Visas and residence permits for students

The Migration Board does not grant permits in the case of students who would need to take up permanent residence in Sweden in order to pursue their studies.

For a stay of less than three months, no residence permit is required. Some foreign nationals however must in such cases have visas in order to enter Sweden. Normally, visas are granted for three months at the most. You can read more about visas here.

Important! Click here for the regulations concerning citizens of EU/EEA member states.

What are the requirements?

• You have to study full-time
• You have to participate in an organized exchange programme
• You must be able to produce a letter from the organization confirming your admission to a course of study
• You must be able to supply the name of a person at the organization who can be contacted if necessary
• You must fully intend to leave Sweden at the end of your course of study.
  

Some of the exchange organizations approved in Sweden:

• AFS/Intercultural Education
• American Scandinavian Student Exchange (ASSE)
• European Holiday School (EF)
• International Christian Youth Exchange (ICYE)
• Rotary
• Youth for Understanding
• European Foundation
• Scandinavian Seminar
• Student Travel Schools (STS)

The Migration Board may also, after a special review of your case, grant you a residence permit if some other organization or a host family has arranged the exchange. In that case, you must be able to show that you have been accepted for studies and that you have an invitation from a host family as well as pocket money for the duration of your stay in Sweden.

Where do I apply?
You apply at a Swedish embassy or consulate in your country of origin or your country of domicile.

List of addresses to the Swedish embassies and consulates.

What does it cost to apply?
You may be required to pay an application fee. If your application is denied, the fee will not be refunded. You can read about the fees in a special information sheet.

If you require an entry visa, applying for one costs the from 1 July 2004 315 SEK . This sum is not returned should your application be turned down.

Who decides my case?
The embassy or consulate sends your application to the Migration Board in Sweden, which takes permit decisions.

Your permits must be entered in your passport before your arrival in Sweden. You cannot travel to Sweden and await a decision here.

You will be notified of the decision by the embassy or consulate to which you applied. Visa applications are normally decided by the embassy or consulate concerned.

How long will I have to wait for a decision?
To be sure of obtaining your permit in time, you should present your application 6-8 weeks prior to your departure for Sweden.

How long is a permit valid?
Exchange students are normally granted residence permits for 12 months at the most.

Can I appeal if the Migration Board turns down my application?
If the Migration Board decides not to grant you a residence permit, you may lodge an appeal with the Aliens Appeals Board (Utlänningsnämnden). This must be done in writing within three weeks of the date on which you received notice of the decision. Send your appeal to the Migration Board – Migrationsverket, SE 601 70 Norrköping, Sweden. The Migration Board then goes through your case once again to see whether your appeal contains information necessitating reconsideration of its decision. If it finds no relevant new information, it forwards your appeal to the Aliens Appeals Board in Stockholm.

There is no right of appeal against decisions to refuse an applicant an entry visa. If you have new grounds for applying, however, you can reapply or ask for your original application to be reconsidered. In that case you write in and request a review (omprövning) of the decision. You send the letter to the body that took the original decision (the embassy, the consulate or the Migration Board).

Remember!
People with permit periods of 12 months or less are not listed in the Swedish civil registry, so you will be ineligible for social welfare benefits. You should make a point, therefore, of arranging insurance to cover any costs you may incur in Sweden arising from an accident or illness.

The Schengen Agreement
The rules in the Schengen Agreement on travel within the Schengen zone now apply in Sweden as well. One result is that people with Swedish residence permits can travel freely throughout the zone for a period of three months without first applying for a visa. All travellers must have a valid passport and be able to prove their identities.

The countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.