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Study in Sweden: costs, visa, scholarships and universities

Costs, visa process, work rights, scholarships and university options for studying in Sweden.

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Overview

Sweden's higher education is delivered by public universities and university colleges. Citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland generally pay both an application fee (SEK 900) and tuition fees set by each university; doctoral students and exchange students are exempt. Master's programmes taught in English are the main entry point for international students, with totals in the checked sample ranging from about SEK 150,000 (one-year Lund programme) to SEK 400,000 for two-year programmes.

Applications go through universityadmissions.se. For autumn 2027 the first round opens 16 October 2026 and closes 15 January 2027, with documents and the application fee due 1 February 2027 and master's results published 1 April 2027. The second round (15 April 2027) is recommended only for EU/EEA students who do not need a residence permit. The general English requirement is English 6 (for example IELTS Academic 6.5 with no section below 5.5).

Non-EU students must pay the first tuition instalment before applying to the Swedish Migration Agency for a residence permit. For 2026 applications the maintenance requirement is SEK 10,656 per month, the application fee is SEK 1,500, and 75% of recently decided cases took up to three months. For permits decided from 11 June 2026, bachelor's and master's students may work up to 15 hours per week during semesters (unlimited in June-August), and must earn 37.5 credits in the first year and 45 per year thereafter. Graduates can apply for a permit of up to one year to look for work or start a business.

Scholarships exist at national level (Swedish Institute, master's level only, citizenship-restricted) and at universities (full or partial tuition waivers, mostly merit based). Rules vary by university, programme and nationality; applicants should confirm details with the university and the Swedish Migration Agency.

Public university tuition
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens pay tuition set by each university. Sample autumn 2027 master's totals: Lund Information Systems (1 yr) SEK 150,000; Uppsala Economics SEK 228,000; Lund Economics SEK 300,000; Gothenburg Computer Science SEK 294,000; Linköping Computer Science SEK 332,000; Chalmers SEK 380,000 (from 2027/28); KTH most 2-year programmes SEK 385,000; KI SEK 330,000-400,000. Application fee SEK 900. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, doctoral students and exchange students pay no fees.Source
Monthly living cost
Migrationsverket maintenance requirement for 2026 applications: SEK 10,656 per month (reduced by SEK 2,960 if food and SEK 4,736 if housing is provided free by the institution; add SEK 4,440 per spouse and SEK 2,664 per child). LiU estimates about SEK 10,000 per month; Lund example budget SEK 4,000-8,000 accommodation, 3,000 food, 1,500 miscellaneous.Source
Visa processing time
Migrationsverket states 75% of recently decided cases took up to 3 months; no exact time given.Source
Work rights
For permits decided on or after 11 June 2026, bachelor's and master's students may work up to 15 hours per week; unlimited in June, July, August and for work related to the education, student representation, traineeships or research at the admitting institution. Study progress required: 37.5 credits in year 1 and 45 per year after. Graduates with at least two semesters and a diploma may work without limits while the permit is valid. Permits decided earlier are not yet subject to the limit until extension.Source
Intakes and deadlines
Main intake is autumn (late Aug/Sept). Autumn 2027 first round: opens 16 Oct 2026, deadline 15 Jan 2027; application fee and documents 1 Feb 2027; master's results 1 Apr 2027, bachelor's results 8 Apr 2027. Second round: 15 Mar-15 Apr 2027, results 9 Jul 2027, recommended only for EU/EEA students not needing a permit. Spring intake exists for a few programmes (e.g. Uppsala Theology spring 2027 deadline 15 Oct 2026).Source
Language requirement
General requirement English 6 / English level 2. IELTS Academic 6.5 (no section below 5.5); TOEFL iBT 90 with 20 writing for results up to 20 Jan 2026, or 4.5 total on the 1-6 scale with no section below 4 from 21 Jan 2026; PTE Academic 62 with writing 61; Cambridge C1 Advanced 180. TOEFL ITP/MyBest/Essentials not accepted; IELTS General Training not accepted. Duolingo not listed on the page. Some programmes require English 5 or 7. Exemptions for certain upper-secondary or university studies (60 ECTS in English).Source

Tuition and living costs

Public university tuition
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens pay tuition set by each university. Sample autumn 2027 master's totals: Lund Information Systems (1 yr) SEK 150,000; Uppsala Economics SEK 228,000; Lund Economics SEK 300,000; Gothenburg Computer Science SEK 294,000; Linköping Computer Science SEK 332,000; Chalmers SEK 380,000 (from 2027/28); KTH most 2-year programmes SEK 385,000; KI SEK 330,000-400,000. Application fee SEK 900. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, doctoral students and exchange students pay no fees.Source
Private university tuition
Not yet verified
Monthly living cost
Migrationsverket maintenance requirement for 2026 applications: SEK 10,656 per month (reduced by SEK 2,960 if food and SEK 4,736 if housing is provided free by the institution; add SEK 4,440 per spouse and SEK 2,664 per child). LiU estimates about SEK 10,000 per month; Lund example budget SEK 4,000-8,000 accommodation, 3,000 food, 1,500 miscellaneous.Source

Accommodation

Lund example budget SEK 4,000-8,000 per month for accommodation. Housing guarantee details not verified for any university.

When planning the total budget, separate one-off and monthly items. Budget planning guide

Visa and residence permit

Non-EU/EEA citizens studying longer than three months need a residence permit for studies (Migrationsverket). First pay the tuition fee instalment so admission becomes final, then apply online (or paper form 113011 at an embassy).

Visa processing time
Migrationsverket states 75% of recently decided cases took up to 3 months; no exact time given.Source
Proof of funds
SEK 10,656 per month for 2026 applications; locked funds do not count if frozen during the permit period.Source
Health insurance
Comprehensive health insurance required if studies last under one year; if a year or more, register in the Swedish population register (Skatteverket rules not fetched).Source

Application steps

  1. Be admitted full-time on-site and pay the first tuition instalment (admission is conditional until paid).
  2. Apply via Migrationsverket e-service (adult, valid email, Visa/Mastercard, scanned documents) or paper form 113011 at a Swedish mission.
  3. Provide passport digitally or in person; an embassy appointment may be required.
  4. Receive decision by email; the permit should be issued before travel.

Documents required

  • Passport copy
  • Admission decision confirming full-time on-site studies
  • Proof of maintenance (bank statement issued no more than four months before permit start)
  • Health insurance if studies last under one year; otherwise register in the population register
  • Family: relationship proof, children's birth records and consents
Fees
SEK 1,500 adults, SEK 750 children under 18; not refunded if rejected (exemptions: World Maritime University students, Japanese citizens, certain scholarship recipients).Source

Nationality-specific notes: turkish: null; russian: No Russia-specific student-permit rule found; Chalmers warns that Nordea generally does not process payments linked to Russia, Belarus, Iran, North Korea.; kazakh: null; ukrainian: No Ukraine-specific student-permit rule found; SI scholarship page snippets say Ukrainians in Sweden under the Temporary Protection Directive may apply (not verified on SI page).; azerbaijani: null

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Work rights and after graduation

For permits decided on or after 11 June 2026, bachelor's and master's students may work up to 15 hours per week; unlimited in June, July, August and for work related to the education, student representation, traineeships or research at the admitting institution. Study progress required: 37.5 credits in year 1 and 45 per year after. Graduates with at least two semesters and a diploma may work without limits while the permit is valid. Permits decided earlier are not yet subject to the limit until extension.

After graduation: Up to one year permit to seek work/start business after at least two semesters of studies; fee SEK 1,500.

Source

Language requirements and intakes

Language requirement
General requirement English 6 / English level 2. IELTS Academic 6.5 (no section below 5.5); TOEFL iBT 90 with 20 writing for results up to 20 Jan 2026, or 4.5 total on the 1-6 scale with no section below 4 from 21 Jan 2026; PTE Academic 62 with writing 61; Cambridge C1 Advanced 180. TOEFL ITP/MyBest/Essentials not accepted; IELTS General Training not accepted. Duolingo not listed on the page. Some programmes require English 5 or 7. Exemptions for certain upper-secondary or university studies (60 ECTS in English).Source
Intakes and deadlines
Main intake is autumn (late Aug/Sept). Autumn 2027 first round: opens 16 Oct 2026, deadline 15 Jan 2027; application fee and documents 1 Feb 2027; master's results 1 Apr 2027, bachelor's results 8 Apr 2027. Second round: 15 Mar-15 Apr 2027, results 9 Jul 2027, recommended only for EU/EEA students not needing a permit. Spring intake exists for a few programmes (e.g. Uppsala Theology spring 2027 deadline 15 Oct 2026).Source

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Scholarships

masterDirect application

SI Scholarship for Global Professionals (SISGP)

Swedish Institute

Coverage
Full tuition fee (paid by SI to the university each semester); SEK 12,000 monthly allowance; one-time travel grant SEK 15,000 (SEK 10,000 for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine; not for those already living in Sweden); SI Network membership. Does not include insurance, family grants, or the University Admissions application fee.
Deadline
Master's application at University Admissions 16 Oct 2026 - 15 Jan 2027; eligible programme list published 13 Nov 2026; SI portal 8-24 Feb 2027 (closes 14:59 CET); University Admissions results 1 Apr 2027; SI announcement 22 Apr 2027
Eligibility
Open to citizens of 34 listed countries. Azerbaijan and Ukraine ARE listed (proof of work experience required, no hour minimum; Ukrainians under Temporary Protection in Sweden remain eligible). Turkey, Kazakhstan and Russia are NOT on the list. Must be liable for tuition fees, admitted on the first admissions day to an eligible English-taught master's (Governance, Public Health, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, STEM), have work and leadership experience; not eligible if already enrolled in/holding a Swedish degree or resided 2+ years in Sweden.
Source
masterVia the university

KTH Scholarship

KTH

Coverage
Full tuition fee, not living costs
Deadline
1 Dec 2026 - 15 Jan 2027
Eligibility
KTH programme must be first priority; fee-paying; not for Erasmus+/EIT joint programmes
Source
masterVia the university

Lund University Global Scholarship

Lund University

Coverage
Part or all tuition; ~SEK 26 million per year
Deadline
Usually early Feb; 2026 deadline 16 Feb 2026
Eligibility
Non-EU/EEA fee-paying; Lund first choice; merit only; 600-word motivation
Source
masterVia the university

Stockholm University Scholarship Scheme

Stockholm University

Coverage
Whole tuition fee
Deadline
Form sent after first-round results; outcomes by end April
Eligibility
Admitted in first round; SU first choice gets priority
Source
masterDirect application

KI Global Master's Scholarship

Karolinska Institutet

Coverage
Tuition only; one per programme
Deadline
8-24 Feb 2027
Eligibility
Fee-paying; KI first choice; 10 awards 2025, 12 in 2026
Source
masterVia the university

Chalmers scholarships

Chalmers

Coverage
Not stated on fetched page
Deadline
Late Nov 2026 - mid Jan 2027
Eligibility
Fee-paying prospective master's students
Source
masterVia the university

Uppsala University Global Scholarship

Uppsala University

Coverage
Full tuition fee (100%); living expenses not covered
Deadline
Application period 16 Jan - 1 Feb 2027 (autumn 2027)
Eligibility
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens; programme must be first choice among four at University Admissions; motivational letter max 350 words; about 2% of applicants receive a scholarship; number of awards not stated; only one UU scholarship per person; some programmes (e.g. Euroculture) excluded.
Source
masterDirect application

LiU International Scholarship

Linkoping University

Coverage
Tuition fee normally reduced by 50% (can be partial); number and percentage decided yearly
Deadline
2027 window opens early April on the day of selection results; exact dates not yet published
Eligibility
Fee-paying; applied by first-round deadline with complete documents; LiU ranked first of four choices and admitted in first notification; GPA at least 3.5/4.0 or equivalent.
Source

Cities

Stockholm

Lund

Uppsala

Gothenburg

Linköping

Universities

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Stockholm · Public

Most two-year programmes (both years at KTH): SEK 385,000 total; varies by programme. Computer Science fee page (last changed 26 Jun 2024) also shows SEK 385,000. Per-programme 2027 amounts not verified for ML and Aerospace. Charged per semester in advance.

Lund University

Lund · Public

Per programme: Economics (2 yr) SEK 300,000; MSc Machine Learning, Systems and Control (2 yr) SEK 370,000; Information Systems (1 yr) SEK 150,000. First instalment is one quarter of the total for 2-year programmes (SEK 75,000 / 92,500) and half for 1-year. Autumn start: invoice late March/April, pay by 20 May.

Uppsala University

Uppsala · Public

Computer Science SEK 300,000; Economics SEK 228,000; Medical Research SEK 330,000 (totals; first instalment one quarter). Others seen in search snippets only: Information Systems 276,000, Business and Management 228,000, Psychology 276,000.

Chalmers University of Technology

Gothenburg · Public

2026/27: SEK 80,000 per semester (SEK 320,000 for two years); from 2027/28: SEK 95,000 per semester (SEK 380,000 two years). Architecture/Urban Design/Human-Centred Design: 105,000/semester (420,000) in 2026/27, 135,000 (540,000) from 2027/28. First semester payment due 1 May 2027.

Stockholm University

Stockholm · Public

Per academic year (60 credits): Humanities/Social Sciences/Law SEK 90,000; Sciences SEK 140,000; some programmes 90,000-140,000; a few collaborative programmes higher. Programme-specific 2027 totals not stated on catalogue pages.

University of Gothenburg

Gothenburg · Public

Autumn 2027 totals: Computer Science SEK 294,000; Software and AI Engineering SEK 294,000; Global Health SEK 328,000 (first instalment one quarter). First autumn instalment due 1 May.

Linköping University

Linköping · Public

Autumn 2027: Computer Science SEK 332,000; Mechanical Engineering SEK 332,000; Statistics and Machine Learning SEK 328,600. Paid per semester in advance (30 credits/semester); pay by 15 May if offer end of March.

Karolinska Institutet

Stockholm (Solna) · Public

2026/27 table: Bioentrepreneurship 360,000; Biostatistics and Data Science 360,000; Toxicology 400,000; Biomedicine 400,000; Health Informatics 330,000 (totals, 2-yr, four equal instalments). Autumn 2027 programme pages repeat the same amounts for those checked.

Umeå University

Umeå · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 96,600 to SEK 963,900 among the 7 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Luleå University of Technology

Luleå · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 280,000 to SEK 420,000 among the 6 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Stockholm School of Economics

Stockholm · Private

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 360,000 to SEK 360,000 among the 2 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Uppsala · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 284,000 to SEK 516,000 among the 5 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Karlstad University

Karlstad · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 200,000 to SEK 450,000 among the 7 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Linnaeus University

Växjö · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 125,000 to SEK 960,000 among the 7 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Örebro University

Örebro · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 278,600 to SEK 282,104 among the 4 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Mid Sweden University

Sundsvall · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 107,000 to SEK 453,000 among the 5 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Malmö University

Malmö · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 155,000 to SEK 520,000 among the 7 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Mälardalen University

Västerås · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 200,000 to SEK 750,000 among the 7 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Blekinge Institute of Technology

Karlskrona · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 140,000 to SEK 420,000 among the 5 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Swedish Defence University

Stockholm · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 123,500 to SEK 247,000 among the 4 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences

Stockholm · Public

University of Borås

Borås · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 110,000 to SEK 417,000 among the 5 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Dalarna University

Falun · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 96,000 to SEK 300,000 among the 5 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

University of Gävle

Gävle · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 104,000 to SEK 312,000 among the 5 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Halmstad University

Halmstad · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 159,000 to SEK 477,000 among the 5 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Kristianstad University

Kristianstad · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 110,000 to SEK 405,000 among the 5 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

University of Skövde

Skövde · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 110,000 to SEK 465,000 among the 7 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

University West

Trollhättan · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 140,000 to SEK 315,000 among the 5 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Jönköping University

Jönköping · Private

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 120,000 to SEK 360,000 among the 7 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Södertörn University

Huddinge · Public

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 108,000 to SEK 234,000 among the 4 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Beckmans College of Design

Private

Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design

Stockholm · Public

Royal Institute of Art

Stockholm · Public

Royal College of Music in Stockholm

Stockholm · Public

Stockholm University of the Arts

Stockholm · Public

Academy for Leadership and Theology (ALT)

Private

Brunnsvik Folk High School (Bemu)

Private

Enskilda Högskolan Stockholm

Stockholm · Private

Erica Foundation (Ericastiftelsen)

Private

Gammelkroppa Forestry School

Private

Johannelund School of Theology

Uppsala · Private

Marie Cederschiöld University

Stockholm · Private

Newman Institute

Private

Swedish Red Cross University College

Huddinge · Private

Scandinavian Academy for Psychotherapy Development (SAPU)

Private

Sophiahemmet University

Stockholm · Private

Stiftelsen Sankt Ignatios

Private

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-liable applicants pay tuition; listed English-taught programmes for autumn 2027 have total programme fees from SEK 50,000 to SEK 50,000 among the 1 programmes recorded here (see each programme). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other exempt groups pay no tuition or application fee.

Stockholm Institute of Music Education (SMI)

Private

Swedish Institute for Cognitive Psychotherapy (SICP)

Private

World Maritime University

Malmö

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Official resources

Frequently asked questions

Information on this page is compiled from official sources and was verified on the date shown. Fees, dates and visa rules change often; check official sources before applying. Empty fields have not been verified yet; ask our advisor for the current information.

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