Sweden or Slovakia
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Sweden | Slovakia | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 64 866 | $ 38 692 |
| Citizenship | 8 years | 8 years |
| Partner can work | yes | yes |
| Parents | no | difficult |
| Pets | no trouble | difficult |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 1 821 | $ 1 263 |
| Basket | $ 46,2 | $ 35,8 |
| Life expectancy | 84.06 | 78.37 |
| Homicides/100k | 0.87 | 1.07 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Sweden — 39, Slovakia — 20. Types present in both: work, study, family and startup. Sweden adds: talent, job seeking and working holiday. Slovakia adds: repatriation.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Sweden: fees range from 1,000 to 2,200 SEK. Routes with no fee: 3. Routes stating an income threshold: 9; the lowest is 9,700 SEK a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 22; the shortest is 30 days. Slovakia: fees range from 50 to 350 EUR. Routes with a published decision deadline: 17; the shortest is 15 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: Slovakia after 5 years; the other country publishes no term. Citizenship: both after 8 years. Sweden allows a second citizenship, Slovakia does not. Bringing your own parents: Slovakia — yes, Sweden — no.
Sweden in brief
A developed tech market (Spotify, Klarna, Ericsson) and a high quality of life. The work permit is tied to the employer for the first years; from July 2026 permanent residence is generally no longer granted. Parent reunification is essentially not provided for, and there is a strict maintenance requirement for family.
Slovakia in brief
An EU, eurozone and Schengen country in the middle of Europe with a moderate cost of living, low violent crime and a tech sector in Bratislava and Košice (average tech salary around €34k gross a year). EU long-term residence is available after 5 years. Held back by citizenship only after 8 years of continuous permanent residence with compulsory Slovak, restrictions on dual citizenship, an antibody titre test for pets from countries outside the EU rabies list, and river flooding as the main natural threat.
Other comparisons
More on each: Sweden · Slovakia. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.