Pakistani citizens studying in Sweden for longer than three months need a residence permit for studies, not a Schengen visa. Applications for the permit run through the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket), and in Pakistan the in-person steps are handled by the Embassy of Sweden in Islamabad. Every requirement, fee and timeline below is taken from the agency's official application page and the embassy's own announcements.

Visa Requirements

  • Valid passport β€” you can never be granted a permit for longer than your passport is valid.
  • Admission to full-time studies at a Swedish higher education institution. Distance learning does not qualify.
  • Tuition fee paid before applying β€” the Migration Agency treats you as fully admitted only once the fee payment is confirmed and your university notifies the agency directly.
  • Proof you can support yourself for the whole permit period: at least SEK 10,656 per month for applications made in 2026. Funds must be your own bank assets (an account in your name that only you β€” and an accompanying partner, if any β€” can access); credit, funds and shares are not accepted, nor are assets in a microfinance bank. Private individuals such as relatives are not accepted as sponsors β€” money from them must first be transferred to a bank account in your name. Scholarships, student grants or loans, and employment income also count.
  • Comprehensive health insurance if your total time in Sweden is under one year β€” valid for the whole stay and covering emergency and other medical care, hospitalisation, emergency dental care, and medically necessary home transportation. If you stay longer than one year, you should instead register in the Swedish population register.
  • As a general rule you must be outside Sweden when you apply for a residence permit.

Application Process

  • 1. Secure admission and pay your tuition fee at the Swedish university.
  • 2. Apply in the Migration Agency's e-service. To use it you must be 18 or older, have a valid email address, be able to pay the application fee with a Visa or Mastercard payment card, and be able to scan or photograph your documents. Family members (spouse, registered or cohabiting partner, children under 18) can be included in your own application.
  • 3. Submit your application at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in the country where you live β€” for Pakistan, the Embassy of Sweden in Islamabad (House No. 4, Street No. 5, Sector F-6/3, Islamabad). Since 9 April 2025 the embassy once again handles study-permit applicants in person for biometric data, passport checks and interviews.
  • 4. Pay the application fee when you submit; the application is then sent to the Swedish Migration Agency.
  • 5. Fraud warning: the embassy warns against people falsely claiming to represent the Swedish Migration Agency or the embassy and offering faster appointments for payment β€” all residence-permit appointments are arranged exclusively by the embassy, free of charge, and the embassy does not use WhatsApp for official case communication.

Fees & Processing Time

  • Application fee: SEK 1,500 for adults; SEK 750 for children under 18. No refund if the application is rejected. The PKR equivalent is not published β€” the fee is charged in SEK.
  • No fee for: students at the World Maritime University (WMU) in MalmΓΆ; Japanese citizens; and scholarship recipients (Sida, the EU, the Swedish Institute, or Uppsala University's International Science Programme) whose scholarship covers living expenses and is paid out during the permit period.
  • Processing: the agency says it cannot state exactly how long a decision takes, but its statistics for the last 12 months show 75% of recently decided cases decided within 3 months.
  • Permits are granted for one or two years depending on the institution (never longer than your studies); if granted for the entire study period, the agency adds two extra weeks so you can finish and leave.

Official Links