You are waiting for a decision You have applied for the first time – studies

You have applied for a residence permit to start new studies in Sweden and are waiting for a decision.

  • Important to know
  • How it works

Log in to My page

By logging in to My page, you can access information about your application and use our services.

My page

Before the Swedish Migration Agency can make a decision, you must present your passport. In some cases, you will not be required to present your passport. For example, if we have already checked your passport at a previous appointment, we do not need to do so again.

You also need to 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. You need the card to enter Sweden.

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 when you arrive 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 provide fingerprints 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. If you do not need an entry visa, you can get fingerprinted and photographed after you have arrived in Sweden.

Countries whose citizens need an entry visa to enter Sweden External link.

In some cases, you may need to undergo an interview at the embassy.

If your family also applies for a residence permit together with you, the Swedish Migration Agency must also check the passport of each family member. The requirement to present a passport in person does not apply to children under the age of 5. In that case, it is enough that the parent brings the child’s passport to their own appointment. However, if the child needs an entry visa to enter Sweden, they must accompany their parent or legal guardian so they can be photographed for it.

If your application for a residence permit is granted, you will receive your residence permit card from the same embassy you visited to present your passport. For this reason, it is a good idea to ask the embassy now if they can send it to you by post or if you will need to pick it up in person.

It is not possible to say exactly how long you will need to wait for a decision. There are many things that affect the waiting time, for example whether your application is complete to begin with or whether we need to request more information.

On the page Waiting times you can see statistics on the average waiting time for different types of applications.

You can also log in to My page to see statistics on waiting times for the permit you have applied for.

If you applied in the e-service, you will receive an email stating whether your application has been approved or rejected. The decision will be sent to the embassy you previously visited, and you can read the decision there. If you have applied using the form, the embassy will contact you with information about how you can be informed of the decision.

In most cases, you need to book an appointment at the embassy to pick up the decision.

If a representative with power of attorney applied for you, the decision will be sent to them.

In the decision, you can read about the reasons on which we based our decision and learn what to do if you want to appeal.

The decision about your residence permit application must be issued before you travel to Sweden. For this reason, you should not travel to Sweden before you have received a decision, as your application may be rejected if you are in Sweden when the Swedish Migration Agency issues its decision.

You can withdraw your application at any time while your case is being processed. Once you have withdrawn your application, you will receive a decision that your application has been dismissed.

You can withdraw your application by sending us a message when you are logged in to My Page, or by sending a letter to the Swedish Migration Agency.

In the message or letter, you must tell us that you want to withdraw your application. You will also need to provide your name, date of birth or personal identity number, case number, telephone number, and address. If you send us a letter, sign it with your signature. If you have applied from within Sweden, you must also attach proof that you have travelled out of Sweden.

If you have granted someone power of attorney, they may withdraw your application on your behalf.

Send the letter to:

Migrationsverket
Box 3100
903 03 Umeå

If you leave Sweden after your visa, visa-free period or residence permit has expired, we recommend that you take your receipt for the application with you when you leave. The border police are responsible for border controls in and out of to Sweden. Neither the Swedish Migration Agency nor the Border police can give an advance decision on whether you will be allowed to travel back to Sweden. This decision is made directly at the border control.

If the higher education institution or education provider has postponed the start date of your studies to a later date than what is stated in your admission decision, you must inform the Swedish Migration Agency directly.

Contact us

If you have new information that may affect your application, for example if you have a new passport, married, or had a baby, you should contact the Swedish Migration Agency.
You can submit this new information at the embassy or consulate-general where you submitted your application. If you are in Sweden, you can instead visit one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s service centres or send the information by post to:

Migrationsverket
Box 3100
903 03 Umeå

If you made a mistake when paying an application fee – for example, if you accidentally paid the fee twice – you can get a refund. Contact the Swedish Migration Agency to ask for your money back. If you submitted your application at an embassy or consulate-general, you should contact them instead.

When requesting a refund of a fee, you will need to provide the following information.

Information about you and your application:

  • your given name and surname
  • your personal identification number, coordination number or date of birth
  • your address (with postal code, city and country)
  • your telephone number and country code (e.g. +46 for Sweden)
  • description of why you should get the fee back
  • case number (designation number/control number)
  • a bank statement or receipt clearly showing that you have paid a fee to the Swedish Migration Agency.

Information about your bank:

  • name of the bank
  • address of the bank (with postal code, city and country)
  • account number and clearing number or equivalent
  • IBAN code or BIC/SWIFT code (for banks outside Sweden)
  • name of the person who owns the account.

Send this in a letter to:

Migrationsverket
601 70 Norrköping
Sweden

News

2025-12-04

More Afghans may be able to receive passports from their home country

The Swedish Migration Agency estimates that Afghan authorities are now able to issue national passports to their citizens within a reasonable time. This means that Afghan citizens with a residence permit in Sweden no longer automatically have the right to an alien’s passport. Instead, the Swedish Migration Agency will review each application for an alien’s passport individually.

2025-12-03

The Migration Agency’s drop-in service closes on 1 January

On 1 January, the Swedish Migration Agency’s service centre will close for drop-in visits. If you have any questions about your case, please contact the Swedish Migration Agency by telephone or via My page. For guidance and assistance with your application, or with using the Swedish Migration Agency’s digital services, please visit the National Government Service Centre.

2025-07-23

Extended passports become invalid on 1 October

As of 1 October 2025, Swedish authorities will no longer accept passports that have had their period of validity extended by inserting a stamp or sticker into the passport. If you have such a national passport, you should apply for a new one.

The Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for considering applications from people who want to live in Sweden, seek protection or become Swedish citizens. Our work is based on Swedish laws and international conventions, with a focus on legal certainty and effective reception and return.