Sweden student visa: the official document checklist
In short: the Residence permit for studies in higher education for Sweden asks for 4 documents from every applicant, and 8 more when they apply to you. This list follows the official checklist of the Sweden authorities, read on 16 October 2026. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Where applicants in Pakistan submit: Apply online with the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) and choose the embassy. Since 9 April 2025 Pakistani applicants can give fingerprints, show their passport and attend any interview at the Embassy of Sweden in Islamabad (only people with a pending work, study or family permit application may visit). Most applicants get an email for a digital passport check by app; others book an in-person appointment at the embassy when told to.
Passport: You must have a valid passport; the permit cannot run longer than the passport is valid, so renew it first if it is about to expire. A passport without a signature cannot be approved. You may be asked to show the passport in person or through the digital passport check app.
Documents every applicant needs (4)
Application for residence permit for studies (online e-service) Apply online (age 18+, valid email, Visa or Mastercard, scanned or photographed documents). Paper alternative: form 113011, handed in at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in your country of residence with documents attached. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Copies of your passport Copy the pages showing personal details, validity, issuing country, signature (if the passport has a signature field), any permission to live in another country, the machine-readable code, and the numbers and symbols at the top and bottom of pages; copy every page with entry or exit stamps. All information must be clearly readable. A passport without a signature cannot be approved. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Admission decision Must confirm you are finally admitted to full-time studies and that you will study on site in Sweden. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Application feeWhen: Some scholarship holders are exempt (Sida, EU, Swedish Institute, Uppsala University ISP) As printed: adults SEK 1,500, children under 18 SEK 750, non-refundable. Paid by card in the e-service. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Documents that depend on your situation (8)
Tuition fee paidWhen: If your programme charges a tuition fee The first tuition fee must be paid before you apply; your institution notifies the Swedish Migration Agency when it is paid. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Personal bank statementWhen: If you pay your living costs from your own money Issued no more than four months before the requested permit start date; must show account holder(s), bank name, date of issue, balance and currency. Include a central bank permit if one is required to move money out of your country. Minimum per month as printed: SEK 10,656 (applied 2026). (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Copy of scholarshipWhen: If a scholarship pays your living costs Must show provider, that you are the recipient, the period (for studies in Sweden), amount, payment timing and instalments, and the part meant for living expenses. Add a certificate from the provider if anything is missing. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Sponsor letterWhen: If an organisation sponsors you Must show sponsor identity, recipient, amount, payment timing and instalments, sponsorship period, part for living expenses, and any performance condition. Private individuals are not accepted as sponsors. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Health insuranceWhen: Only if your studies last less than one year Must cover the whole stay, emergency and other medical care, hospitalisation, emergency dental care and medical home transport. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Certified translationWhen: Any document not in Swedish or English Documents must be in Swedish or English. Translations must be certified and submitted with a copy of the original. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Marriage certificate or similarWhen: If a spouse applies with you Cohabiting partners show proof of living together (registration certificates, joint lease, joint property purchase). (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
Birth record or certificate naming the parentsWhen: If a child applies with you Plus proof of custody, and written consent from the other parent if they stay in the home country. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
How to prepare each document
Visa application form
Fill it online exactly as your passport (FF Assistant can fill it); print and sign the confirmation where asked.
Passport
Valid for the whole stay plus the margin the country asks (often 6 months beyond).
At least two blank visa pages.
Scan the photo page in colour, flat, all four corners visible.
If you renewed it, keep the old passport too.
Official verification: Only the issuing authority can confirm a passport; we never call it genuine.
Admission document
The document the visa asks for (CAS, I-20, CoE, LoA, admission letter).
Every detail must match your passport.
Official verification: The university can confirm it; ask its admissions office by e-mail.
Tuition deposit receipt
Pay only to the account on the university's own website.
Keep the bank transfer slip and the university's receipt.
Official verification: The university's receipt is the proof.
Bank statement
The period and balance the country asks, never dropping below the amount.
Printed after the holding period, recent on the day you apply.
Signed and stamped by the bank, or e-mailed by the bank where the mission asks.
Official verification: Only the bank can confirm a statement; we never call it genuine.
Scholarship letter
The award letter with the amount and what it covers.
Official verification: The awarding body.
Sponsor's letter or affidavit of support
Signed and dated, naming you, the relationship, the sponsor's job, and that the money is for your study.
Official verification: The notary's register.
Health insurance
Cover for the whole stay from the day you enter, with the minimum the country states.
Official verification: The insurer.
Certified translation
Any paper not in English (or the country's language), translated by a qualified translator who signs and dates it.
Keep the original and the translation together.
Official verification: The translator's registration.
Marriage certificate
Only if a spouse comes with you or is your sponsor.
Computerised certificate, translated and attested as the checklist asks.
Official verification: The issuing registry.
Birth certificate
The computerised certificate from the civil registry.
English version or a certified translation.
Attested or apostilled if the checklist says so.
Official verification: The civil registry that issued it.
Visa fee receipt
Pay only on the official site; keep the receipt.
Official verification: The official payment record.
These preparation points are practical guidance; the official checklist decides what is asked.
ForiForeign prepares and guides; you file your own application and the Sweden authorities decide. Checklists change: open the official source before you submit.
ForiForeign.com · admin@foriforeign.com · WhatsApp +92 310 5048760 · Information drawn from official sources shown on each rule; not legal advice.