Sweden

Tuition

Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland, as well as formal exchange students and doctoral students, pay no tuition fees. All other international students pay both a one-off application fee of SEK 900 per application semester (Universityadmissions.se) and a tuition fee that is set individually by each university and programme. According to the Swedish Institute, tuition fees average around SEK 160,000 per year and range overall from about SEK 80,000 to SEK 320,000 per year. Examples: Uppsala University charges SEK 50,000–72,500 per semester (SEK 100,000–145,000 per year) depending on the programme; Stockholm University charges SEK 90,000 per year for Humanities/Social Sciences/Law and SEK 140,000 per year for Sciences; KTH Royal Institute of Technology charges around SEK 180,000 per year for most two-year master's programmes (SEK 360,000 in total). Many universities and the Swedish Institute award scholarships that fully or partially waive the tuition fee. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]}

Visa

Residence permit for studies at higher education, issued by the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket); the application fee is SEK 1,500 for adults. Requirements include final admission to full-time studies, payment of the first tuition-fee instalment (if fee-liable), sufficient financial means (a maintenance requirement of at least SEK 10,656 per month in 2026), and, for studies of less than one year, comprehensive health insurance. Depending on the institution, the permit is granted for one or two years, but never for longer than the studies last. — 15 hours per week during term time (new rule since 11 June 2026, applying to residence permits issued from that date); unlimited in June, July and August; also unlimited for study-related internships, student representation, administrative or research work at one’s own higher-education institution, and after completing at least two semesters of higher education unless applying for a new residence permit for studies below doctoral level. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

Applications

Bachelor's and master's applications run centrally through Universityadmissions.se. The first admissions round – explicitly intended for international applicants, since it leaves enough time for a residence permit, housing search and the move to Sweden – opens on 16 October and closes on 15 January; the application fee (SEK 900 for fee-liable non-EU/EEA applicants) and supporting documents are due by 2 February, admission results follow in late March (26 March for master's, 31 March for bachelor's programmes), and the autumn semester starts in August/September. A second admissions round (16 March–15 April) exists mainly for applicants already living in Sweden or from the EU/EEA, since non-EU/EEA applicants typically no longer have time to obtain a residence permit through it. For a spring-semester start, the application deadline is usually around mid-August of the preceding year. Exact dates can vary slightly by year and institution. ^{[12] [2]}

Application portals

• Universityadmissions.se (zentrales Bewerbungsportal für Bachelor- und Masterprogramme)

Language

Swedish. The national language is Swedish, but according to the European Commission's Study in Europe portal, Sweden offers more than 1,000 fully English-taught bachelor's and master's programmes at 39 higher education institutions nationwide; proof of Swedish is generally not required for these programmes. Basic Swedish skills are nonetheless recommended for everyday life, part-time work and the later job search. ^[11]

Health insurance

Anyone admitted to studies lasting at least one year should register in the Swedish population register, which gives access to public healthcare and dental care on the same terms as Swedish residents. For a study stay of less than one year, comprehensive health insurance is a condition for the residence permit; it must cover emergency and other medical treatment, hospitalisation, emergency dental care, and medically necessary repatriation. EU/EEA and Swiss students generally rely on the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for this. Many universities automatically arrange insurance for fee-paying or exchange students through the state insurer Kammarkollegiet (for example FAS/FASplus for fee-paying students, Student IN for exchange students); details should be confirmed with the individual institution. This is general information, not legal or insurance advice; the requirements of Migrationsverket, Kammarkollegiet and the higher education institution are binding. ^{[9] [13] [11]}

Universities

• Lund University, Lund ^{[8] [14]}
• Uppsala University, Uppsala ^{[4] [5]}
• KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm ^{[3] [15]}
• Stockholm University, Stockholm ^{[6] [16]}
• University of Gothenburg, Göteborg ^[7]

Scholarships

• Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals (SISGP) — Fully funded Swedish Institute scholarship for one- or two-year, full-time, English-taught master's programmes in Sweden. It covers the full tuition fee (paid directly by the Swedish Institute to the university each semester), includes a monthly living allowance of SEK 12,000 throughout the study period, a one-off travel grant of SEK 15,000 (SEK 10,000 for scholars from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine), and membership in the SI Network for Global Professionals. It does not include insurance or grants for family members. ^[17]
• Lund University Global Scholarship — Merit-based scholarship programme from Lund University for outstanding students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. The university awards around SEK 26 million in scholarship grants each year; depending on the award, a grant can cover part or all of the tuition fee for the programme. ^[14]
• KTH Scholarship — Covers the full tuition fee of a one- or two-year master's programme at KTH Royal Institute of Technology; continuation into the second year depends on satisfactory first-year study results. Living costs are not covered. In 2025, 65 of 803 scholarship applicants who were admitted to a programme (8%) were nominated for the scholarship. ^[15]
• Stockholm University Scholarship Scheme — Covers the entire tuition fee for a master's programme at Stockholm University; scholarship holders still need to cover their own living costs. ^[16]