Consultation
We define your business goals, current structure and key questions.
Market entry: Sweden
Legal support for launching and growing your business in Sweden
For business owners, international companies and entrepreneurs who want to start operating in Sweden, expand an existing business or build a presence in the Swedish market.
Book a consultationDE FACTO · Strategic Legal AdvisorySweden · Spain · EU Law
Why Sweden
A market with a clear system, and a high cost of mistakes
For foreign business, Sweden is attractive as a mature European market with a transparent administrative system, strong infrastructure and a well-developed B2B sector. But entering it requires careful legal setup. Your business structure, F-tax, VAT, employer registration, the status of owners and employees, contracts and local compliance all need to work together. For foreign entrepreneurs, the rules also differ depending on citizenship and on whether the business is run from Sweden or from abroad.
That's why market entry in Sweden is about much more than registering a company.
What we help with
We help you build a business that fits the Swedish system
Reach out if you:
- want to start or expand a business in Sweden;
- are bringing a foreign company into the market;
- need to decide between a Swedish company and a branch;
- are starting to work with Swedish clients, suppliers or partners;
- are hiring employees in Sweden;
- plan to recruit specialists from outside the EU;
- have an owner or key employee relocating to Sweden;
- want to review contracts, business structure or compliance before launch;
- are already operating, but your legal setup needs a review.
What our support includes
From market entry to ongoing legal support
Business Structure & Market Entry
We define the best way to organise your presence in Sweden, taking into account your existing international structure, owners and project goals.
Company / Branch Setup Coordination
We help choose the right form of presence and handle the legal side of the setup. For a foreign company, one option may be a branch. A branch remains part of the foreign legal entity and must be registered separately in Sweden.
Commercial Contracts
We draft and review contracts with clients, partners, suppliers and other business counterparties.
International Hiring
We help employers build a hiring process for specialists from outside the EU: employer requirements, work permits, document strategy and coordination with HR.
Business Immigration
If an owner, executive or key employee is relocating to Sweden, we align their immigration status with the business structure and the way the business actually operates.
Legal Review & Compliance
We review existing documents, contracts and legal processes if your company is already operating or moving into a new stage.
Ongoing Legal Support
After launch, we can continue as your external legal partner.
What matters specifically in Sweden
Business and immigration are more closely linked here than they seem
The Swedish system requires your business structure, employer obligations and employees' immigration status to be aligned.
This is especially important if your company:
- hires specialists from outside the EU;
- depends on highly skilled talent;
- is relocating a founder or key employees to Sweden;
- operates through a foreign company or branch;
- is growing fast and restructuring its contracts and compliance.
In 2026, Sweden further tightened parts of its labour immigration rules, while keeping specific exemptions for certain shortage occupations and qualified specialists, including in tech and industry. For employers, this means international hiring is no longer just an administrative procedure. It is a distinct area of legal risk.
Where De Facto's experience is most relevant
Practice at the intersection of business law and international mobility
De Facto is especially relevant for projects where a business needs to manage several of these at once:
- international expansion;
- commercial contracts;
- business immigration;
- international hiring;
- employee documentation;
- partner agreements;
- KYC and selected compliance matters;
- EU law;
- cross-border business relationships.
This is particularly relevant for companies growing internationally, hiring talent from other countries or rebuilding their legal setup after expansion.
How we work
From your task to a working structure
Legal Review
We analyse documents, contracts, business structure and, where relevant, immigration and employment matters.
Roadmap
We define the required actions, their sequence and the specialists to involve.
Implementation
We handle the legal side of the launch: contracts, immigration matters, international hiring and other required processes.
Ongoing Support
Where needed, we continue working with you after market entry.
Why De Facto
The Swedish market through the lens of business, immigration and EU law
Swedish Law · EU Law
We consider not only local requirements, but also the European context and how decisions affect your international business structure.
Business Law · Contracts · Immigration
We connect company structure, contracts and the status of owners or employees into one system.
International Hiring Experience
We understand where the employer process meets immigration law, and where mistakes can lead to a rejected or delayed hire.
19+ years of legal practice
We help you separate critical legal risks from secondary ones and set clear priorities.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to set up a separate company in Sweden?
Not always. Depending on your business model, there are different options, including operating through a foreign company or a branch. The right choice depends on where the business actually operates, who signs the contracts and how your international structure is set up.
What does a foreign entrepreneur need to start a business in Sweden?
Requirements depend partly on citizenship. Non-EU/EEA entrepreneurs may need a residence permit. You may also need a coordination number, company registration, F-tax, VAT and employer registration.
Can I hire employees from outside the EU?
Yes, but both the employer and the candidate must meet current immigration requirements. The specific approach depends on the role, employment terms and the rules in force.
Do you help with work permits?
Yes. This is one of De Facto's core practice areas in Sweden, especially for employers and international hiring.
Can I reach out if my business is already running?
Yes. In that case, we start with a Legal Review and identify what needs adjusting in your current structure, contracts, immigration setup or compliance.
Do you advise on tax?
We take tax implications into account when designing the overall structure, and bring in a specialist tax adviser where dedicated tax advice is needed.