Migrationsverket, Sweden's migration agency, asks an applicant to prove one SEK figure for a study residence permit. A Swedish university tells its own admitted students to expect a different, higher figure for the same month in the same country. Applicants who budget to the permit minimum then find that a single city's rent alone can exceed it. This guide sets out the exact 2026 minimum, three universities' own published budgets, and what neither number covers for anyone studying in Sweden.
Key takeaways
- Migrationsverket requires proof of at least SEK 10,656 a month for a 2026 study residence permit application, reduced for confirmed free food or free housing.
- Every university-published budget reviewed sits above that floor: Stockholm University recommends SEK 12,000 a month, Lund University's own estimate ranges SEK 8,900–13,500, and the University of Gothenburg's ranges SEK 10,525–17,525.
- The permit figure does not include course literature, which Lund University prices at SEK 400–1,000 a month, or the one-off costs of arriving.
- For residence permits granted or extended from 11 June 2026, students face a 15-hour weekly work limit during term, so part-time income cannot be assumed to close the gap between the permit floor and a city's real cost.
What Migrationsverket Requires You to Prove Per Month
For a 2026 application, proof of funds must show at least SEK 10,656 a month for the full length of the permit, per Migrationsverket.
Migrationsverket accepts several forms of evidence: bank assets, a scholarship, a sponsor's funds, employment income, or a home-country student loan. Two reductions apply if the institution or a scholarship confirms the benefit directly: SEK 2,960 a month for confirmed free food, and SEK 4,736 a month for confirmed free housing. Bank statements must be issued no more than four months before the date the permit is meant to take effect, so a statement pulled too early will not satisfy the requirement.
Family members raise the figure rather than lower it. Including a spouse or cohabiting partner in the same application adds SEK 4,440 a month; each child adds SEK 2,664 a month. These additions apply only when the family member is part of the same permit application, not automatically.
What Three Swedish Universities Actually Recommend
Every university-published estimate reviewed sits above the Migrationsverket floor, not at it.
Stockholm University's own recommended total is SEK 12,000 a month, built from food (SEK 2,700), accommodation (SEK 6,500), local travel (SEK 400), phone and internet (SEK 400), and miscellaneous costs (SEK 2,000), per Stockholm University. That total is 12.6% above the Migrationsverket minimum.
Lund University's estimate ranges SEK 8,900–13,500, built from food (SEK 3,000), accommodation (SEK 4,000–8,000), course literature (SEK 400–1,000), and miscellaneous costs including clothing and mobile phone (SEK 1,500), per Lund University. Its lower bound sits closest to the Migrationsverket floor of the three universities reviewed.
The University of Gothenburg publishes the widest range, SEK 10,525–17,525 a month. Accommodation runs SEK 4,000–7,500 for student housing, or SEK 6,000–10,000 for a small apartment or private accommodation. Food adds SEK 3,000–4,000, a transit pass costs SEK 645, phone and internet run at least SEK 400, and other expenses add at least SEK 2,500, per University of Gothenburg. Its upper bound is 64% above the Migrationsverket minimum.
| Figure | Monthly Amount (SEK) | Gap vs. Migrationsverket Minimum |
|---|
| Migrationsverket minimum | 10,656 | — |
| Lund University | 8,900–13,500 | -16% to +27% |
| Stockholm University | 12,000 | +12.6% |
| University of Gothenburg | 10,525–17,525 | -1% to +64% |
Student Accommodation Cost Sweden: Stockholm vs. the Regional Cities
Accommodation is the single largest line in every university estimate, and it is also the one that varies most by city.
At Stockholm University, accommodation is SEK 6,500 a month, 54% of the SEK 12,000 total budget, per Stockholm University. Lund University's range is wider, SEK 4,000–8,000, per Lund University. Gothenburg publishes two separate accommodation bands: student housing at SEK 4,000–7,500, and small apartments or private accommodation at SEK 6,000–10,000, per University of Gothenburg.
Lund's lower bound (SEK 4,000) undercuts Stockholm's flat figure by close to 40%, while Gothenburg's private-accommodation upper bound (SEK 10,000) runs higher than any Stockholm University line item. Accommodation type, not just city, drives the spread within Gothenburg's own range.
Costs the Permit Minimum Leaves Out
The SEK 10,656 figure is a maintenance requirement for the application, not a full cost-of-studying number.
Course literature sits outside every Migrationsverket calculation. Lund University prices it separately at SEK 400–1,000 a month, on top of its base living-cost estimate, per Lund University. The four-month bank-statement dating rule is a planning constraint, not a spending category. A statement gathered too far in advance of the permit's start date is rejected regardless of the balance it shows, per Migrationsverket.
Family-member additions apply only when dependents are part of the same application: SEK 4,440 a month for a spouse or cohabiting partner, and SEK 2,664 a month per child, per Migrationsverket. A single applicant's SEK 10,656 figure does not scale automatically if a partner or child joins later on a separate case. For how these figures sit inside the wider cost of living in Sweden, treat the permit minimum as one line item among many, not a full monthly budget.
EU/EEA and Non-EU/EEA: Who This Budget Applies To
The SEK 10,656 requirement and the residence-permit process apply only where a residence permit for study is required in the first place.
That branch is jurisdictional, not a lifestyle choice. Confirm who needs a residence permit before applying any of the cost figures in this guide to your own case.
Work Rights and Building Your Own Number
For residence permits granted or extended from 11 June 2026, paid work is capped at 15 hours a week during academic semesters, so part-time income cannot be assumed to close a budget shortfall, per Migrationsverket. Read work rights while you study for the full set of rules this cap sits inside.
The cap does not apply in June, July and August. It also does not apply to work that is an integrated part of the study programme, such as a required traineeship, per the same Migrationsverket announcement.
Lund University notes that Swedish government-supported students who receive full CSN loans and grants get roughly SEK 9,000–12,000 a month, per Lund University. Treat that figure as a reference point only; it is not an option open to non-EU students on a study permit.
Set a working monthly target by combining a destination university's own city estimate with the Migrationsverket minimum. Plan around the higher of the two figures, not the permit floor alone.
The SEK 10,656 Minimum Proves Eligibility, Not What Stockholm Actually Costs
The SEK 10,656 figure proves eligibility for a study residence permit; it does not prove a livable budget in any specific Swedish city. Stockholm, Lund and Gothenburg universities all publish working numbers above it, and Gothenburg's own upper bound runs 64% higher. Course literature and arrival-related setup costs sit outside the permit calculation entirely. The 11 June 2026 work-hour cap removes part-time income as a reliable fallback for closing any of these gaps.
Cross-reference the destination city's own accommodation costs via housing before finalizing the proof-of-funds figure submitted to Migrationsverket.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Migrationsverket require you to prove per month for a 2026 study permit?
At least SEK 10,656, reduced if the institution confirms free housing or free food.
Does the Migrationsverket minimum cover course literature?
No. Lund University prices course literature separately, at SEK 400–1,000 a month, outside its base living-cost estimate.
Can part-time work close the gap between the permit minimum and a city's real cost?
Not reliably. For permits granted or extended from 11 June 2026, paid work during term is capped at 15 hours a week.
Which city costs the least to study in: Stockholm, Lund or Gothenburg?
Lund's published range (SEK 8,900–13,500) starts closest to the Migrationsverket floor. Stockholm's SEK 12,000 recommended budget and Gothenburg's SEK 10,525–17,525 range both sit further above it.
