Residence Permit for Doctoral Studies
🇸🇪 Sweden visas · Study
What it is
Residence permit for students admitted to full-time doctoral (PhD) studies in Sweden.
Key facts
- Category
- Study
- Duration
- Duration of the doctoral programme.
- Processing time
- Migrationsverket publishes only past-average waiting-time statistics, not a decision deadline.
- Maximum validity
- 4 years
- Extendable
- Yes
- Path to permanent residence
- Indirect route
- Dependants
- Yes
- How to apply
- Mixed
Standard figures for this route. Some applicants pay a reduced fee or none at all, so confirm your own case on the official page.
Fees
- Application fee (doctoral studies permit)
- SEK 1,500
- Proof of funds (2026 maintenance requirement (SEK 10,584 in 2025))
- SEK 10,656 per month
- Application fee (child under 18)
- SEK 750
- Application fee (exempt: student at World Maritime University, Malmo)
- SEK 0
- Application fee (exempt: Japanese citizens)
- SEK 0
- Application fee (exempt: Sida/EU/SI/Uppsala ISP scholarship (living costs))
- SEK 0
Key requirements
- Admission to full-time doctoral studies
- Maintenance of at least SEK 10,584 per month
- Comprehensive health insurance
Working on this visa
May work with teaching, research or administration up to 20 percent of full time alongside the studies; industrial doctoral students may work more under certain conditions. No hours-per-week figure is stated.
Bringing family
Spouse, registered partner, cohabiting partner and children under 18 may apply at the same time; the monthly maintenance requirement rises by SEK 4,440 for a spouse/cohabiting partner and SEK 2,664 per child.
After this visa
After two semesters of doctoral studies in Sweden a work permit can be applied for from inside the country; holders of a student or researcher permit are exempt from the salary requirement on that first application.
Money you must show
2026 figure; SEK 10,584/month if applied in 2025.
Facts checked against the official source. Last updated 2 August 2026.