Living in Sweden on a Non-Study Permit: Free University Study and CSN

Yes, you can probably study at a Swedish university without paying tuition. No, that does not mean you can get CSN. Those are two separate tests, run by two separate bodies. A permit that passes the first can fail the second.

This article follows the order in which you meet each step: the fee test, the application and proof, and then CSN. CSN is Centrala studiestödsnämnden, the state student finance agency. The system itself is explained in our foundation guide, Education in Sweden for Newcomer Families. In short, a högskola (a university or university college) charges a studieavgift (tuition fee) and an anmälningsavgift (application fee). The charge falls on citizens of countries outside the EEA and Switzerland. The law lists exceptions. CSN applies its own rules to foreign citizens.

Last verified against the official pages on 2026-10-07.

Who this article is for, and who should go elsewhere

This article is for people who live in Sweden on a permit that is not for studies. That means a work permit, a partner or family permit, or a permanent permit. It also fits people whose permit has expired while an extension is pending. It is written for citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland.

It is not for three other groups.

• Holders of a study permit. You pay tuition, and a study permit gives no exemption. Read the study permit guide for non-EU citizens.
• EU/EEA and Swiss citizens. The ordinance charges fees only to citizens of countries outside the EEA and Switzerland, and CSN has separate rules for you. Read the EU family member residence card guide if you arrived as a family member.
• Visitors without a residence permit. The fee exemptions in this article depend on a permit. Start at the hub Studying in Sweden.

Prerequisites before any step applies

Check four things first.

1. Your permit and its ground. The Migrationsverket decision states why the permit was granted. Both tests depend on that ground.
2. Your citizenship. The fee rules apply to citizens of countries outside the EEA and Switzerland.
3. Where you live. The studiestödslagen, the law on study support, requires you to be bosatt, meaning resident, in Sweden.
4. Why you came. For CSN with a permanent permit, the law asks whether you settled in Sweden mainly for a purpose other than education.

A personnummer, the Swedish personal identity number, affects the application flow below. See how the one-year test for a personnummer works.

Step 1: Find out whether you owe tuition

The rule sits in förordning (2010:543), the ordinance on application fees and tuition fees. The ordinance uses the word högskola for both universitet and university colleges. A högskola must charge a studieavgift for undergraduate and master's programmes to anyone who is not a citizen of an EEA state or Switzerland. The same ordinance lists who is exempt. An anmälningsavgift, an application fee, is charged per application; antagning.se sets out the current amount.

The exception matters if you came as a partner. A partner of a work-permit holder is on a family permit tied to work, not to study, so the rule reads in your favour. That is our reading of the text. Confirm the ground stated in your own decision.

The extension rule has an end date. If the extension is refused, the tuition fee stays waived only until the deadline for voluntary departure has run out. If the refusal gives no such deadline, it runs until the decision becomes final.

The text quoted here is the consolidated ordinance through SFS 2026:1719. One amendment, SFS 2026:468, applies first to admission for the autumn term 2027. For admission to education that starts before the autumn term 2027, older provisions still apply. Ask UHR which rules apply to your intake.

Tuition amounts are set by each högskola. UHR, the Swedish Council for Higher Education, runs the admissions portals. UHR says a temporary study permit "does not grant you an exemption for fee payment".

Step 2: Apply and prove the exemption

Applications go through the admissions portal. The fee pages are at antagning.se and universityadmissions.se. The fee rule works at the moment of application. It applies to someone who "vid tidpunkten för anmälan" (at the time of application) is not an EEA or Swiss citizen. The exemptions are tested at that moment too. Your permit, or your filed extension, needs to be in place when you apply.

antagning.se says you must upload documents if you have a permit in Sweden but no Swedish personnummer. Which documents you need depends on your permit.

• Temporary permit: upload all pages of the decision from Migrationsverket. UHR says the letter must contain "information on what grounds your residency was granted".
• Permanent permit: follow the instructions on your account. This article does not list which documents apply.
• Deadline: antagning.se says it must receive your documents by the last day for proving the exemption. A late upload makes your application a late application.
• Late date: UHR says that if you submit documents after the deadline, the date it receives them becomes the new official date of your application.

The ordinance also sets two procedural rules. Under 3 §, an application fee not paid by the högskola's deadline means the application is not examined. Under 4 §, the högskola may refund a fee if there are särskilda skäl, meaning special reasons. The law allows a refund, but antagning.se states: "Vi återbetalar inte avgiften", which means it does not refund the fee. Follow the instructions on your own application account about what you owe.

Admission is a separate matter. You still need to meet the entry requirements set for the programme. An exemption removes the charge. It does not give you a place.

Step 3: CSN is a separate test

CSN says you must meet two kinds of conditions. One kind covers your right to Swedish study support as a foreign citizen. The other covers the support you apply for. CSN states: "CSN prövar alla villkor och skickar två separata beslut till dig". That means it tests every condition and sends two separate decisions. This section covers the first kind.

The rule for studiemedel, the grant and loan for higher education, is in 3 kap. 4 § of the studiestödslagen. A foreign citizen can get studiemedel if they are resident in Sweden with a permanent permit. They must also have settled here mainly for a purpose other than education. Other routes exist. Most are tied to a listed permit type, and a särskilda skäl route covers other cases.

Two details decide these cases. CSN says a temporary permit on the ground of family ties gives a right "i vissa fall", meaning in some cases. The law adds a limit. Your permit may rest on a tie to someone with a temporary permit. Then the right exists only if that person has protection status or a permit under a listed section of the Aliens Act.

The purpose test is the second detail. The law applies this test to every non-citizen, on a permanent or a temporary permit. Education must not have been the main reason for settling here. Ask CSN about your own case.

There is also a route through särskilda skäl. CSN lists a common example: you have a child with a Swedish citizen and live together with them in Sweden. You must also hold a permit, residence right or residence status.

What to do if the CSN test fails

Your permit may be temporary and on work grounds. Then the law lists no route apart from särskilda skäl. Plan to fund the programme yourself and ask CSN about your own case. If your permit is exempt, as in Step 1, the main cost is living costs, covered in student living costs per month.

If your situation might change, check the options early.

• A move to a permanent permit changes the CSN answer. See from sambo to permanent residence.
• Citizenship removes the question altogether. See permanent residence or Swedish citizenship.
• If CSN refuses and you think the decision is wrong, see how to appeal a rejected decision.

Frequently asked questions

Is the work permit enough for free tuition? In most cases, as of October 2026, if the permit is temporary and not for studies. From the autumn 2027 intake, a permit as a family member of someone on a temporary study permit (below doctoral level) is excluded. Check the ground stated in your decision. Förordning (2010:543) exempts a temporary permit "på annan grund än studier", meaning on a ground other than studies.

Does my partner's study permit exempt me? Not from the autumn 2027 intake. For earlier intakes, yes. From autumn 2027, a family member of a third-country citizen on a temporary study permit, below doctoral level, is excluded from the exemption (förordning 2010:543, 2 § andra stycket 4, SFS 2026:468).

Can I get CSN on a work permit? The studiestödslagen does not list a work permit as a qualifying ground. Ask CSN about your own case before you rely on it.