EU Blue Card Minimum Salary Level Increased

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At a Glance

• Effective October 14, 2019, the minimum salary for EU Blue Card holders in Sweden has increased to SEK 51,900 per month, up eight percent from last year.
• Employers of foreign nationals seeking to obtain or renew an EU Blue Card must increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new rule.

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The situation

Effective October 14, 2019, the minimum salary for EU Blue Card holders in Sweden has increased to SEK 51,900 per month, up eight percent from last year’s monthly salary of SEK 48,000. The exchange rate at the time of publication of this alert is 1 SEK to .1 USD.

A closer look

• Existing employees. Employers of foreign nationals currently under an EU Blue Card do not need to increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new rule.
• Initial and renewal applications. Employers of foreign nationals seeking to obtain or renew an EU Blue Card on or after October 14, 2019 must increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new rule. Immigration applications that do not meet the minimum salary will be rejected.
• Pending applications. Employers of foreign nationals with pending EU Blue Card applications as of October 14, 2019 must increase the foreign national’s minimum salary to comply with the new rule. Immigration applications that do not meet the minimum salary will be rejected.

 

Reminders on other requirements

• Benefits and allowances. As before, benefits and allowances may only be included in the minimum salary calculation if they are specified in the employment contract, guaranteed and fixed, and are not paid in kind. Holiday allowance cannot be included in the minimum salary calculation.
• Market salary rate. As before, salaries must also meet the market salary rate for the proposed position.
• Currency. As before, employers are required to guarantee the salary in SEK.

 

Background

Most European countries increase their minimum salary level 1-10 percent per year to keep up with inflation.

Looking ahead

More minimum salary increases are expected to be published soon in many EU countries. Fragomen will report on other countries’ minimum salary increases.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].