Onboarding a New Employee in Sweden – A Payroll Perspective.

Lilac Flower

Hiring a new employee is more than signing a contract. In Sweden, it also means setting up the employee correctly in the payroll system, collecting key information, and ensuring you’re ready for monthly tax reporting and payments.

Here’s what payroll onboarding looks like in Sweden — and what every employer needs to know.

Before the First Day: What to Collect

To register a new employee and pay them correctly, you’ll need:

  • Full name and personal identity number (personnummer)

  • Swedish tax status (A-skatt or SINK)

  • Address and bank account

  • Signed employment contract

  • Information about pension, benefits, and agreed salary

  • Date of employment and employment type

If your employee doesn’t have a Swedish personal number yet, we can help guide the process and use a coordination number (samordningsnummer) in the meantime.

Swedish Tax: A-Skatt vs SINK

Most Swedish employees are taxed under A-skatt (standard employee income tax). Foreign employees temporarily working in Sweden may qualify for SINK, which is a flat rate with no deductions.

The correct tax category affects how we calculate and report payroll. It’s important to get this right from the beginning.

Registering with Authorities

Once you’ve collected the necessary data:

  • The employee must be reported in the monthly PAYE return to Skatteverket

  • Employer contributions (around 31.42%) must be calculated

  • The first salary payment must follow Swedish standards and timelines

If we handle your payroll, we’ll make sure the employee is registered, declared, and paid correctly from the start.

Setting Up Payslips and Benefits

The new employee must:

  • Receive a digital or printed payslip every month

  • Be included in vacation accrual and pension plans (if applicable)

  • Be covered by occupational insurances if required by law or agreements

We recommend using Kivra for payslip delivery — employees will continue receiving their payslips even if they change jobs later.

Timing and Communication

It’s important to onboard well before the first payday. Time is needed to:

  • Register the employee in the payroll system

  • Validate tax status and bank info

  • Sync data with time reporting or HR systems

  • Ensure compliance with collective agreements

Delays in onboarding can lead to incorrect or late salary payments — avoidable with good structure and clear steps.

Use Our Portal to Stay in Control

Our Stay-in-touch-Portal gives you:

  • A clear checklist for onboarding

  • Document sharing with drag and drop

  • Payroll timelines and confirmation of setup

  • No unnecessary features — just what’s needed to get started fast

Conclusion: Smooth Onboarding, Accurate Payroll

The onboarding process is your foundation for compliant payroll. When done correctly, it ensures correct tax, salary, and contributions from day one — and gives your employee a professional start.

Need help onboarding your next hire in Sweden? We’ll take care of the payroll setup, reporting, and communication with the authorities — so you don’t have to.