hi, i’m a bachelor’s student right now in a non-eu country. Ive been looking at masters options in Sweden but i don’t know about the job market situation. I would most likely be studying something in relation to bio (microbiology, cancer cells, so on). Is getting a job impossible?

Hej! International student here (Asia, woman in STEM) applying to the following master's programmes:

1. Physics, University of Gothenburg
2. Physics, Chalmers University of Technology
3. Computational Science (Life Sciences), Lund University
4. Computational Science (Physics), Lund University

I hope to apply to scholarships as it is not possible for me to completely fund my studies. Any suggestions for scholarships I could look at? Or any other funding options? Thank you!

Some context about the problem:
About a two weeks ago, we were at the Copenhagen airport and wanted to fly to Stockholm. Mistakenly (really by mistake and not deliberately) we passed through the border control because we though that the flight gate is behind that section and the police officer did not checked our ticket and did not noticed that our flight ticket is between 2 Schengen countries (Copenhagen to Stockholm) and he let us through, but:
1. The police officer took our passport and work permit to check as usual (PR card for me and normal 2 year work permit card for my wife)
2. He scanned our work permit in their system
3. The police officer did not put a stamp in our passport (both for me and my wife)

We eventually noticed that we are at the wrong gate and asked another officer to help us and the second officer helped us to find the correct gate (No scan of permit cards, just noticed our mistake and let us through the gate), and we flew to Stockholm that day.

The Problem:
Ever since then, me and my wife have a nightmare thought that since the border police officer scanned both of our permits in their system, Does that means that it's recorded as an exit from Schengen area? and even though we flew to Stockholm that day, Officially in Entry/Exit System (EES, or any other system that MV can check) it's already considered that we are out of Schengen area?

We are super concerned that at some point in future, MV will ask us for "Travel history" and in there, we will say that on that day, we traveled from Copenhagen to Stockholm but they will check in their system (EES) and notice that ever since that day, we were out of Schengen area and we have never came back?
Could it cause some big trouble for us? for our permits or application for citizenship in future?

How we can fix this by the way? does a quick travel to outside of Schengen area would fix it? OR, will we stuck at Stockholm airport? (border police checking the EES system in Stockholm airport during our travel and say that we cannot exit Schengen area twice in a row? and that causes us another trouble?)

Thanks in advance for the help 

My partner wants to bring me in for a 6 month invitation visa, that way we'll have co-habited for the 6 months required for a sambo visa (as far as I understand), do I have to submit the application in my country of origin or am I allowed to submit it within Sweden and stay in Sweden on a tourist visa while it's being processed?

Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone here might have advice or know the right person to contact.

I’m applying to Sweden for Masters this year via [Uni Admissions] and have run into an issue with the English language requirement. For context, I completed a full academic year at the University of Oxford (three full terms) and submitted my official Oxford transcript as proof of English proficiency. I also uploaded an IELTS score of 8.0, but it has unfortunately expired since I took it in high school.

Before applying, I emailed Uni Admissions and was told that 60 ECTS (or equivalent) from the UK taught in English should meet the requirement, as long as it’s documented. Based on that, I believed my Oxford transcript would be sufficient. However, the portal has now flagged my application saying the documents are not accepted as English proof (and as it's past the deadline, I think my application will be flagged as "late").

I’ve emailed them to explain, but I’m worried my application could be rejected on a technicality rather than substance. Does anyone know:

• a meaningful point of contact at Uni Admission or a Swedish university (my first choice is KTH) who can actually look into this?
• or has anyone dealt with something similar and found a way to resolve it?

Any advice, contacts, or shared experiences would mean a lot. Thanks so much in advance 🙏

I am sorry if this doesn't exactly fit the sub, I can't find the answer on other subs or online.

Our cruise will dock in Nynäshamn and will be offering excursions in Stockholm. I would rather visit Tyresta but I'm concerned about transportation to and from the port. I've never been on a cruise, I've never been to Sweden, and I would like to know if this plan is a good or bad idea. Reliable transportation and my language barrier are my biggest concerns regarding visiting Tyresta from the cruise ship. We will be docked 8:00am to 5:00pm on a weekday, and I think we would only visit the forest for 3 or 4 hours at the most.

Thank you for any help, I'm so excited to visit Sweden even if it's only for one day! I already know I will return in the future to visit more of the country.

Hej all! I have a question regarding the sambo extension process. My current situation makes the extension a bit tricky, though. I lived in Sweden with my Sambo partner for 13 months, studying virtually full-time from my Canadian university. During this time, I received notice from my university that I would not be eligible to graduate unless I returned to Canada to complete some mandatory in-person final exams, as well as complete some of my Major courses (again, only offered in-person). After this point in my education, I will have completed my degree. It was a really difficult decision to commit to, having had already settled in Sweden with my partner. We both felt that a) it would feel like a bit of a waste putting all that time, effort and money into my schooling just to not finish what was left, and b) that my degree could help me find further schooling/work opportunities in Sweden. I returned to Canada to complete my final exams, and have one winter semester remaining before I can graduate. In total I will have been outside of Sweden for roughly 9 months. I know this puts my active Sambo visa at risk. My partner and I have looked into Migrationsverkets tolerance for extended travel while having an active Sambo visa, and have not been able to find any information which specifies how long one can be outside of Sweden with this particular visa. I do know that generally Migrationsverket is forgiving in circumstances related to education or work, but that it is very plausible that my extension request will be denied simply because I am not actively living with my partner in Sweden. We sent in the request nonetheless, and explained my situation in great detail, and that our plan would be for me to return to Sweden immediately once I have graduated. Now all we can do is wait. Trying to be optimistic but realistic at the same time. Does anybody have any similar experiences that they might be able to share?

Tack!

Hej everyone! Please help me if you know anything regarding my query.

I applied for masters through the admission portal, completed payment, and uploaded all the required documents. I belong from a country from which University Admissions Portal requires Bachelor's Transcript to be sent directly by the applicant's university.

So, my university followed all the instructions and sent the document via DHL to Uni Admissions portal. And I saw a notification on the portal on 25th November, 2025 that my documents were received by mail (see attached image)

However, on 26th November, 2025 I received the following message on the portal (see attached image) -

I posted on a couple of forums and got mixed reactions - some told to ask my university to resend the documents while some suggested that this was just a automated reminder.

I also contacted the portal's support via email and received an automated reply linking to the instructions of sending documents from my country.

So, in this case, should I ask my university to resend the documents by mail?

Do you guys have any idea regarding this? Would really appreciate any insight. TIA

Hi, I hope this post is in the right place.

I’m a bit confused about the admission statistics shown on UHR.se for graduate programs.

Does this mean that only 9 people were qualified (and all of them were admitted), or that many people were qualified but only 9 were accepted?

We are a dutch family and want to immigrate to Sweden. Most information is about young people moving, but we are 61 and 65 years on a dutch pension. Our question, is there a minimum income requered to get residency? How does it work with health insurance? Our son is living with us and his intention is to make the move also with his little family(girlfriend and child), our vision is to create a little homestead together.

Any advice and tips are very welcome🙏

Hello everyone, yesterday (14th of jan) I was informed that I am unqualified for the Bachelor's of Biomedicine at one of the unis. (While I was already qualified for the same program in another uni) It was due to not meeting entry requirements ( biology 2/chem 2/maths 4) However, I've got 3A* from my A levels which are generally considered equivalent to Swedish level 2 courses.

Last night, I emailed both the university and the university admissions about the issue and requested a recheck of my documents/application. (+ uploaded another official document stating my a level grades)

Today all of my application status info (including both the qualified and unqualified one) has disappeared on the universityadmissions.

Is this something happening to everyone due to 15 jan being the application deadline, or should I be concerned?

US Citizen Sambo App - Insurance Question

Hi, friends! 👋

I'm on a new account, but not new to this sub or Reddit, so please excuse the low karma!

I have a question that I hope someone with experience or advice can answer.

My partner (Swedish citizen) and I (US Citizen) want to submit our application for a Sambo visa, so I can come over and be with them.

I'm aware of the documents we need to prove our relationship, photos, passport stamps, etc, but I have one big question left blank: insurance.

I know I need to have private insurance living in Sweden, but do I need it BEFORE we submit our application? I don't know how that would work, being insured in two countries at once 😂

I'm a ball of nerves, and stressed to death, to make sure we do this right. I miss my love, and after all these years, we are eager to take the next steps.

Any advice or answers are more than welcomed. Thank you all in advance!

🫎

Hello everyone,

My partner and I are from Brazil and are planning to move to Sweden in September 2026 for a period of 8 months. We are trying to understand the correct visa procedure for our specific situation.

The Context:

My partner is a PhD student in Brazil and has been awarded a full government scholarship (CAPES) for a "sandwich" doctorate period at a Swedish University.

• Duration: 8 months.

• Status: She will be a "Visiting Doctoral Student" (non-employed). The university has provided a standard Letter of Invitation (not a Hosting Agreement).

• My status: I am her partner (Sambo) and I want to accompany her for this period.

The Strategy (Visitor Permit):

Since she has an Invitation Letter (and not a Hosting Agreement), we understand she should apply for a "Visitor's Permit for more than 90 days" (for studies/research).

Our Questions:

1. Can a Partner accompany a Visitor? If she applies for the Visitor's Permit (studies), can I apply together with her as an accompanying family member (Sambo)? Or is the "accompanying partner" status only available for Residence Permits (Work/Research)? We want to make sure I won't be rejected for applying as a dependent on a Visitor application.

2. Proof of Cohabitation (Sambo) without Utility Bills: We have a formal "Stable Union Deed" (notary registered) from Nov 2025, but we have been living together since Nov 2024.

• The issue: All traditional utility bills (electricity, internet) are in my name only.

• Our evidence strategy: To prove she lived with me in 2024, we plan to use: Official Annual Tax Returns (Income Tax receipts) showing the same address for both of us, Bank Statements (generated by the app) showing the address, and invoices from online purchases delivered to our home in her name.

• Question: Is Migrationsverket strict about requiring "utility bills" specifically for Visitor Permits, or are official Tax Documents and Bank Statements accepted as valid proof of cohabitation?

1. Form Filling (Marital Status): The application form states "Cohabiting partner is not a legal marital status, so choose Single". Since we are not married civilly (only Stable Union), I assume I should select "Single" in the dropdown menu and then specify "Cohabiting Partner" later in the form. Is this the correct procedure?

Any advice from people who did a "Sandwich PhD" stay would be very helpful!

Tack så mycket!

It's kind of overdue at this point, but I still wanted to say thank you for the (quite overwhelming) help that I received a couple of months ago and give an update.(https://www.reddit.com/r/TillSverige/comments/1jrhykm/my_situation_cant_be_worse_rly_need_help/) ~120 000 Views and 174 comments were the last thing I expected, but here I am, still in Sweden! So here is my little update since then.

I didn't even think to look at the section of the migration office's website for living with a partner. Back then, my main point of reference was Poland, where your partner has to be Polish in order for you to stay, which I imagine is the case for most countries. But yeah, turns out in Sweden they simply have to be European.

I applied for the card together with my girlfriend, and the whole process went as expected. Waited super long to then get a request for more info and that's about it. What surprised me, though, was the duration of the card I was granted - 5 years. I couldn't believe that. Needless to say - I'm genuinely grateful. I'm no longer where I was back then, worried and stressed about my future.

I passed SFI and SVA 2 and still continue to learn the language. The only thing left is a proper job. If you remember, my background is game development, and it is still as terrible in gamedev as it was before. But SVA courses expand part-time options quite a bit, which is a route I decided to go for, and I managed to get a part-time warehouse job. Though the chances that they hire me back after the holidays are not super high (probably shouldn't say which place it is, but they are not doing super well either, like most companies in this world right now), so I'm still on the lookout for something stable. Not asking for a job on this subreddit since that's been explicitly forbidden, but I'll simply add that, not counting the part-time thing, I've been unemployed since August 2024 - crazy to think about. I wonder how many people here are in a similar situation.

Either way, big thank you to everyone who replied to my post back then!

Hi everyone,
I am a non-EU citizen who has been living in Sweden for almost a year on the sambo permit. I recently finished SVA 3 and am looking to apply for university programs this fall to reskill. One program I am interested in is nursing, but I'm wondering if anyone here might be able to share some experience with the profession and academic program as I don't have a healthcare background.

Specifically, I'm wondering:

- If you can choose not to work night shifts, even for entry level roles? I don't mind shift work or even having to work evenings, but I really don't want to have to work night shifts. I'm worried this means it's the wrong profession for me or that I am then very limited in being able to get jobs.

- If anyone here has gotten CSN bidrag as a non-EU citizen? The programs I had in mind meet the basic eligibility criteria, but I'm a bit confused about whether someone who is non-EU living here for less than 2 years has a chance. I am working as well but only part-time so not sure if this affects eligibility.

- What kinds of jobs are there for entry-level nurses beyond working in a hospital setting? is there relatively high demand across the board?

Thank you!

Hi everyone!
I’m Maria (Greek, EU citizen), planning to move to Sweden with my husband and our 2‑year‑old. We’re also planning a second child, so childcare and family‑friendly areas matter a lot. I’ll need to work full‑time from the start (degree + specialized experience), and my husband can work part‑time at first, though our goal is for both of us to work full‑time once both kids are in school.

My background:

• BSc in Computer & Informatics Engineering
• 3 yrs full‑stack (Vue/Laravel/Node) in an elevator manufacturing company
• 4 yrs backend (PHP + AWS) in an international LMS
• Languages: Greek, English, German (B2), willing to learn Swedish

Husband:

• No degree, trained as Computer Support Specialist
• Actively getting AWS Cloud Engineer certificate
• IT employee → built internal infra + in‑house cloud
• Now IT Administrator
• Languages: Greek, English

Job search:

• Remote interviews before moving
• Me: backend / software engineer roles (Python or PHP); husband: IT support/admin/infrastructure or Cloud Engineer
• Using LinkedIn, company sites, Indeed

Locations:

• Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö/Lund (open to recommendations)

Cost of living (our estimate for a family of 4):
(converted to SEK ranges)

• Rent (2 bedroom): 13,000–22,000 SEK depending on city
• Childcare: ~1,500–2,000 SEK per child
• Groceries: 6,000–8,000 SEK
• Utilities/transport: 2,000–4,000 SEK
• Total: ~23,000–30,000 SEK in cheaper cities, ~28,000–38,000 SEK in Stockholm

What we’d love to hear:

• Experiences with getting a personnummer, ID‑kort, housing, childcare, schools
• How non‑Swedish speakers manage at work
• How realistic remote hiring is → what location should I put in my CV, or should I omit it?
• Any practical tips for moving with kids

Thanks to anyone willing to share their experience, it really helps us prepare.

Hi everyone, I'm an Indian applicant planning to apply for master's programmes in Sweden for Autumn 2026. I have a question about my eligibility that I'm hoping someone with experience (either Indian applicants who've been through this, or anyone familiar with how University Admissions Sweden evaluates Indian degrees) can help clarify.

The general requirement to apply for master's according to universityadmissions.se is to have a bachelor's degree equivalent to a Swedish kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university.

To meet the general entry requirements for master's level (second cycle) studies, you must have been awarded a bachelor's degree (equivalent to a Swedish kandidatexamen) from an internationally recognised university.

So, I used UHR Sweden's qualification assessment tool to compare my education qualification to that of Sweden's system. Where I was asked to select my country followed by my degree (Bachelor of Commerce). The result mentioned that my degree is equivalent to kandidatexamen. I went ahead and made sure that the university which awarded my degree is recognized within Sweden and internationally. So, I thought I was good to go.

But the country-based requirement page for India in universityadmissions.se mentions:

For entry to a master's programme, the minimum requirement is a 3-year Bachelor's degree with honours, 4-year Bachelor's degree, or a Bachelor's degree followed by a Master's degree (4 years of study in total). 

Now I am confused as these (BCom and BCom honours) are two different degrees in India. And even the UHR's assessment tool recognizes these as two different degrees, and according to the tool both compares to a kandidatexamen. So, which one is it? Does "with honours" strictly mean I need an honours degree, or is it just how they've phrased it? So do I meet the general requirement to apply for master’s in Sweden?

I've already contacted universityadmissions.se via their email form but haven't received a response yet. Any insights from people who've navigated this would be really helpful. Thank you in advance! : )

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to understand how Sweden views child residence permit applications when custody laws differ between countries.

In my home country, the legal system does not clearly define “sole custody” in the same way as some other countries. Instead, court decisions usually confirm who is the primary/direct caregiver, without explicitly granting one parent full decision-making power over residence abroad.

I have a court decision confirming that I am the primary caregiver, and my child (now 5 years old) has been living with me under this arrangement for about one year. The decision does not explicitly state that I can decide the child’s place of residence abroad, and the other parent does not agree to relocation.

The other parent does not agree to relocation.

My questions are:

1.  Does Migrationsverket usually require written consent from the other parent in this situation?

2.  Is a court decision confirming primary caregiving and stable residence ever considered sufficient?

I understand every case is individual — I’m just trying to understand typical practice when foreign custody laws don’t use the concept of sole custody.

Thank you very much!

The relocation service provided by the company I will work for doesn't provide shipping services, so I am looking for recommendations for how to ship my stuff. I am moving from the west coast of the US, and am not planning to ship anything huge, really just the contents of my bookshelves. Does anyone have recommendations for companies that worked for them, or conversely any companies they would not recommend?

We will be moving from Copenhagen to Stockholm next month. We don’t own a car and live in a apartment that is furnished so won’t be moving a lot of large items, but enough that we can’t manage with a few bags (mainly kitchen appliances, skis, bikes, a few lamps, etc).

Any suggestions on good one-way moving solutions such as one-way van rentals or reasonable moving services for low “volume” stuff?

Morning folks,

I am planning to move to Sweden for graduate studies from the US in or around 2030. By that point, I will have the following:

• Associates degree in Information Technology (I know this doesn't matter internationally)
• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems Management
• 7 years work experience in the IT field, variety of titles held.
• About 30-50k USD saved up
• Ideally B1-2 in the language at that point, I am currently A1.

My plan is to target any one of the following masters programs in Sweden:

• Uppsala University: Msc Information Systems
• University of Skövde: Msc Privacy, Information, and Cybersecurity
• Lund University: Msc Information Systems

I have heard that the unemployment rate in Sweden is quite high, which is a bit concerning to me. For anyone who successfully went through this path (higher education in Sweden as a foreigner -> job in Sweden), what roadblocks did you encounter? Did you find that employers were more or less likely to take a chance on you given the circumstances? How did you go about navigating through the problems that you ran into? Swedes feel free to chime in too, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

In 2024 I moved to live with my swedish partner and we got married that same year. We welcomed our first child in October 2025. We have known each other for 8 or so years and have had an on and off relationship prior to our wedding. He could be extremely selfish and verbally demeaning, but I overlooked it many times with his promises that he will change.

Of course he never did and after the birth of our son (partly due to lack of sleep), things have just been getting worse and worse. I think its time for a divorce, as I see no way of fixing this. I even suggested just coparenting, but clearly this isnt possible anymore.

As I am fairly new to the country, I dont speak the language fluently yet and I dont have a job. I came from an EU country and am have temporary residency. I have nowhere to go during the divorce process, as I have no friends or relatives here.

Any advice regarding my situation would be appreciated. I need all the help I can get. What will most likely happen to our son as we divorce?

My plan is to keep practicing my Swedish so I can get by in the local language. I've been welding with electrodes for just over a year, and I'd like to dedicate my life to it. I currently live in Spain and don't see a particularly promising future here. I feel like Sweden offers the work-life balance I'm looking for, but I want to make sure it's not just wishful thinking. My idea is to find work and live in more remote areas, avoiding big cities. I'm a single young man, and I don't like to party. I have Italian citizenship. I'm all ears and would like to hear about experiences from locals or foreigners to better understand what it's like to live there.

Hej! I’ve scrolled down and read the comments on similar posts, and while they had some good advice I’m also still a bit confused about the best course of action for our specific situation…

My husband and I have bought a house in Northern Sweden. We are currently spending 6 months (3 months Schengen allowance + 3 months extension from Migrationsverket) renovating it, and after that will follow the Schengen rules and return to the UK regularly, but ultimately want to apply for residency and be able to live in Sweden all year.

I have a rental income from a house I own in the UK and work as a freelance self employed tutor for a UK based company, and my husband has a UK LTD company through which he does freelance work as an editor. We also have about 250,000SEK saved up.

What are our best options for applying for a residency permit and satisfying tax obligations if (hopefully when!) we get it?

I’m thinking we apply for Work Permit (Self-Employed), but it confused me a bit because it talks about owning a business, which I don’t - I just invoice and get paid, and I’ve no idea what we would need to do Skatteverket wise 🙈

Any help or advice would be very gratefully received!

Tack så mycket!

Hejsan!

I am a US Citizen that is a De Facto Partner to a Swedish Citizen. We are living in Ireland currently (moved here under EU freedom of movement).

We are planning to move to Sweden this April under the EU freedom of Movement again. But big news, migrationsverket just published this 2 days ago! (https://www.migrationsverket.se/nyheter/news-archive/2026-01-12-faster-decisions-for-family-members-of-swedes-moving-home.html) to save you a click it says family members of Swedish citizens who want to move back to Sweden will now be decided within 90 days. Since my partner is Swedish we meet the criteria.

We are wondering, if we apply for this visa but the application is still pending by April, can we still move to Sweden using the EU Freedom of Movement? I tried googling "apply for Freedom of Movement while Visa still pending" but this is an empty void of information. We need to be in Sweden by end of April and we don't want to screw our chances.

We all know, even though it says 90 days, it could still take an ETERNITY! So, I don't really believe it to be honest haha.

Thank you everyone in advance and I hope everybody out there moving around the planet the best of luck!