If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA and want to work on a Swedish vessel in domestic traffic, you will need a work permit. Seafarers include officers, engineers, deckhands, and service personnel on board a vessel.
📍 What does domestic traffic mean?
This refers to voyages from one Swedish port to another (even if the vessel is passing through international waters).
✅Basic requirements for a work permit:
- Valid passport
- Employment on a vessel registered in the Swedish Ship Register
- Qualifications and certificates according to Swedish Transport Agency standards
- Signed employment contract
- Salary and conditions consistent with collective bargaining agreements
- Employer-provided insurance (health, pension, accident, and life insurance)
- Income of at least 80% of the median salary according to SCB
📝 How to apply?
- The employer initiates the process and submits information to the Migration Agency.
- You will receive an email link and complete your portion of the application.
- All documents must be in Swedish or English (with a certified translation).
- You may need to present your passport in person at the embassy/consulate.
⏲ The review process takes several months.
❗️Carefully check all contract terms to ensure they comply with immigration authorities’ requirements; otherwise, your application may be rejected.
🇸🇪Sweden is a country with high standards, and obtaining a permit is not easy, but it is the path to stable employment, social security, and a long-term future in Scandinavia.
Seamen’s Club 🇺🇦 | #education