Kingdom of Norway vs Kingdom of Sweden
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Kingdom of Norway and Kingdom of Sweden government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- UDI — Norwegian Directorate of Immigration
Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI) - verified
- Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket)
Migrationsverket - verified
- UDI — Skilled workers
UDI (Utlendingsdirektoratet) - verified
- Migrationsverket — Employees work permit
Migrationsverket - verified
Kingdom of Norway
Norway's immigration is administered by the Directorate of Immigration (UDI). As an EEA member (not EU), Norway participates in free movement for EU/EEA nationals. Third-country nationals require a residence permit for skilled workers, with employer sponsorship and a salary meeting the going rate. Self-employment, family immigration, and student permits are also available. Permanent residence after 3 years of continuous legal residence on a work permit.
- Official portal
- Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI)
- Languages
- Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk)
- Currency
- Norwegian krone
Kingdom of Sweden
Sweden's work and residence permits are administered by the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket). The work permit system requires an employer offer meeting minimum salary and insurance conditions. The EU Blue Card (Sweden) targets highly qualified workers. Self-employment, researcher, and student permits round out the system. Sweden offers permanent residence after 4 years of continuous residence on a work permit.
- Official portal
- Migrationsverket
- Languages
- Swedish
- Currency
- Swedish krona
How Kingdom of Norway and Kingdom of Sweden differ
| Dimension | Kingdom of Norway | Kingdom of Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 4 | 4 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 1 | 1 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 1 | 3 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | Skilled worker permit -> permanent residence after about 3 qualifying years -> citizenship after meeting the UDI citizenship residence category. | Work permit -> permanent residence after 4 qualifying work years in the past 7 -> citizenship under the 8-year main residence rule. |
| Dominant skilled visa | Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert) | Work Permit (Arbetstillstånd) |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | No fixed published floor | SEK 34,470/month |
| Skilled visa processing time | UDI does not publish a fixed skilled-worker processing window on the route page; applicants are directed to UDI waiting-time guidance. | The Swedish Migration Agency reports that complete highly qualified work-permit applications are mostly decided within 1 month; incomplete cases can take around 3 months. |
| Skilled visa government fees | Norway lists NOK 6,300 for an adult skilled-worker residence permit application, with NOK 3,150 for under-18 work applicants and separate first-time family immigration fees. | A Swedish employee work-permit application costs SEK 2,200 for the principal applicant. |
| Official languages | Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian (Nynorsk) | Swedish |
| Currency | Norwegian krone | Swedish krona |
| Primary regulator | Advokatforeningen | Advokatsamfundet |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Kingdom of Norway
Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert)
- Salary minimum
- No fixed published floor
- Government fees
- Norway lists NOK 6,300 for an adult skilled-worker residence permit application, with NOK 3,150 for under-18 work applicants and separate first-time family immigration fees.
- Processing time
- UDI does not publish a fixed skilled-worker processing window on the route page; applicants are directed to UDI waiting-time guidance.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Kingdom of Sweden
Work Permit (Arbetstillstånd)
- Salary minimum
- SEK 34,470/month
- Government fees
- A Swedish employee work-permit application costs SEK 2,200 for the principal applicant.
- Processing time
- The Swedish Migration Agency reports that complete highly qualified work-permit applications are mostly decided within 1 month; incomplete cases can take around 3 months.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to Kingdom of Norway
Routes unique to Kingdom of Sweden
Visa routes side by side
Kingdom of Norway (4)
Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · 1–3 years initially; renewable.
Job-Seeker Visa (Oppholdstillatelse for aa soeke arbeid som faglart)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 1 year (previously 6 months — extended to support recruitment); non-renewable.
International Company Assignment Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 2 years at a time; up to 6 years total, followed by 2 years outside Norway before a new permit of this type.
Student Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse for studier)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · 1 year; renewable for duration of studies.
Kingdom of Sweden (4)
Work Permit (Arbetstillstånd)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · 2 years initially; renewable for another 2 years.
EU Blue Card (Sweden)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · At least 9 months and up to 4 years; renewable.
Self-Employment Permit (Eget företag)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · 2 years initially; renewable.
Student Residence Permit (Uppehållstillstånd för studier)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 1 or 2 years depending on the institution and programme; never longer than the studies or passport validity.
Frequently asked questions
How long does permanent residence typically take in Kingdom of Norway vs Kingdom of Sweden?+
Kingdom of Norway: Skilled worker permit -> permanent residence after about 3 qualifying years -> citizenship after meeting the UDI citizenship residence category.. Kingdom of Sweden: Work permit -> permanent residence after 4 qualifying work years in the past 7 -> citizenship under the 8-year main residence rule.. Both timelines are route-dependent — see each country’s settlement page for the breakdown per visa.
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Kingdom of Norway or Kingdom of Sweden?+
Kingdom of Norway’s Skilled Worker Residence Permit (Oppholdstillatelse som faglaert) requires a salary of at least No fixed published floor; Kingdom of Sweden’s Work Permit (Arbetstillstånd) requires SEK 34,470/month. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Is the main skilled visa cheaper in Kingdom of Norway or Kingdom of Sweden?+
Comparing the dominant skilled route in each country: Norway lists NOK 6,300 for an adult skilled-worker residence permit application, with NOK 3,150 for under-18 work applicants and separate first-time family immigration fees. By contrast, A Swedish employee work-permit application costs SEK 2,200 for the principal applicant. Those are government fees only and exclude relocation, qualification recognition, and living costs — open each fee page for the itemised breakdown.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Kingdom of Norway vs Kingdom of Sweden immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/norway/vs/sweden. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons