You have been admitted to studies and have paid any tuition fees
You receive a letter of admission or an admission decision and pay any tuition fee. If you need to pay a tuition fee, it must be paid before you apply for a residence permit.
You apply
You fill in the application and attach the required documents. In the application, you state which Swedish embassy or consulate-general you want to visit if we need to meet you in person before we make a decision. If we need to meet you, you will be asked to make an appointment at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general.
We recommend that you submit your application as soon as you have received a letter of admission or admission decision and paid any tuition fee, so that we can process your application well in advance of the start date for your studies.
The Swedish Migration Agency reviews your application
The Swedish Migration Agency will review your application and the information in the questionnaire. We process all applications in the order in which they are received, and it is not possible to get priority. If we can immediately see that you do not meet the requirements for a residence permit, we may already make a decision to reject your application.
We will contact you if we need more information.
Present a passport and provide fingerprints
Before we can make a decision about a residence permit, you need to present your passport. You must also be fingerprinted and photographed. This information will later be used to produce a residence permit card for you, if you are granted a permit for a period of more than three months.
Digital passport check
In some cases, the Swedish Migration Agency will notify you that you must present your passport for a digital passport check via an app. If you are granted a residence permit, you will be fingerprinted and photographed at one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s service centres once you have arrived in Sweden.
If you present your passport digitally, but have also been called in for an interview, you need to book an appointment to visit an embassy or consulate-general. During this visit, you may also need to provide fingerprints and have your picture taken.
Read more about digital passport check
Present your passport and get fingerprinted at the embassy
If you are not offered a digital passport check, we will ask you to book an appointment to present your passport at the embassy or consulate-general you selected in your application.
If you need an entry visa to travel to Sweden, you may also be fingerprinted and photographed during the same visit.
You are waiting for a decision – You have applied for the first time
The Swedish Migration Agency reviews newly received information
Once you have presented your passport and been interviewed (if necessary), the Swedish Migration Agency will review all the information related to your application and investigate whether you can be granted a residence permit.
We will contact you if we need more information.
You receive our decision
If you applied in the e-service, you will receive an email as soon as we have made a decision. The email will tell you whether you have been granted a residence permit or if your application has been rejected. The decision will then be sent by post to your chosen embassy or representative. In certain cases, you need to book an appointment at the embassy to pick it up. If you have applied using a paper form, you will not receive an email from us. Instead, the embassy will contact you to inform you of the decision.
When you receive the decision, you can find out the reasons on which we based it. If you are granted a residence permit, you have the right to live and study in Sweden as long as the permit is valid. If your application is rejected and you are currently in Sweden, you must prepare to leave the country.