Student Visa for Sweden: Residence Permit, Money and the 2026 Work Rules

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Sweden has no separate "student visa" for a degree. Students from outside the EU need a residence permit for higher education from the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket), issued before they travel. The rules changed on 11 June 2026, so older advice online is often out of date.

Who needs a permit

EU and EEA citizens do not. As students they have a right of residence, and if they stay a year or more they register with the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket).
Swiss citizens staying longer than three months apply for a residence permit for Swiss citizens.
Everyone else needs a residence permit for studies. For studies shorter than three months you do not apply for one; you may need an entry visa instead.

When you can apply

Only once you are finally admitted to full-time studies, which at a university means 30 credits a semester. If you pay tuition, you count as finally admitted only after paying the first instalment; the university tells the agency.

Apply as soon as you have paid: there is no priority processing. Non-EU students should therefore use the international admission round, with results in April; see how to get into a university in Sweden.

How to apply

Apply in the agency's e-service, paying by Visa or Mastercard, and name the Swedish embassy you would visit if needed. Without the e-service, hand in a paper form at an embassy or consulate-general where you live.
Present your passport, in most cases through a digital passport check in an app. If you need a visa to enter Sweden, you book an embassy visit to give fingerprints and a photo for the residence permit card.
Wait for the decision, sent by email if you used the e-service.

Documents

Copies of your passport; no permit runs past its expiry date.
The admission decision, showing full-time studies on site in Sweden.
Proof of money for the whole permit period.
Proof of comprehensive health insurance, if your studies last less than a year.

Documents should be in Swedish or English. Translations should be certified and sent with a copy of the original.

How much money you must show

For applications made in 2026 the requirement is at least SEK 10,656 a month (about €960) for every month of the permit. The figure is updated each year, so check it in the year you apply. It is lower if the university gives you free housing or food.

Accepted proof includes your own bank account, a scholarship, a student loan from home or a sponsor such as a university. A bank statement must be at most four months old on the day the permit should start. Money from relatives counts only in an account in your name. Tuition is paid separately; see banking and paying tuition.

Fee, insurance and waiting time

Fee: SEK 1,500 (about €135) for an adult, not refunded if you are refused.
Insurance: comprehensive cover is needed only for studies of less than a year. Students staying longer register in Sweden and use public health care. See health insurance for students in Europe.
Waiting time: there is no fixed time. In October 2026 the agency reported that 75% of recent cases were decided within three months.

The permit is granted for one or two years at a time, depending on the university, and can be extended.

Working while you study

Since 11 June 2026, bachelor's and master's students may work at most 15 hours a week during the semester. There is no limit in June, July and August, or for internships in your programme. Working more can cost you the permit or its extension. See working while studying in Europe.

After arrival

Notify your address to the Migration Agency within 30 days, and after every move, until you are in the population register.
Register with Skatteverket if you stay a year or more: use the "Moving to Sweden" e-service, then book an identity check at a service centre and bring your passport and residence permit card. You receive a personal identity number (personnummer), which banks and doctors ask for.
Keep up with your studies. To extend the permit you need at least 37.5 credits in the first year and 45 credits a year after that.

Where to look next

Official sources

Swedish Migration Agency: higher education: requirements, documents, fee and waiting times
New rules from 11 June 2026: work limit, study results and address notification
Skatteverket: moving to Sweden as a non-EU citizen: population register and personal identity number

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