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Residence requirements for studies abroad

You must have resided in Sweden to receive student finance

In order to receive student finance for studies abroad, you must have lived in Sweden for at least two consecutive years during the last five years. Solely being registered in Sweden is not sufficient, you must have lived here.

However, there are exceptions. In some cases, we may consider you as having resided in Sweden despite you residing abroad, for example if you are employed by the Swedish Government. There are also exceptions in accordance with EU law.

Exceptions in accordance with EU law

If you are subject to EU law you might be entitled to student finance for studies abroad even though you do not meet the residence requirements.

If you are a Swedish citizen, you are subject to EU law if:

  • You study in another EU member state
  • You are prevented from moving within the EU, and
  • You are socially integrated in Sweden.

If you are a family member to a Swedish citizen you can be subject to EU law if:

  • You study in another EU member state
  • You are socially integrated in Sweden, and
  • Your family member has taken advantage of his/her right to free movement as a worker within the EU and as a consequence, you are not meeting the residency requirement.

If you are a foreign citizen, you are subject to EU law if you:

  • Are a EU/EEA citizen and a migrant worker or self-employed in Sweden and will study within EU/EEA or Switzerland, or
  • Are a Swiss citizen and a migrant worker or self-employed in Sweden and will study within EU/EEA or Switzerland, or
  • Are a family member of a foreign EU/EEA-citizen or Swiss citizen who is a migrant worker or self-employed in Sweden and you will study within EU/EEA or Switzerland. If you are a child to a migrant worker or self-employed person in Sweden you are subject to EU law no matter which country you will study in, or
  • Are a Turkish citizen and child to a Turkish citizen who is employed in Sweden. You should also have been living in Sweden with your parent, or
  • Have a permanent right of residency in Sweden and will study within the EU/EEA and Switzerland.

Exceptions as to whether you can be considered as a resident in Sweden while living abroad

If you have lived in Sweden previously, but are currently living abroad, we may still consider you to be residing in Sweden. This is true in these cases:

  • You are a government employee and have been posted in another country for work.
  • You have left Sweden to work for a Swedish faith community or an organisation that is affiliated with the community or a Swedish non-profit organisation that operates aid activities. The length of the stay abroad may not exceed five years.
  • You have left Sweden and are studying without student finance at a programme that gives the right to student finance, and you fulfilled the residence requirement when you moved. After leaving Sweden, your studies must have begun as part of the first new academic year.
  • You are a family member of one of the groups listed above. Family members include the accompanying husband, wife, partner, or children under the age of 18. This also applies if you live with the migrant if you have previously been married, entered into a partnership, or have or have had children together.

If you or a family member meets any of these requirements, you must submit a certificate from, for example, an employer.

Exception if you have already begun your education

If you fulfilled the residence requirements when you began your CSN approved studies abroad, you do not need to meet these requirements again. This regulation applies provided that you have studied with student finance without interruption since then.

Other exceptions to the residence requirement

Even if you do not meet any of the exception requirements, CSN may make an exception with regards to the residence requirement. This applies in the following scenarios:

  • You live abroad due to illness. This applies to those who are Swedish citizens and who have previously fulfilled the requirement to reside in Sweden.
  • There are exceptional circumstances. It is therefore important that you explain all the additional circumstances you wish us to take into account. You can enter them in the "Other" field when you apply for student finance.
Updated: 2024-04-02