Important to know!

For asylum seekers

You can run a business while seeking asylum but if your application for asylum is rejected you cannot then change your mind and apply for a work permit. If you have worked instead as an employee for four months and have an offer of at least 12 more months of work with the same employer, then you can apply for a work permit if your application for asylum is rejected. If you want to be an employee, you must show the employer that you have permission from the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket).

If you have a temporary residence permit

If you have refugee status, you get a three year temporary residence permit. If you have the status of a person in other need of protection, you get a 13 month residence permit. If you can support yourself on money from your business by the time your temporary residence permit ends, you can apply for a permanent residence permit. It can be harder for the authorities to see whether you can support yourself with money through your business than if you are an employee.