue Card permits between 2021 and 2024, including dependent family members, is about 1,300 individuals. This can be compared to the 2,451 ordinary work permit applications submitted to the Swedish Migration Agency during only November 2024 alone. 

Despite being a rare work permit type, Deloitte has seen from experience that the EU Blue Card attracts interest from highly qualified workers coming to Sweden. Deloitte therefore maintains the view that there is a high probability that the number of EU Blue Card applications will increase.

 Deloitte will follow up on any changes and updates. 

If you have questions, you are welcome to contact us:

Martina Ogenhammar Conti
Director, Nordic Immigration Offering Lead - Global Employer Services
mogenhammar@deloitte.se
+46 70 080 21 60

Kaltrina Abazi
Manager, Immigration – Global Employer Services
Kabazi@deloitte.se
+46 70 080 32 62

Ivana Jaksic Bratel
Assistant Manager, Immigration - Global Employer Services
ijaksicbratel@deloitte.se
+46 70 080 35 21

Switchboard
seimmigration@deloitte.se
+46 75 246 26 00