Participate in contract or specialisation education
If you are to conduct contract or specialisation education in Sweden for a period of time longer than three months, you can apply for a residence permit.
EU/EEA citizens, Swiss citizens and long-term residents
Special rules apply to EU/EEA citizens, Swiss citizens, or long-term residents.
Rules for EU/EEA citizens, Swiss citizens and long-term residents
Stays of less than three months
For a total stay of less than three months, you should not apply for a residence permit and instead apply for a visa. Citizens of some countries may stay in Sweden for up to three months without a residence permit or visa. During this period, it is permitted to study.
Read more about applying for an entry visa
What is contract and specialisation education?
The types of education that can form the basis for a residence permit for contracts or specialisation education are:
- an contract course under Ordinance on contract education at higher education institutions (2002:760), or
- a specialisation education for doctors or dentists that require such an exception as referred to in Chapter 4. Section 4 of the Patient Safety Act (2010:659).
Requirements for obtaining a residence permit
For a permit, you must
- have a valid passport
- prove that you will be participating in a full-time education programme that requires your presence in Sweden
- be able to support yourself during the time for which you are applying for a residence permit
- have, or have applied for, a comprehensive health insurance policy
- demonstrate that you have made acceptable progress in your education (if you are applying for an extension of a previous permit).
A permit for participation in contract or specialisation education does not give you the right to work in Sweden.
How to apply for a residence permit for contract or specialisation education in Sweden
Before you submit your application
Make sure that the information on the document you attach is clearly visible. Important information such as your name must appear in the documents. The documents should be as recently issued as possible. The documents should also be translated into Swedish or English by an authorised public translator, if they are issued in another language. When attaching a translated document, you should always provide a copy of the original document.
You must have a valid passport
Include copies on the pages of your passport showing personal data, photo, signature, passport number, country of issue, period of validity, and if you are authorised to live in countries other than your home country. It is important that the entirety of the passport pages are included in the copies. Numbers and symbols at the top and bottom of the pages must also be clearly visible. If your passport is about to expire, you should extend it because you cannot get permits that exceed the passport’s period of validity.
You must show your passport
The Swedish Migration Agency must check your passport before a decision can be made. You may therefore need to show your passport at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general if you are outside Sweden, or one of the Migration Agency's service centres if you are in Sweden.
In some cases, you will not be required to show your passport, for example, if we have already checked your passport during a previous visit.
If you need to show your passport, we will contact you with information on how and when to do so.
If you need an entry visa or residence permit card to travel to Sweden, you will in most cases have your fingerprints taken and be photographed when you show your passport at an embassy or consulate-general.
If your family also applies for a residence permit, the Swedish Migration Agency must check their passports as well. The requirement to show your passport in person does not apply to children under the age of five, it is sufficient that the parent brings the child's passport to the visit. However, if the child needs a residence permit card, they must come along to be photographed for it.
You must partake in full-time education
You must participate in a full-time education programme in Sweden. You cannot receive a residence permit for studies that have distance learning as the way of studying.
You must be able to support yourself
For applications received by the Swedish Migration Agency on or after 1 January 2024, the living expense requirement is at least SEK 10 314 per month.
You must show that you have secured your financial support for the time for which you are applying for a residence permit. This means that you must show that you have money available through bank assets, stipends or the like, such as student finance from your home country.
If you will receive a stipend or the like, you must send a recently issued document in your name with information on the monthly amount or total amount. It shall also be clear from the document what time you will receive funds disbursed and how much of the money will be available for your living expenses.
If you refer to your own bank assets in Iranian rials (IRR), the Swedish Migration Agency uses the same exchange rate as the Ministry for Foreign Affairs uses in visa matters.
If you can show that you receive free housing and/or food through the higher education organiser or an organisation that works for international exchange, the amount per month can be reduced. For applications received on or after 1 January 2024, the monthly amount is reduced by SEK 2 865 per month for free food and SEK 4 584 per month for free housing.
You must have, or have applied for, a comprehensive health insurance policy
If your planned stay in Sweden is longer than one year, you are expected to register as a Swedish resident. This means that you do not need to prove that you have health insurance in your application for a residence permit. If you become registered as a Sweden resident, or if you already are, you are considered to have comprehensive health insurance.
If the planned stay is shorter than one year, you must be insured by having or having applied for insurance of your own.
The insurance must be valid for the entire time you will be in Sweden and cover costs for emergency and other medical care, dental care and hospital stays. It must also cover expenses for home transportation for medical reasons.
Conditions in order to be civilly registered
External link, opens in new window.
You must have made acceptable progress in your studies
When applying for an extension of a residence permit for contract or specialisation education, you must also show a certificate from the education provider in Sweden that you have made acceptable progress in your education.
How long the permit is valid
You can receive a residence permit for the time your studies require, but never longer than the validity of your passport. You can receive a residence permit for contract or specialisation education for a maximum of four years.
If your family is also applying for residence permits
If your family is accompanying you to Sweden, you can apply for permits for them simultaneously with your own. Your family shall use the form Application for a residence permit for family members of students and doctoral students, 135011. Each accompanying family member needs their own form. In most cases, your co-applying family members will need to pay an application fee.
Fees for residence permits for studies
The form informs on which documents you must attach when applying for the first time.
The maintenance requirement for adult family members is SEK 4 297,50 per month and for children SEK 2 578,50 per month.
Your family members can receive a residence permit and a work permit for the same period of time as you. If you have received a residence permit for more than six months, they can also get a work permit.
Shorter processing time for a complete application
In order for the Swedish Migration Agency to be able to make a decision in your case, all information must be completed and all necessary documents must be included. This means that the processing time is shorter if everything needed is included from the beginning than if the application needs to be supplemented afterwards. Please note that in some cases, the Swedish Migration Agency may need to investigate an application further even though all the documents have been attached.
Time to a decision
In order to obtain an impression how long you need to wait for your decision, you can visit the page Time to a decision. Note that the average time that is shown on the page is calculated based on previously decided cases in the same category. The time can vary from application to application.