New to Sweden and coming to study

This path is for people moving to Sweden to study at a university or university college. The order starts before you arrive: you must be admitted first.

1. 1

   Get admitted

   Required

   Apply through universityadmissions.se. You must be admitted to full-time studies — and, if you pay tuition, have paid the first instalment — before anything else can happen.

2. 2

   Apply for a residence permit for studies

   Required

   Non-EU students apply to Migrationsverket after admission. You must show you can support yourself — around SEK 10,656 per month in 2026. New 2026 rules limit work to about 15 hours a week and tie the permit to your study results.

   EU/EEA and Nordic students need no permit.

3. 3

   Register with Skatteverket

   Required

   Studies of 12 months or more mean you register in the population register and get a personnummer. A single exchange semester (under 12 months) gets a coordination number, usually arranged by your university.

4. 4

   Order a Skatteverket ID card

   If it applies

   Have a personnummer but no other approved Swedish photo ID? Order the ID card. It costs SEK 400 and makes opening a bank and getting BankID far easier.

5. 5

   Open a bank account and activate BankID

   Recommended

   With a personnummer and ID you can open an account and get BankID — needed for study services, 1177 healthcare and student life. A coordination number alone is often not enough for BankID.

6. 6

   Driving licence

   If it applies

   The same rules as for everyone: an EU/EEA licence is valid, while a non-EU licence generally works only for your first registered year. See the driving-licence section below.