Friday, September 12 | 2025
A permanent residence permit – permanent uppehållstillstånd, PUT in Sweden, allows you to live and work in Sweden for an undefined period of time. With a PUT you have almost the same rights and obligations as any Swedish citizen.
Having a PUT in Sweden – a permanent residence permit does not entitle you to
- A Swedish passport
- To vote in the national elections
- Nor does it entitle you to do the military service or to exercise any military occupations
Having a Swedish citizenship (instead of a PUT) will make it a lot easier if you wish to move to another EU country. It is possible – yet more complicated – to live in another EU country with a Swedish PUT.
The Swedish Migrations Board – Migrationsverket, has the right to revoke your permanent residence permit if you move to another country or spend more than one year outside of Sweden. It is therefore important to check with the Migrationsverket – before you leave – if you plan to spend more than one year abroad.
On July 20, 2021, the Swedish migration legislation will be changed. Many who have applied for a residence permit and not received a decision before July 20 will be affected by the new rules.
You can read about the major general changes in the law on Sveriges Riksdag website or Migrationsverket website. For more detailed information on how a certain type of permit or application is affected by the changes in the law, you can visit the pages about each permit on The Swedish Migrations Board – Migrationsverket.
E-learning course: Preparing your move to Sweden
Are you already feeling a bit overwhelmed about all the stuff you need to figure out how to move to Sweden? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just stressful this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to move. Here you will learn about:- Short (and long facts) about Sweden.
- The history and background of Sweden in regards to democracy, religious freedom, gender equality, social security, child welfare and LGBTQIA+.
- The types of visas and residence permits that are available plus the requirements.
- Important Swedish agencies, and trust us, you DO need to know about these ones.
- How to find a place to stay and how to avoid rental fraud.
- How to pack for your move depending on the season.
- And there will be some quizzes to make sure you are paying attention and not falling asleep at your screen.
