# Residence Permit for Higher Education in Sweden Canonical URL: https://vedette-legal.com/service/residence-permit-for-higher-education-in-sweden/ Published: 2025-08-14T10:48:18+00:00 Last modified: 2026-09-02T18:29:25+00:00   2026 update: Swedish immigration rules for higher-education students have changed since this article was originally published. The original article has been preserved below, with the current maintenance requirement and the rules effective from 11 June 2026 explained in the update section at the end.   If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA and wish to study at a Swedish university, university college, higher vocational institution, or folk high school at the post-secondary level, you will likely need to apply for a residence permit. This applies to first- or second-cycle programmes, exchange studies, and mobility programmes lasting more than three months. If your family is accompanying you, they may apply at the same time.   To be eligible, you must hold a valid passport and be fully admitted to a full-time, on-site education programme. You must also have paid your tuition fees in full and arranged comprehensive health insurance if your programme lasts less than one year. Furthermore, you must prove that you can financially support yourself throughout your stay, with at least SEK 10,584 per month (2025).   Your application must include passport copies, a final admission decision confirming full-time, on-site studies, and documentation of tuition payment. You’ll also need proof of health insurance and financial means. If family members are applying with you, you must also provide relationship documentation and demonstrate your ability to support them financially.   Permits can be granted for up to one or two years depending on the length of your studies and the institution’s status. The total permit period cannot exceed the validity of your passport. If granted for the full study period, an additional two weeks is included to facilitate your departure.   Key Points:   - Permit duration: 1–2 years (maximum, depending on programme and institution) - Financial requirement: SEK 10,584/month (2025) - Tuition fees must be paid before applying - Health insurance required for studies under 12 months - Family members may apply and are allowed to work   At Vedette Legal, we help students prepare complete and accurate residence permit applications to ensure a smooth start to your studies in Sweden.   ###### Important Immigration Law Update – 2026 This update concerns only the residence permit category discussed in this article: higher education studies below doctoral level, particularly first- and second-cycle studies. It does not describe the separate rules governing doctoral students or researchers.   The maintenance requirement has increased Please note that the financial requirement described earlier in this article has subsequently changed. For applications submitted in 2026, the maintenance requirement is at least SEK 10,656 per month, rather than the 2025 amount of SEK 10,584 per month. If qualifying free food or accommodation is provided by the higher education institution or an organisation working with international exchange, the 2026 monthly requirement may be reduced by: – SEK 2,960 per month for free food; and – SEK 4,736 per month for free accommodation.   When accompanying family members apply with the student, the required amount includes an additional SEK 4,440 per month for a spouse or cohabiting partner and SEK 2,664 per month for each child.   New rules effective from 11 June 2026 New statutory and regulatory rules affecting residence permits for higher education studies below doctoral level entered into force on 11 June 2026. For the category covered by this article, the changes concern work during studies, study progress, address reporting, applications for another permit from within Sweden, and accompanying family members.   Work during studies is now limited Please note that the earlier rule allowing students to work without a general hourly limit has subsequently changed. A student in the category covered by this article whose residence permit was granted on or after 11 June 2026 may generally work no more than 15 hours per week without a separate work permit.   The 15-hour limitation does not apply: – during June, July or August; – where the student’s work comprises education, student representation, administration, an internship or traineeship, research, or artistic research, provided that the work is performed at the institution where the student is admitted or is connected to the student’s education; or – where the student has completed an entire higher-education programme or other defined course of higher education whose total scope is equivalent to at least two semesters, holds a diploma or education certificate confirming completion, and is not applying for another residence permit in the same below-doctoral study category.   Completing two semesters of a longer programme that remains unfinished does not satisfy the third exception. For example, a student who has completed two semesters of a four-semester programme cannot rely on this exception merely because the first two semesters have been passed. The exception may apply only if those two semesters constitute a separate, formally completed higher education for which a diploma or education certificate has been issued. The reference to research in the second exception concerns work performed by the student in connection with their education. It does not concern the separate residence permit category for researchers. If a student works more than permitted, the Swedish Migration Agency may refuse to extend the residence permit. The existing residence permit may also be withdrawn. These consequences are not automatic, but exceeding the permitted working time creates a legal basis for such a decision. Students and employers should therefore keep accurate records of working hours and confirm that any claimed exception applies.   Higher requirements for study progress Students were already required to demonstrate acceptable progress in their studies. The new rules define the required progress more precisely. For a residence permit in the category covered by this article, acceptable progress generally means that the student has completed: – 62.5% of the studies that should have been completed during the first study year with a residence permit; and – 75% of the studies that should have been completed thereafter. For a standard full-time university programme of 60 credits per academic year, this corresponds to: – 37.5 credits during the first study year; and – 45 credits per study year thereafter. An exception may be granted where there are special reasons. Insufficient study progress may result in an extension being refused or an existing residence permit being withdrawn.   Students must report their Swedish address A student granted a residence permit in this category must report the address at which they intend to live in Sweden to the Swedish Migration Agency. The address must be reported: – within 30 days after entering Sweden using the issued residence permit; – within 30 days after the residence permit is granted if the student is already in Sweden; and – within 30 days after moving to a new address.   A student who is registered in the Swedish population register is exempt from this reporting obligation.   Transitional provisions The new work limitation, study-progress thresholds and address-reporting requirement do not apply during the existing permit period of a student whose residence permit was granted before 11 June 2026. However, the new rules apply once the permit period is extended after that date. When a permit granted before 11 June 2026 is extended for the first time, the student must report their address within 30 days of the extension decision unless they are registered in the Swedish population register. The relevant transitional date is the date on which the residence permit was granted. Therefore, if an application was submitted before 11 June 2026 but the permit was granted on or after that date, the new rules apply.   Applying for another permit from within Sweden The requirements for relying on an exception that permits an application for another type of residence permit from within Sweden have become stricter. For a holder of the study permit covered by this article, the exception generally requires the student to have completed an entire higher-education programme or other defined course of higher education whose total scope is equivalent to at least two semesters. Merely completing two semesters of a longer programme that remains unfinished is not sufficient. For example, completing the first two semesters of a four-semester programme does not meet this requirement if the student has not completed the programme. If the first two semesters constitute a separate, formally completed higher education, the applicant must be able to document that completion. This requirement can be relevant, for example, when a student seeks to apply for a residence permit for work without first leaving Sweden. Whether an application may be submitted and granted from within Sweden depends on the particular permit sought, the documentation available and the applicant’s individual circumstances.     [Book a consultation to get started](https://calendly.com/vedette-legal/15min?month=2025-11)   --- Source: https://vedette-legal.com/service/residence-permit-for-higher-education-in-sweden/