Sweden — Study (English-taught master's (fee-paying))

Main requirements

An Iranian Karshenasi (bachelor's) degree meets the general entry requirement for master's; final-year students can apply if they document this as universityadmissions instructs. Each programme has its own specific requirements (related field, credits, CV, motivation letter) listed on the university's site.

For the residence permit you need final admission to full-time study (30 credits per semester) and you must pay the tuition fee before applying; you are not finally admitted until the fee is paid, and the university notifies Migrationsverket once it is.

Documents

For admission: degree certificate and semester transcripts officially issued, signed and sealed by the university, plus an official English or Swedish translation stamped by the Iranian Judiciary/Justice Administration; Associate's documents if part of your bachelor's; passport data page; English proof; anything the programme asks for. Name and birthdate must match across documents or be explained with official documentation. Upload scans of the original translation, not certified copies.

For the permit: valid passport, admission letter, tuition receipt, proof of funds, and comprehensive health insurance if studying less than one year. Documents must be in English or Swedish with certified translations.

Language

Iranian upper secondary school does not meet the English requirement. For English 6 (most master's) you need IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 5.5; for English 7, 7.0 with no band below 6. IELTS General is not accepted; TOEFL iBT is.

Costs and proof of funds

The SEK 900 application fee is paid once per intake (regardless of number of programmes) and is mandatory for non-EU applicants, even scholarship applicants. Universities set their own tuition; per Study in Sweden roughly SEK 80,000–320,000 a year (humanities/social sciences about 80,000–135,000; technology/natural sciences about 140,000–185,000; architecture/design 210,000–320,000).

Per the official source, for 2026 applications the maintenance requirement is at least SEK 10,656 per month for the whole permit period (SEK 127,872 for one year; permits are issued for one or two years depending on the university, and funds must cover that whole period), plus SEK 4,440/month for a spouse and SEK 2,664/month per child. Money must be in your own account (or a scholarship, student loan, or an organisational sponsor); private individuals such as relatives are not accepted as sponsors, and credit, shares or funds do not count. The bank statement must be issued no more than four months before the date you want the permit to start and show account holder, bank name, issue date, balance and currency. The permit fee is SEK 1,500.

Steps and timeline

For autumn 2027: application opens 16 October 2026, deadline 15 January 2027, fee payment and documents by 1 February, master's results on 1 April. A second round exists (15 March–15 April) but is usually too late for non-EU permit processing. After admission and tuition payment, apply online for the permit; Migrationsverket reports 75% of recent cases decided within 3 months.

Notes for Iranian applicants

In the 2026/27 call the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals was limited to 34 countries and Iran was not on the list; the 2027/28 documents and eligible programmes are published on si.se from mid-November 2026, so check before planning. For now, rely mainly on universities' own tuition-fee scholarships. Paying the SEK 900 fee and tuition directly from Iranian cards and accounts is not possible because of sanctions; Iranians usually use currency-payment intermediaries (secondary source).

The Swedish Embassy in Tehran has an active Migration Section; book through the embassy's form for a study-permit interview (only if Migrationsverket asks), biometrics and collecting your residence card. If you cannot apply online, you can file a paper application at the embassy and pay the fee in rials at Pasargad Bank. The embassy works with no agents or companies.

Graduates of tuition-free (rouzaneh) public programmes must release their free-education bond in the SAJAD system to obtain original degree and transcripts. Male applicants subject to conscription need an educational deferment or an exit bond, and absentee conscripts cannot leave (secondary source).

After arrival (work while studying, post-study stay, path to permanent residence)

If your permit was granted on or after 11 June 2026, bachelor's and master's students may work at most 15 hours a week (except June–August and a few other exceptions); working more can lead to withdrawal of the permit. After completing the whole programme (at least two semesters) you can apply, before your permit expires, for a job-seeking permit of up to 12 months. With a job you switch to a work permit from inside Sweden; if you still hold a student permit when you first apply, the salary floor is 75% of the median (currently SEK 28,725 a month) instead of 90%, for two years. Permanent residence is generally possible after four years of work permit within the past seven years.