You must have been offered a job before you can obtain a work permit. Your work permit must have been granted before you leave for Sweden. If your job is for less than three months, you may also need a visa.
There are several different kinds of work permits, e.g. for artists, au pairs, berry pickers, visiting researchers, athletes and coaches. Read more about work permit, on the Swedish Migration Agency website. The website also describes what exemptions apply in the case of certain occupational groups working in Sweden for a limited period.
As an EU citizen, you are entitled to work in Sweden without a work permit.
Special rules apply if you have a residence permit and long-term resident status in another EU country.
In accordance with bilateral agreements, you may be required to obtain special types of permits if you are the citizen of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea or Switzerland.
If you are granted a permit for more than three months, you are issued with a residence permit card. The card is proof that you possess a residence permit.
If you obtain a permit to work in Sweden a family member (e.g. husband/wife and unmarried children under 21) may be granted a residence permit for the same period of time. If you receive a permit for at least six months, members of your family can also obtain work permits. Family members who are granted a residence permit need a residence permit card.
Read more about residence permits for family members on the Swedish Migration Agency website.
The web portal Workinginsweden.se provides detailed information about working in Sweden. It is aimed mainly at non-EU/EEA citizens interested in working in Sweden for at least one year. The portal also describes some of the advantages of a work life in Sweden.
EU citizens and non-EU/EEA citizens interested in working in Sweden for less than one year can also find useful information about working and living in Sweden on the portal.