You apply to English-taught programmes in Sweden through one national portal, universityadmissions.se. For autumn 2027 the application opens on 16 October 2026 and closes on 15 January 2027; documents and the $90 (SEK 900) fee are due by 1 February, and results come out on 1 April (master's) and 8 April (bachelor's). There are usually no entrance exams: bachelor's places go by school grades, master's places by your degree and the documents a programme asks for. A Russian, Kazakh, Belarusian or Uzbek school-leaving certificate meets the general bachelor's requirement, but most applicants still need an English test.
Below: the step-by-step process, documents for applicants from Russia and other CIS countries, how ranking your choices works, and what happens after the offer.
| Stage | First (international) round, autumn 2027 |
|---|---|
| Application opens | 16 October 2026 |
| Application deadline and last day to change your ranking | 15 January 2027 |
| Application fee of $90 (SEK 900) and supporting documents | by 1 February 2027 |
| Results for master's | 1 April 2027 |
| Results for bachelor's | 8 April 2027 |
| First tuition instalment | per university invoice, e.g. by 1 May at the University of Gothenburg, by 20 May at Lund |
| Residence permit application | immediately after paying the first instalment |
| Studies start | late August or early September 2027 |
How admissions work in Sweden
Universityadmissions.se is run by the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR), a government agency. You create one account, choose programmes at different universities, rank them, upload documents and pay one fee. UHR checks the core documents and general eligibility; the universities run the selection among eligible applicants.
Non-EU applicants have two rounds for the autumn semester:
- the first, international round: all English-taught programmes, early decisions and time for tuition payment, the permit and housing;
- the second, national round (15 March – 15 April 2027): results only on 9 July, and many English-taught programmes are no longer open.
University Admissions explicitly advises non-EU/EEA/Swiss applicants who need a residence permit not to rely on the second round, as there will not be enough time to obtain the permit. Few programmes start in spring, and no Swedish scholarships are offered for a spring start.
Step by step: from shortlist to admission
- October–December 2026. Shortlist programmes and read each page's general requirements (school certificate or degree, English) and specific requirements (subject levels or credits, letters, portfolio).
- From 16 October 2026. Register on universityadmissions.se, add programmes and rank them.
- By 15 January 2027. Submit. After this date you cannot re-order your choices, and anything added later is a late application.
- By 1 February 2027. Pay $90 (SEK 900) and upload all documents. A late fee payment turns your application into a late one, considered only if places remain.
- February–March. UHR and the universities assess documents; your merit rating and selection group appear in your account.
- 1 or 8 April 2027. Your Notification of Selection Results is published. Fee-paying students are listed as "conditionally admitted", which is normal.
- April–May. The university invoices the first semester. Until it is paid, your admission is preliminary.
- Right after payment. Apply for a residence permit for studies; the university notifies the Migration Agency that tuition has been received.
You do not need to reply to a first-round offer; if you decide not to attend, decline it in your account.
Documents: school certificate, degree and English
Bachelor's
The general requirement is completed upper secondary education, English at the level of the Swedish upper secondary course English 6 (also called English Level 2) and, for grades awarded after 31 December 2009, mathematics equivalent to Mathematics 1. Programmes add specific requirements: Lund's International Business, for instance, asks for Mathematics 3b/3c (logarithms, derivatives) and Social Studies 1b.
University Admissions' country instructions:
| Country of school certificate | Meets general requirement? | English from school accepted? |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | yes: attestat o srednem obshchem obrazovanii with grade transcript | yes, if English was studied at profile level, graduation 2008 or later, and the profile is visible on the document |
| Kazakhstan | yes: school certificate with transcript | no; a test or qualifying university study is needed |
| Belarus | yes: school certificate, or vocational diploma with grades | no |
| Uzbekistan | yes: school certificate, academic lyceum or college diploma with grades | no |
Only school qualifications decide bachelor's eligibility. University transcripts cannot replace them, but they can help with specific requirements, so upload them too.
Master's
You need a degree equivalent to a Swedish kandidatexamen. For Russia, the instructions state that a bakalavr of at least four years meets the requirement. English is usually at English 6 level, occasionally 5 or 7. Specific requirements vary: Uppsala's Master's in Computer Science, for example, asks for 90 credits in computer science (programming, algorithms, computer architecture and operating systems) and 30 credits in mathematics. Each university sets its selection criteria, such as credits and grades, statements of purpose, CVs or essays. More in master's degrees in Sweden.
Accepted English tests
| Test | English 6 (most programmes) | English 7 |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic, IELTS Online, IELTS UKVI (Academic) | 6.5 overall, no section below 5.5 | 7.0 overall, no section below 6.0 |
| TOEFL iBT, results from 21 January 2026 (1–6 scale) | 4.5 total, no section below 4 | 5 total, no section below 4.5 |
| TOEFL iBT, results up to 20 January 2026 | 90 total, writing 20 | 100 total, writing 20 |
| PTE Academic | 62, writing 61 | 68, writing 61 |
| Cambridge English | C1 Advanced, 180+ | C2 Proficiency, 200+ |
IELTS General Training, TOEFL ITP and TOEFL MyBest are not accepted. Scores must be verifiable online through the test provider.
Translations and names
Upload documents in the original language together with an official translation into English or Swedish, signed and stamped by a translation company or translator. A school document issued only in English is not accepted without the original-language version. Your name and date of birth must match across all documents and your account; a name change needs an official document. UHR verifies authenticity with the issuing institution.
Ranking your choices: why order matters
For bachelor's studies you can select up to eight courses and programmes, but you can be offered places worth at most 45 credits (a full semester is 30). Offers go down your list; once the top choices reach 45 credits, lower ones are deleted.
For master's studies you can select up to four programmes and receive only one offer. As soon as you are admitted to one, everything ranked lower is deleted. Put a back-up first and you may lose the programme you wanted even if you qualified for it.
Order also affects scholarships: KTH, Uppsala University and the University of Gothenburg consider only applicants who ranked their programme first. See scholarships in Sweden for what your citizenship allows.
How applicants are selected
For bachelor's programmes, UHR converts school grades into a merit rating from 10 to 22.5, and places go from the highest rating down within each selection group. Some universities create separate groups for fee-paying students. No cut-off is published in advance; it depends on each year's competition. Lund, for example, fills its English-taught bachelor's places in the international round by school GPA only, with no motivation letters.
For master's programmes, the university chooses the criteria and publishes them on the programme page. Lund's one-year Master's in Management, for instance, selects on previous studies and a statement of purpose.
Finishing school in 2027?
University Admissions advises final-year school students not to apply to the first round for the same autumn: selection happens in April, and without final grades you cannot compete. Lund University is stricter still: you can apply for a bachelor's programme only once you have your final certificate. Non-EU applicants are left with a spring start (few programmes) or applying the following October for the autumn after. See bachelor's degrees in Sweden for how to use that year.
After admission: tuition and the residence permit
Tuition goes directly to the university; only the application fee goes to University Admissions. UHR never sends tuition invoices, so an invoice in its name is a scam. You pay each semester in advance. Russian-issued bank cards do not work abroad, so plan a legal transfer route for the $90 (SEK 900) fee and the first semester before you apply; see how to pay for studies abroad from Russia.
Then apply for the permit straight away. According to the Migration Agency, 75% of recent study permit cases were decided within three months. Requirements, funds and notes for Russian citizens are in the Swedish residence permit for studies guide.
If something goes wrong
- You missed the deadline. After 15 January you can make a late application to programmes marked "Open for late application"; it is considered only if places remain after selection.
- You were found ineligible. Eligibility decisions can be appealed within three weeks of reading your notification. The selection result itself cannot be appealed.
- You are on the reserve list. You may be offered a place later, but for fee-paying students this is often too late for the permit, so keep a plan B.
Common mistakes
- Uploading a translation without the original, or the original without a certified translation.
- Taking IELTS General Training instead of Academic.
- Paying the fee after 1 February, which makes the application late.
- Ranking a back-up above the programme you really want.
- Applying in the second round and hoping the permit will be ready in time.
- Waiting for the offer before working out how to transfer the first instalment.
FAQ
The first, international round runs from 16 October 2026 to 15 January 2027, with the fee and documents due by 1 February 2027. Results are published on 1 April for master's and 8 April for bachelor's programmes.
Usually not. Bachelor's applicants are ranked by school grades converted into a merit rating from 10 to 22.5; master's applicants by their degree and the documents each programme requires. Some arts programmes ask for a portfolio or extra tasks.
Yes, for the general requirement: University Admissions accepts the attestat o srednem obshchem obrazovanii with its transcript. Specific requirements such as mathematics level are checked separately, and English must be shown by a test or by profile-level English on a certificate from 2008 or later.
Up to eight courses and programmes at bachelor's level, with offers capped at 45 credits, and up to four master's programmes with only one offer. The $90 (SEK 900) fee is paid once per semester regardless of how many programmes you choose.
Yes, if another qualification covers English: for Russian applicants, profile-level English on a school certificate from 2008 or later; a degree with English as the main subject; or 60 credits taught in English in the EU/EEA or certain English-speaking countries. TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge exams are also accepted.
It is a conditional offer. For fee-paying students the status stays even after the first instalment is paid, because the portal is not linked to university payment systems. If the condition is something else, such as a missing document, the university will tell you what to do.
Yes, as a late application, considered only if places remain after the main selection. For non-EU applicants it is also risky because of tuition and permit timelines.
Sources
- University Admissions: autumn 2027 dates, admission rounds, application fee; checked 30 Sept 2026
- University Admissions: bachelor's, master's and English requirements; checked 30 Sept 2026
- University Admissions country instructions: Russia, Russia, master's, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan; checked 30 Sept 2026
- University Admissions: ranking for bachelor's and master's, bachelor's selection, results and appeals, paying tuition; checked 30 Sept 2026
- Lund University: tuition payment, bachelor's studies, International Business, Management; checked 30 Sept 2026
- University of Gothenburg: payment deadline, Uppsala University: Computer Science, KTH Scholarship; checked 30 Sept 2026
- Swedish Migration Agency: study permit and processing times; checked 30 Sept 2026
- Dollar conversions use the ECB reference rate for 29 Sept 2026 (€1 = $1.1355 = SEK 11.3210; SEK 1 ≈ $0.1003), rounded to $1 below $100 and to $10 above.
Shortlisting programmes, checking eligibility and preparing documents and the application are provided under an agreement with StudyU. The university decides on admission, University Admissions (UHR) assesses documents, and the Swedish Migration Agency decides on the residence permit.
Next steps
- Bachelor's Degrees in Sweden in English: Programmes, School Certificate Rules and Real Timelines
- Master's Degrees in Sweden in English: Requirements, Costs and How to Choose
- Scholarships in Sweden for International Students: Who Qualifies and How to Apply
- Swedish Residence Permit for Studies: Requirements, Funds and Steps for Russian and CIS Applicants
- How to Pay for Studies Abroad from Russia: What Works in 2026
- Cost of Studying in Sweden: Tuition, Living Costs and a Full Budget
