Scholarships for International Students in Sweden: Who Qualifies and What They Cover

A full tuition scholarship in Sweden still leaves other costs unpaid. KTH's own admissions page confirms that even its full waiver "does not cover living expenses, travel, or visa costs."

Prospective international students see the word "scholarship" and assume tuition is covered. Most awards pay tuition only. Living costs run SEK 10,656 a month, according to both Migrationsverket, Sweden's immigration agency, and Study in Sweden. That amount comes from savings or family, regardless of a tuition award.

This guide names the two scholarship routes, states who qualifies for each, and shows what "fully funded" and "tuition-only" actually cover.

Who Qualifies: The Two Scholarship Routes

Scholarships in Sweden fall into two categories: the government-funded Swedish Institute (Svenska institutet, or SI) route, and university-specific tuition waivers. Each carries its own eligibility gate.

The SI Scholarship for Global Professionals names 34 eligible countries on si.se's current programme page. The 2025/2026 round's own announcement named 33 instead. India is not on either list.

University scholarships use a single nationality gate: citizenship outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland. Merit, not nationality, decides the rest, so Indian applicants remain eligible here.

In 2025/2026, 402 international students received an SI scholarship: 351 through the Global Professionals award and 51 through the Pioneering Women in STEM award.

The Swedish Institute Scholarship: Who It Covers

The SI Scholarship for Global Professionals is fully funded: tuition, living costs, and travel. It only opens to citizens of a named country list, for full-time, one- or two-year master's study.

si.se names 34 eligible countries for the 2027/2028 round. They include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, and Kenya. The list also includes Liberia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia. India is not on this list.

Applicants need at least 3,000 hours of work experience prior to February 2027, per si.se. Citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, or Ukraine face no minimum-hours threshold instead, per si.se. The agency also gives priority to applicants with "strong and relevant leadership experience."

The award pays SEK 12,000 a month, about EUR 1,130, plus a travel grant of SEK 15,000. Citizens of the six exception countries above receive SEK 10,000 instead. Tuition is paid directly to the university, and the scholarship "includes an insurance," per si.se.

Applicants apply to University Admissions by 15 January 2027 and pay the application fee by 1 February 2027. They then submit the SI Scholarship application between 8 and 24 February 2027.

University Scholarships: Merit-Based Tuition Waivers

University scholarships are open to any non-EU, EEA, or Switzerland citizen, including applicants from India. They are merit-based, not need-based, and they do not cover living costs.

Award structures differ by university. Lund University's own scholarship page confirms a tiered model. KTH's tuition-fee page describes a binary structure instead: full tuition or no award.

Selection is competitive, based on academic record and fit to the programme. Most universities apply the scholarship automatically; some request a separate application after admission.

What Tuition Actually Costs

Non-EU, EEA, or Switzerland citizens pay tuition. EU, EEA, and Switzerland citizens do not, per University Admissions. Cost varies by university and field.

Each university sets its own tuition fee per programme, and the fee is paid to the university, not to University Admissions. Stockholm University charges less for humanities, social science, and law than for science programmes. KTH publishes its own fees for two-year technical master's programmes, and Uppsala University lists a per-semester fee for each programme. Check the programme page for the current figure before you budget.

One application fee covers one admission round, regardless of how many programmes you rank.

Living Costs and the Scholarship Reality Gap

Scholarships typically cover tuition, or a share of it. Living costs, the larger budget line, are rarely covered outside the SI Scholarship.

Migrationsverket's minimum funds requirement and Study in Sweden's own budget estimate both put living costs at SEK 10,656 a month, about EUR 940 to 950. The two figures come from independent sources and converge on the same number. Study in Sweden breaks the total down into food, accommodation, local travel, phone and internet, and miscellaneous costs, with accommodation the largest line.

For a fuller budget picture beyond tuition and scholarships, see What It Actually Costs.

How to Apply: Step-by-Step Timeline

Applications run in sequence: university admission first, then scholarship, if you qualify. Missing one deadline closes the path.

1. Find an eligible English-taught master's programme through University Admissions. Check Studying in Sweden for what studying there involves.
2. Apply through University Admissions by 15 January 2027, the application and ranking deadline.
3. Pay the application fee by 1 February 2027, a separate deadline from the application itself.
4. If you are a citizen of one of si.se's 34 named countries, submit your SI Scholarship application between 8 and 24 February 2027, after your University Admissions application is complete.
5. If you are pursuing a university scholarship instead, watch for a separate scholarship application after admission; most universities request one.
6. University Admissions publishes round-one master's results on 1 April 2027; SI announces scholarship recipients on 22 April 2027.
7. Pay the residence permit application fee set by Migrationsverket. If you hold a living-expenses scholarship from Sida, the EU, SI, or Uppsala University's International Science Programme, you are exempt. The exemption applies provided the scholarship is paid during the permit period and you are not a doctoral student employee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which countries are eligible for the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals, and is India among them?

No. si.se's current programme page names 34 eligible countries, and India is not among them. If you hold Indian citizenship, you remain eligible for university-specific merit tuition waivers, which use non-EU, EEA, or Switzerland citizenship as the only nationality gate.

Do you have to pay for a residence permit if you have a scholarship?

Usually, yes: Migrationsverket charges its own application fee, separate from tuition or living costs. If you hold a living-expenses scholarship from Sida, the EU, SI, or Uppsala University's International Science Programme, you are exempt. The exemption applies provided the scholarship is paid during the permit period and you are not a doctoral student employee.

Can EU, EEA, or Switzerland citizens apply for these scholarships?

If you hold citizenship in an EU, EEA, or Switzerland country, you pay no application or tuition fees at all, per University Admissions. University scholarships exist for fee-paying students instead. The SI Scholarship stays open only to citizens of si.se's 34-country list, which does not include EU member states.

What if you do not meet the work-experience requirement for the SI Scholarship?

University scholarships carry no work-experience requirement. Both KTH's and Lund University's own scholarship pages describe academic-merit selection only, open to any non-EU, EEA, or Switzerland citizen admitted to a master's programme.

Choosing the Right Path

Sweden's scholarships run on two separate tracks. The SI Scholarship for Global Professionals guarantees full funding: tuition, a SEK 12,000-a-month allowance, and a travel grant. It stays open only to citizens on si.se's current 34-country list who also meet the work-experience requirement. India is not on that list.

University scholarships stay open to any non-EU, EEA, or Switzerland citizen, including applicants from India, but they typically cover tuition only. Lund's tiered model and KTH's binary structure show how much the details vary by university.

Either way, budget separately for living costs of SEK 10,656 a month, per Migrationsverket and Study in Sweden. For autumn 2027, apply by 15 January 2027, pay the fee by 1 February 2027, and submit an SI application, if eligible, between 8 and 24 February 2027.

If you qualify for SI, pursue it first. If not, research merit scholarships at your target universities, alongside Finding Work options and Housing plans for after you arrive.