Document Recognition for Sweden: How University Admissions Checks Your School Certificate

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

In Sweden you do not get your school certificate recognised before you apply. The assessment is part of the application. University Admissions in Sweden, the national service run by the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR), checks your documents, decides whether you meet the entry requirements and calculates the merit rating used to rank applicants.

Who assesses your certificate

• University Admissions (universityadmissions.se, or antagning.se for programmes in Swedish) checks your school documents once for all the programmes you apply to. The SEK 900 application fee for non-EU applicants covers it; there is no separate charge.
• The university sets each programme's specific requirements and decides on admission.
• UHR's recognition office, Sweden's ENIC-NARIC centre, issues statements on foreign qualifications. For a bachelor's application you do not need one.

The rule of thumb: if your school studies give you general access to university in the country where you completed them, they most likely meet the general entry requirements in Sweden.

Start with your country page

University Admissions has a page for each country of study, listing which certificates qualify, whether your school English meets the English requirement, which documents to send and whether to translate them.

The differences are real. School studies from China never meet the English requirement, so you need a test. From Russia, school English counts only if studied at profile level, from 2008 onwards. Nigerian applicants also submit the WAEC, NECO or NABTEB scratch card so the results can be verified. American schools must send documents directly.

Even if you have studied at university, send your school documents: they decide your eligibility and your merit rating.

How to send documents

1. Upload colour scans of your original, officially issued documents in your account. This suits most applicants.
2. Or post certified copies, stamped and signed, with the cover sheet from your account. Do not post originals: nothing is returned.

Print-outs from websites and handwritten copies are not accepted. Your name and date of birth must match on all documents; if they differ, add an official document, such as a marriage certificate, that explains why. University Admissions checks documents with the issuing school and can revoke an admission based on a false one.

Translations

It depends on the country and language. On many country pages, documents in English, French, German, Danish, Norwegian or Swedish, and on some also Spanish or Finnish, are accepted as they are. Others need an official translation into Swedish or English, sent with the original-language document.

"Official" means done by a translation company or a professional translator. A sworn translator is not required, though some country pages ask for the translation to be signed and stamped. For Russia, a school's own English version is not enough without the original. See also sworn translation of documents.

Apostille

The country instructions we checked do not ask for an apostille or legalisation of school certificates; authenticity is checked with the school or exam board. Get one only if your country page or university asks. See apostille and legalisation.

IB, EB and final-year students

• International Baccalaureate. The IB Diploma meets the general entry requirements. For a diploma awarded in November 2026, your IB coordinator releases the results through the IB Results Service, recipient code "UHR", by 1 February 2027. If your diploma comes in May 2027, do not apply in the international round: your results will be too late.
• European Baccalaureate. It meets the general entry requirements. Students still finishing the EB should not apply in the international round either.
• Final-year students cannot get a merit rating without a final transcript, so their chances are limited. Non-EU students are advised to apply for a later intake, because there would be no time left for a residence permit.

The deadline

For autumn 2027, documents for the international round must arrive by 1 February 2027. Applications still incomplete after that become late and are processed only if places remain. Send documents with the application fee or soon after, so you can fix gaps in time.

An optional UHR statement

UHR's online Qualifications Assessment Tool shows how common foreign certificates compare in Sweden. You can also apply to UHR for a personal statement on your school education. UHR says applying is free, but the statement is issued only in Swedish and is not needed to apply.

Where to look next

• How to get into a university in Sweden
• How much it costs to study in Sweden
• Student visa for Sweden
• Student housing in Sweden

Official sources

• Country instructions, bachelor's: University Admissions in Sweden
• Find out what you need to submit: University Admissions in Sweden
• IB studies: University Admissions in Sweden
• If you plan to study in Sweden: Swedish Council for Higher Education

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.