You want to extend Higher education

You want to extend your residence permit for higher education, in the form of first- or second-cycle studies. You can apply for an extension of any family member’s residence permit at the same time.

  • Important to know
  • How it works
  • Apply

Here you will find information about extensions for people with residence permits for first- or second-cycle studies at a university, university college, in a higher vocational education programme, or at a folk high school at the post-secondary level.

If you will be starting other types of studies than those for which you currently have a residence permit, you should not apply to extend your current permit. In that case, you should submit a first-time application instead. For example, this applies if you have a residence permit for first- or second-cycle studies and will now be starting your doctoral studies.

These requirements must be met in order for you to be granted an extended residence permit.

You must have a valid passport

You must be admitted to full-time studies
You must be finally admitted to full-time studies in Sweden. You cannot be granted a residence permit for distance learning as a form of study.

You must have made acceptable progress in your studies
For studies at a university, you must have taken 15 credits in the first year of study, 22.5 credits in the second year and 30 credits in the third and subsequent years.

You must have, or have applied for, a comprehensive health insurance policy
If your total time in Sweden is less than one year, you will need comprehensive health insurance. If you do not have insurance through your higher education institution, you must have or have applied for your own insurance. The insurance must be valid for the entire time you will be in Sweden and cover costs for emergency and other medical care, hospitalisation, and emergency dental care. It must also cover expenses for home transportation for medical reasons.

If your total time in Sweden is longer than one year, you should get listed in the Swedish population register. This will give you access to health and medical care and dental care.

You must be able to support yourself financially
Your means of “financial maintenance” must be sufficient for the entire period for which you are applying for a residence permit, as well as for the remaining period of your current permit. If your family is applying with you, you must be able to support them as well, if they do not have their own means of financial maintenance.

You must attach copies of these documents to your application. Make sure that the information on your submitted documents is clearly visible.

Correctly made copies of your passport
You can never be granted a permit for longer than your passport is valid.
Read more about what the passport copies must show

Admission decision from the higher education institution
The admission decision must state that you will continue to pursue full-time studies in Sweden. You can attach a copy of your original admission decision.

If you want to change your education programme, you must enclose a new admission decision showing that you will be studying full-time. In such a case, it is important that you have also paid any tuition fees for your new education programme.

Certificate from the higher education institution showing acceptable progress in your studies
If you are studying at a university or university college, you can also send in an official grade transcript that shows what course components you have completed. The transcript should contain information on course components of courses taken.
If you have begun your degree project, you must also send in a recently issued certificate from your supervisor describing how the work is progressing.

Medical certificate, if you have not made acceptable progress in your studies
If you have not made acceptable progress in your studies due to illness or a similar reason, you must submit a copy of a medical certificate. The doctor’s certificate must describe how your study capacity has been impacted.

Certificate from the higher education institution, if your studies have taken longer than expected
If your studies have taken longer than expected or if you have started your degree project, you must submit a certificate from a person with insight into your studies, such as a supervisor.
If a degree project takes longer than expected, you must also enclose a recently issued certificate from your supervisor describing how the project is progressing. The Swedish Migration Agency has developed a checklist outlining what this certificate must contain.
Checklists and examples – attestation of delayed studies (Bachelor’s or Master’s) Pdf, 841.4 kB, opens in new window.

Documents showing that you have or have applied for comprehensive health insurance
If your total time in Sweden is less than one year and you are not listed in Sweden’s population register.

Documents showing that you meet the maintenance requirement
You must attach different certificates depending on how you will be supporting yourself financially. Your means of “financial maintenance” must be sufficient for the entire period for which you are applying for a residence permit, as well as for the remaining period of your current permit. If your family will be applying with you, your entire family’s financial maintenance must be arranged. The documents must not be more than six months old, unless they concern current income, such as a scholarship.

You must attach a recent bank statement to your application.

The following information must be included on your bank statement:

  • account holder(s)
  • bank name
  • date of issue
  • balance
  • currency.

If permission from a central bank or the equivalent is required to take out the money from your country, you must include such a permit.

You must attach a copy of the scholarship stating

  • who is the scholarship provider
  • that you are the recipient of the scholarship
  • the period for which the scholarship applies and that it is for your studies in Sweden
  • how much money you will receive
  • when the money will be paid out. If you will receive the money on an ongoing basis, information must be provided about when the payments will be made and how large the instalments will be, as well as the total amount
  • how much of the scholarship is intended to cover your living expenses.

You must attach a sponsorship letter stating

  • who is the sponsor or guarantor
  • that you are the recipient of the money
  • how much money you will receive
  • when the money will be paid out. If you will receive the money on an ongoing basis, information must be provided about when the payments will be made and how large the instalments will be, as well as the total amount
  • the period during which you are sponsored
  • how much of the money will be used for your living expenses
  • whether the sponsorship requires some form of performance on your behalf (for example, employment or that you earn a certain number of credits).

You must attach an employment contract with information about

  • your employer's name, contact details and company registration number
  • your salary/wages
  • duration and scope of your employment, in hours per week
  • when the job started
  • last day of employment.

If you quit the job, this must be stated in the certificate. If possible, you should also attach your three most recent payslips.

You must attach a certificate stating

  • who is providing the student grant or loan
  • that you are the recipient
  • the period for which the grant/loan applies
  • when it will be paid out
  • the monthly amount or total amount for the period of study
  • how much of the student grant/loan is intended for your living expenses.

Documents to attach if your family is applying with you

Correctly made copies of each family member’s passport
Your family member can never be granted a residence permit for longer than their passport is valid.
Read more about what the passport copies must show

Documents showing that the family’s financial maintenance has been arranged

Documents showing your relationship
If you are married: marriage certificate, marriage record, or similar document.
If you are cohabiting partners: documents showing that you have lived together, such as population registration certificates, a joint rental contract, or proof of the joint purchase of a home.

Correctly made copies of your child’s passport
Read more about what the passport copies must show

Birth record or birth certificate stating the names of the child’s parents

Consent that the child may move to Sweden
If a child has two parents/legal guardians and the child’s other parent/legal guardian will be remaining in their country of origin, you must attach a statement of consent from the other parent/legal guardian to the application. If you share joint custody, a copy of the other parent or legal guardian’s passport or other identity document must also be attached.
Consent for a child to settle in Sweden (217011) Pdf, 1.1 MB.

Sole custody decision
If you have sole custody of your child, you must attach a court decision to this effect. If the other parent is deceased, you must submit a death certificate.

Adoption documents, if your child is adopted

The so-called “maintenance requirement” means that you must show that you have funds (money) available through your own bank assets, scholarship, student grants or loans from your country of origin, a sponsor, or income from employment. You can combine different forms of financial maintenance.

The maintenance requirement is

  • at least SEK 10,584 per month, if you applied in 2025
  • at least SEK 10,314 per month, if you applied in 2024.

If you can show that you receive free housing and/or food through the higher education institution or an organisation that works for international exchange, the amount per month can be reduced. The monthly amount can be reduced by

  • SEK 2,940 per month for free food and SEK 4,704 per month for free housing, if you applied in 2025
  • SEK 2,865 per month for free food and SEK 4,584 per month for free housing, if you applied in 2024.

If your family applies with you, the monthly amount will be higher. In that case, it will include an additional

  • SEK 4,410 per month for a spouse or cohabiting partner
  • SEK 2,646 per month for each child.


The Swedish Migration Agency assesses your family’s overall ability to support yourselves financially.

Read more about the rules for the different forms of financial maintenance

Having “personal bank assets” means that you have money in an account that belongs to you, and from which only you and your accompanying partner (if any) can withdraw funds. If you are under the age of 18, your guardians’ accounts may also apply as a basis for your maintenance. Credit, funds or shares are not approved as personal bank assets. Assets in a microfinance bank are also not approved.

Locked assets, i.e., bank funds that are deposited in an account for a certain period of time, cannot be a basis for financial maintenance if they will be frozen during the permit period for which you are applying.

Scholarships, for example from national authorities, higher education institutions, organisations, foundations, or companies, can be approved as a basis for financial maintenance.

A sponsor is an actor who hosts your stay in Sweden. For example, higher education institutions and other education providers, or well-established companies and organisations, may act as sponsors.

Private individuals are not accepted as sponsors. Money from private individuals, such as relatives, must be registered as personal bank assets. Such funds must then be transferred to a bank account that is in your name and to which you have access.

If you have a job, you must be able to present a certificate of employment; an offer of employment is not enough.

Student grants or loans that you have been granted to study in Sweden. If the money has already been transferred to your account, the Swedish Migration Agency will assess these funds as personal bank assets.

You can apply for an extension no more than four months before your current permit will expire. You must apply before your current permit expires.

If you apply too late
If you apply for too late, i.e. after your residence permit has expired, you will not be able to work while you wait for a decision. You also risk losing certain social benefits.
Moreover, if you apply too late, there is a risk your application will be rejected because you will have been in Sweden without a valid residence permit.

If you apply for a permanent residence permit at the same time
The Swedish Migration Agency recommends that you submit your application no more than one month before your current permit expires. This is because we can only make a decision regarding your application for a permanent residence permit after your current permit has expired.

If any of your family has a residence permit to live with you, you can apply to extend your residence permits together.

You can be granted a residence permit for a maximum of one or two years, depending on which higher education institution you will be studying at, but not for longer than your studies will last. You can never be granted a residence permit for longer than your passport is valid.
If you are granted a residence permit for the entire duration of your studies, the Swedish Migration Agency will add an extra two weeks to your permit period, to give you enough time to complete your studies and leave the country.
Your residence permit can be extended.

  • Blekinge Institute of Technology
  • Chalmers University of Technology
  • University College Stockholm
  • Swedish Defence University
  • Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences
  • University of Gothenburg
  • Stockholm School of Economics
  • Dalarna University
  • University of Borås
  • University of Gävle
  • Halmstad University
  • University of Skövde
  • Kristianstad University
  • University West
  • Jönköping University
  • Karlstad University
  • Karolinska Institutet
  • Konstfack
  • Royal Institute of Art
  • Royal Institute Of Technology
  • Linköping University
  • Linnaeus University
  • Lund University
  • Malmö University
  • Mid Sweden University
  • Mälardalen University
  • Swedish Red Cross University
  • Stockholm University of the Arts
  • Stockholm University
  • Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
  • Södertörn University
  • Umeå University
  • Uppsala University
  • Örebro University.

If you will be studying in a mobility programme within the EU and are going to start your studies in Sweden, you can also be granted a residence permit for two years, as long as the studies will last for at least two years.

It is not possible to say exactly how long you will need to wait for a decision. There are many things that affect the waiting time, for example whether your application is complete to begin with or whether we need to request more information, or whether we need to check with other authorities when investigating your case.

Here we show statistics on how long it has taken for people who have applied for the same permit as you. The statistics are based on cases decided in the last 12 months.

75% of recently decided cases have been decided within:5 months

Adults: SEK 1,500
Children under 18 years of age: SEK 750

You will not receive a refund if your application is rejected.

The following people pay no fee to apply:

  • students at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmö
  • Japanese citizens
  • students who have received a scholarship for studies in Sweden from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the EU, the Swedish Institute, or Uppsala University’s International Science Programme. The scholarship must be intended to be used for living expenses and not just cover tuition fees. The scholarship must be paid out during the period for which you are applying for a residence permit. The exception does not apply if you receive a salary, for example if you are employed as a doctoral student.

You can be granted a residence permit in Sweden even if you will be spending time in another country during part of the permit period, as long as the stay abroad is part of the education to which you have been admitted in Sweden. If you will be travelling to another country as part of your education, you should contact that country’s authorities to find out what is required to stay in that country.

News

2025-04-03

If you are planning to work, study or move to Sweden to live with someone, you can now visit the embassy in Islamabad

On 9 April, the Swedish Migration Agency will resume its residence and work permit activities in Pakistan. Applicants needing to submit biometric data, have their passport checked or be interviewed after submitting an application can once again do so at the embassy in Islamabad. This does not apply to those who are applying for a Schengen visa to visit Sweden for a short stay.

The Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for considering applications from people who want to live in Sweden, seek protection or become Swedish citizens. Our work is based on Swedish laws and international conventions, with a focus on legal certainty and effective reception and return.