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Applying for a residence permit for studies

To get a decision in time for the start of the courses, it is important that you apply for a residence permit immediately once you have received your notification of acceptance. You can submit an application before the partial fee of the tuition fee is paid. However, you cannot obtain a residence permit before the payment is made.
You must apply for a residence permit from your country of origin or other country where you permanently reside. Your permit must be complete before you can enter Sweden. This applies even if you have a residence permit for studies in another EU country, and the permit gives you the right to visit here for three months. If your stay in Sweden will exceed three months, the permit must be complete prior to entry.

Those who receive a residence permit will be given a residence permit card. The card is proof of your residence permit. When you enter Sweden, you must therefore show your card along with a valid passport.

How to apply


You can submit an application for a residence permit via our online application or you can submit your application at a Swedish mission abroad (Embassy or Consulate). When you submit an online application you receive instructions on how to fill in your application and which documents you must send. Make sure to apply in good time before your studies begin. Most people will receive a response to their application within 3 months. Note that you cannot apply online before you have paid the partial fee of the tuition fee.

If you are unable or unwilling to apply online, fill in the form Application for residence permits for students and doctoral students, no. 104031 and hand it in to a Swedish mission abroad in the country you live. If the studies in Sweden form a part of an educational programme you started for example in another EU country, you can also submit your application in the country you studied. 

In order for the Swedish Migration Board to issue a residence permit card, you must be photographed and fingerprinted when you submit your application or at a later time, for example, when you have received a residence permit.

What to send in with your application


It is important that you send in all documents that the Migration Board asks for, showing that you meet the requirements for a residence permit. It will take longer to handle your case if documents are missing, and there is a risk that you will not get a decision in time.

Enclose the following documents:

  • copies of the pages of your passport that show your identity, citizenship, the validity period of your passport and whether you have permits to be in countries other than your native country  
  • a certificate stating that you have been admitted to full-time study
  • receipt of paid application fee (for the application for a residence permit)
  • copy of the document that proves that you have comprehensive health insurance that is valid in Sweden if you plan to study in Sweden for less than one year
  • a bank statement showing that you have your own funds to support yourself. The bank statement should be recent and in English, or
  • a document showing that you have been awarded a scholarship or similar (such as a study grant) with details of the amount and the period during which you will receive the money, or
  • a document showing that you have been awarded a study grant or a wage (applies to doctoral students) with details of the amount and the period during which you will receive the money.

If permission is required from a central bank or equivalent to move money out of your country, you must enclose the relevant certificate with your application.

Check the requirements of Swedish missions abroad


Note that the mission abroad where you submit your application may require additional documents. You will find more information and contact information on the website of the relevant mission abroad. Click on the link in the right column to find the appropriate mission abroad.  

Application fee


Most people have to pay an application fee; see page on fees in the left menu.

Waiting time


Information about waiting time, see the heading Waiting time for a decision in the left menu.

Decision


The decision will be sent to the Swedish mission abroad that you specified in your web application or where you applied. If you have not previously been photographed and had your fingerprints taken, you will need to visit the mission abroad to do so.

When the residence permit card is ready, the Swedish mission will hand out or send the card to you. Note that it may take up to four weeks after you receive your decision, to make the card and deliver it to the Swedish mission.

You may work


You may work over the same period as the residence permit. You do not need a special work permit.

The permit validity period


For studies that last longer than one year, you will be granted a residence permit covering one year at a time. You must apply for an extended residence permit before the permit expire.

If the period of study is less than a year, you will be granted a residence permit which is valid for the length of the study period. If you need to stay longer, e.g. because you need to resit an exam, you can apply for an extension to your residence permit.

Sidan senast uppdaterad: 2012-05-15