Student visa for Sweden, for students from Japan

Sweden does not issue a student visa. You apply for a residence permit for studies at higher education from the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket), normally online, before you travel. The fee is SEK 1,500 for adults and SEK 750 for under-18s, the same online or on paper.

Pay tuition first. Migrationsverket states you must have paid any tuition fees before applying, and that you are only finally admitted once the fee is paid. Apply without proof of payment and you are applying without the core document.

The money. You must show at least SEK 10,656 a month if you apply in 2026 (it was SEK 10,584 for 2025 applications), and it must cover the entire period you are applying for. Permits are granted for one or two years depending on the university, never longer than the studies. Scholarships, grants, student loans from home, sponsorship and your own savings all count and can be combined. Bank statements must be issued no more than four months before the date you want the permit to start.

Health insurance. If your studies last less than a year, you need comprehensive private health insurance covering emergency and other medical care, hospitalisation and emergency dental care.

Processing. At the time of checking, Migrationsverket reported that 75% of recent cases were decided within three months. Apply as soon as you have paid the first instalment.