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• Why Study in Sweden?
• Our Partner Universities/Colleges
• Student Visa Procedure for Sweden
• Living Cost in Sweden

Why Study in Sweden?

The largest Scandinavian country has a lot to offer study abroad students. Beautiful cities, efficient public transportation, peaceful foreign relations, clean air, high-end design, and world-class academics are all a part of the Swedish experience. The country that brought the world Pippi Long stocking and Greta Garbo is now one of the most sought after places to study abroad.

With crime rates among the lowest in the world, the capital city of Stockholm is a treasure for students. Situated on 14 islands, Stockholm is one of the world’s most beautiful capital cities. As one of the leading nations in environmental preservation, Sweden is a great place to enjoy the outdoors, and there is never a lack of breathtaking scenery. Although the country lies so far north that it reaches the Arctic Circle, it remains relatively warm thanks to the Gulf Stream. Most Swedes are extremely active and enjoy being outdoors. Thanks partially to a recent increase in amateur sports activity; Swedes now have one of the longest life expectancies in the world. In the warmer months, swimming, cycling, tennis, soccer, canoeing and hiking are popular activities, as are skiing and ice-skating during the long winter. In the summer they bask under the midnight sun, and in the winter Swedes enjoy the beauty of the Northern Lights.

Sweden is also the home of the Nobel Prize and, consequently, has always taken academia seriously. Standards of achievement remain high. Universities work closely with industries to give students practical experience and the independe

Requirements to be granted a residence permit

nce they need to be competitive. All courses taught in Sweden are subject to rigorous quality control every six years. In addition to the government, universities are also very receptive to the student’s opinions on academic standards. The result is an education that is sought after the world over: Sweden has one of the highest percentages of foreign students studying on their soil, and the number of foreign students travelling to Sweden has drastically increased over the years. Most universities fully subsidize tuition costs for students, regardless of their nationality, so nearly anyone can afford to study here. There are also over 200 Master’s programs being offered in English, so foreign language should not be a barrier. In fact, many businesses use English as their official working language.

The Swedes also have a reputation for being peacemakers. Political science and international relations majors might find this Nordic country a particularly interesting case study. The country has not participated in a war for almost 2 centuries, remaining neutral throughout World Wars I and II. Throughout history, Sweden has maintained a policy of “non-participation in alliances in time of peace, aiming at neutrality in the event of war.” This policy has been coupled with a strong domestic defence system in order to uphold their neutrality. Recently, with Sweden’s full participation in the EU, this policy has been slightly altered to promote global cooperation for peace while still sustaining as much neutrality as possible. Sweden often plays the role of the mediator on the world political stage. The country is active in the United Nations, NATO’s Partnership for Peace, and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, and their foreign policy rates human rights, conflict management, and the environment among their highest priorities. Economics majors can experience firsthand what the Swedes call “the home of the people,” in which all citizens are guaranteed certain basic institutions such as health care, education, and housing, while still promoting entrepreneurship and inventiveness.

In fact, the many inventions that have come from Sweden are major source of pride, and a major contributor to Sweden’s export boom. Sweden has long been on the cutting edge of technology. The inventors of dynamite and the ATM were Swedish. The country is also home to world famous brands like Volvo, Ikea, Saab, Ericsson and H&M. The Swedish market is considered so trendy that it is often used by international companies to test new products. Some other inventions that have come out of this country are the pacemaker, the Celsius thermometer, chlorine, the adjustable wrench, the roller bearing, and ultrasound diagnostics. Engineering, research and development, information technology and biomedicine are some of the most heavily-funded of Sweden’s business sector, putting them in the top percentile of countries in the world for published research and inventions. Inventors, engineering majors, scientists, computer programmers, and anyone interested in cutting edge technology will find this small country a world of inspiration.

In addition to inventions and engineering, Sweden has recently seen a boom in the “experience industry,” which is composed of, among other things, creative design, music, culinary arts, and tourism. Specifically, design has increased so much that Sweden has emerged out of nowhere to become the world’s third-ranking leader in product and interior design, and 2005 was declared “the Year of Design.” This ambitious undertaking has spread throughout

Our Partner Universities/Colleges

Student Visa Procedure for Sweden

If you plan to study or study for a doctor's degree at a university or college in Sweden for a period longer than three months, you must have a residence permit. In order for you to get a decision in time to start your course, it is essential that you apply for a residence permit immediately following your letter of admission.
Residence permits for studies are temporary. Even if your stay has lasted for several years, you will normally not be allowed to reside in Sweden. The permit must be valid and included in your passport before you travel to Sweden.

Requirements to be granted a residence permit

To be granted a residence permit you must intend to study and:

• be admitted to full-time studies
• be able to support yourself for the planned study period
• have comprehensive health insurance that covers the whole period you are in Sweden if you plan to study for less than one year
• have a valid passport.

You must be able to support yourself

You must show that you have funds for the whole of the planned study period the first time you apply for a residence permit. You must show that you have your support secured by means of verification of personal bank assets, a scholarship or similar means of support, such as a foreign study grant. You must enclose a bank statement showing that you have your own bank assets available in an account belonging to you. If you have a scholarship you must present a certificate proving this. We do not accept that a sponsor (such as a relative or a company) supports you during your stay in Sweden.
 
The support requirement is at present a minimum of SEK 7,300 per month. If you intend to study for one year or more you must show that you can support yourself for 10 months per year. (See fact box below.)
 
If you can prove, for example, that you have free accommodation and/or food, this monthly figure can drop. The monthly amount drops by SEK 1,500 per month for free food and by SEK 1,500 per month for free accommodation.

Applying for a residence permit

You must use the form Application no. 105031 to apply for a residence permit as a student or doctoral student from your native country

Enclose the following documents with your application:

• copies of the pages of your passport that show your identity, the validity period of your passport and whether you have permits to be in countries other than your native country
• two photographs in passport format, taken from the front and that are not more than six months old
• a certificate stating that you have been admitted to full-time study.
• if permission is required from a central bank or equivalent to move money out of your country, you must enclose the relevant certificate with your application
• receipt of paid application fee
• copy of the document that proves you have comprehensive health insurance that is valid in Sweden if you plan to study for less than one year.

In addition, you must enclose one or more documents proving you can support yourself:

• a bank statement showing that you have your own funds to support yourself (in English)
• a document showing that you have been awarded a scholarship or similar (such as a foreign study grant) with details of the amount and the period during which you will receive the money
• a document showing that you have been awarded a study grant or a wage (applies to doctoral students) with details of the amount and the period during which you will receive the money.

Application fee

If your application is refused, your money will not be returned. You must also pay a fee when you apply for an extension to your permit.

You may work

You may work over the same period as the residence permit. You do not need a special work permit.

Permit validity period

For studies that last longer than one year, you will be granted a residence permit covering one year at a time. You must then apply for an extended residence permit. If the period of study is less than one year you will be granted a residence permit which is valid for the length of the study period. If you need to stay longer, e.g. because you need to re sit an exam, you can apply for an extension to your residence permit.
 
Permits for family members

Your husband/wife, common law spouse and unmarried children under 18 are eligible for residence permits for the same period as you providing their support is secured. The support requirement for the entire period of stay is SEK 3,500 per month for a husband/wife or common law spouse and SEK 2,100 per month for each child.
 
When your family applies for residence permits, they must use the application form Application by co-applicants to students/doctoral students (DB), no. 135011. With their application your family members must also enclose documents that prove their family relationship. Your family members cannot apply on-line the first time they apply. They can not apply on-line even if this may be in connection with you extending your permit.
 
They will be granted residence permits for the same period as you. They are, however, not permitted to work. 

Important to remember

People who stay in Sweden for a period that is shorter than one year are not entitled to the same welfare benefits as those who reside here. It is therefore important that you and your family have good insurance cover when you travel to Sweden.  

Right to appeal

If the Swedish Migration Board rejects your application for a residence permit, you may appeal the decision within three weeks of the date you were given the decision.

Living Cost in Sweden