Working in Sweden

International students are allowed to work for the duration of their residence permit. 

Please not that full-time studies require 40 hours of work a week and are difficult to combine with part-time work. Opportunities for part-time work in Sweden are limited and most jobs require knowledge of Swedish, so students should not plan on finding a job to support themselves financially.

To work you should have a Swedish personal identity number. If you do not have this number and plan on working then you should get a coordination number, known as a samordningsnummer in Swedish, from the Swedish Tax Agency. You can apply for the number at the tax office at Österlånggatan 30 in Borås.

If you plan on working you can visit the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) to learn the rules of employment. The office in Borås is located at Yxhammarsgatan 9, phone nr. +46 (0)33-17 37 10.

Working in Sweden after graduation

A Swedish law that has been in effect since December of 2008 enables international students from outside the EU to apply for a work permit in Sweden after graduation, provided that they have an offer of a job that pays enough to support themselves and fulfills a few other requirements. The Swedish Migration Board has more information.

You cannot get an extension of your residence permit to look for a job. There have been discussions about giving students the possibility to stay in Sweden for six months to look for a job, but today it is not possible unfortunately. You need to have a job offer before your studies end in order to get a work permit.

Career services at the university

The career counsellor at the university is not an employment agency and cannot provide students with jobs, but can guide you, help you with your CV and how to search for jobs in Sweden. The career counsellor also offers, together with the international coordinator for incoming students, career workshops and lectures for international students.

Susanne Håkansson
Career counsellor
Room: J415
E-mail: karriarservice@hb.se
Phone: 033-435 4389