Before arrival

Right of residence

European Union (EU) citizens who want to stay in Sweden for more than three months in order to work or study, no longer need to register their right of residence with the Swedish Migration Board (as of 1 May 2014).

If you are a citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA), you may have right of residence in Sweden. If you have right of residence you do not need to have a residence permit. This is in order to facilitate the right to move freely within the EU.

EU/EEA citizens

As an EU/EEA citizen, you have the right to work in Sweden without a work or residence permit. If you can support yourself, you automatically have right of residence in Sweden and do not need to contact the Swedish Migration Board. The same applies to your family members if they join you. You and your family members are entitled to begin working immediately.

When entering Sweden, you need a valid passport or ID card showing your citizenship. You can move to Sweden without applying for any permit, but if you have family who are citizens of a country outside of the EU, they need to apply for a residence card. In order for your family to be granted residence cards you must be able to demonstrate that you can support yourself in Sweden through work, studies or with sufficient means.

EU citizens working, studying or living in Sweden (the Swedish Migration Agency)

Nordic citizens

As a Nordic citizen, you don't need to apply for a residence permit. If you want to live in Sweden you simply need to register with the Swedish Tax Agency.

Nordic citizens living in Swede (the Swedish Migration Agency)

Swiss citizens

As a Swiss citizen, you may move to Sweden to work, study, start your own business or, for example, live on a pension from your country of origin. If you wish to stay for longer than three months, you will need a residence permit.

How to apply:

Complete the application form for residence permit for citizens of Switzerland and their family members, and submit it to the Swedish Migration Board. If you have employment in Sweden you must also enclose a certificate of employment from your employer.

• Residence permit for Swiss citizens (PDF 219 KB, new tab)
• Certificate of employment (PDF 1,1 MB, new tab) (to be completed by your employer)

Entry visas are required for non-EU citizens for stays up to 3 months.

Sweden requires an entry visa for researchers from most non-EU countries. You must apply for your entry visa at least two months before you plan to travel. Make sure your entry visa is stamped in your passport.

A visa can be issued for a maximum of three months at a time, and for no longer than three months within a single six month period. Along with the other Schengen countries, Sweden has decided that citizens from certain countries do not need a visa.

Check to see if you need an entry visa (Government Offices in Sweden)

Please be aware that your visa application must include a letter of invitation from your host supervisor.

How to apply for an entry visa

After you have received your letter of invitation and hosting agreement from your host supervisor, you must apply for an entry visa in your country of residence by contacting the Swedish embassy.

Forms for visas and visitor's residence permits (the Swedish Migration Agency)

You need:

• Hosting agreement from your host supervisor:
  - signed by both yourself and your host supervisor (if staying for more than 3 months) 
  Download a hosting agreement form:
  Hosting agreement form 231011 (PDF 1,2 MB, new tab)
  Please note: On section 8 "Other Information" do not forget to write the amount of your postdoctoral stipend or employment salary.
• A passport valid for at least three months after the final date of the visa
• Proof of income while in Sweden

The handling time for a visa application is normally 4-6 weeks, but can take longer during June-August due to summer vacation. To be certain that you will receive your visa in time, submit your application at least two months before you are due to travel to Sweden.

Residence permits for non-EU researchers (staying longer than 3 months)

In order for you to reside and work in Sweden for longer than 3 months, you must have a residence permit before you arrive in Sweden. You apply for this permit through a Swedish embassy or consulate outside of Sweden.

Apply online

How to apply for a residence permit (the Swedish Migration Agency)

If you are not able to apply online

If you are not able to apply online, you must fill out the form Application for a residence permit for a visiting researcher, number 127011, and submit it to a Swedish embassy or consulate-general in your country of residence. The application form specifies which documents to enclose. Contact the embassy or consulate-general before you submit your application.

Application form - residence permit (PDF 1,2 MB, new tab)

Documents that must be attached to your application:

• Copies of passport pages showing your identity and the passport’s term of validity.
• Hosting agreement
  Download a hosting agreement form:
  Hosting agreement form 231011 (PDF 1,2 MB, new tab)
  Please note: On section 8 "Other Information" do not forget to write the amount of your postdoctoral stipend or employment salary.
• Proof of scholarship contract or proof of employment contract (must be provided by your local supervisor).
• Your residence permit must be valid and included in your passport before you travel to Sweden.

A hosting agreement is required when a visiting researcher (please see below) from a country outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) is invited by a research organisation to conduct research in Sweden for a period of more than three months.

You must have your hosting agreement in place in order to receive permission from the Swedish Immigration Board (Migationsverket) to reside and work in Sweden.

The agreement is prepared by your host supervisor and must be signed by yourself and the host department head/prefekt. Once the hosting agreement has been finalised and signed, it will normally be sent to you electronically by email. You must then submit the agreement along with your residence permit application to the Swedish Immigration Board.

• Download a hosting agreement form:
  Hosting agreement form 231011 (PDF 1,2 MB, new tab)
  Please note: On section 8 "Other Information" do not forget to write the amount of your postdoctoral stipend or employment salary.
• Proof of scholarship contract or proof of employment contract (must be provided by your local supervisor).

What is a visiting researcher?

A visiting researcher is a person who is qualified to pursue postgraduate studies based on studies at a higher education institution and who has been chosen to conduct research in Sweden.

A person who has been admitted to postgraduate education in Sweden in order to take a PhD or is going to do part of their postgraduate education in Sweden is not counted as a visiting researcher. A person who has been admitted to a postgraduate education in Sweden in order to take their PhD has to apply for a residence permit as a student. A person who has been admitted to a postgraduate education in another country and who is going to do part of their education in Sweden has to apply for a visitor's permit.

More information about residence permits for visiting researchers (the Swedish Migration Agency)

Before arrival in Lund, researchers are highly encouraged to secure housing.

The Faculty of Medicine has a limited number of apartments for rent to international researchers through LU Accommodation - Guest Researcher Housing. These apartments are suitable for one person or couples with children. LU Accommodation – Guest Researcher Housing offers rooms or apartments for a 6 or 12 month period, therefore, no matter what, you need to find a long-term housing solution independently of LU Accommodation.

Please be aware that the Faculty of Medicine does not guarantee any housing. However, your International Academic Staff Consultant, Anna-Karla Jakesevic, will do her best to assist you with finding appropriate accommodation.

LU Accommodation – Guest Researcher Housing

To apply for housing at LU Accommodation – Guest Researcher Housing, please complete the following application form and submit it to LU Accommodation.

Booking accommodation for your guest researcher (LU Accommodation website)

LU Accommodation – Guest Researcher Housing does not provide pictures of apartments/rooms. However, the below link provides general information about their locations.

Guest researcher housing information (LU Accommodation website)

LU Accommodation at Lund University offers 13 different and centrally located guest rooms and apartments.

External accommodation agencies

Housing opportunities are also available through local agencies advertised on classified advertisements websites. These website are usually in Swedish. The links below will forward you to other websites.

• Rental housing
• Blocket (On Blocket, you can also place an advertisement in English that you are looking for housing)
• Bopunkten
• Visit Lund
• Visit Malmö
• AIRBNB

Home insurance

Insurance of personal belongings can be obtained from one of the companies listed under ”Försäkring/Insurance” in the telephone directory. The landlord is responsible for the insurance of property belonging to the owner of the accommodation that you are renting, but the tenant must always have his/her own insurance too (double insurance).

There are three Swedish government agencies that all international researchers must contact before and after arrival in Sweden. The following is a guide that explains why and when to contact them.

1. The Swedish Migration Board (Migrationsverket)

Before arrival in Sweden, you must contact the Swedish Migration Board. This agency is in charge of residence permits and visas as well as right of residence registration for EU and non-EU citizens.

This is your first point of call to find out about migration regulations and to apply for the permits you need.

Swedish Migration Board

The Swedish Migration Board can help you with the following:

• Entry visa (for stay up to three months)
• Residence permit (for stay longer than three months)
• EU/EEA citizen: Right of residence
• Non-EU citizen: Residence permit 
• Extension of residence permit

2. The Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket)

The Tax Agency is in charge of taxes and the Swedish population registry. After arrival in Sweden, you must register with the national Tax Agency in order to receive a personal identity number, apply for a Swedish ID card, and pay your taxes.

Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket)

The Swedish Tax Agency can help you with the following:

• National registration and personal identity number (personnummer)
• Coordination number (samordningsnummer)
• ID card
• Taxes

3. The Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan)

If you are staying in Sweden for more than 365 days, you must contact the Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) when you arrive. Also known as the National Agency for Social Insurance, this is a government agency that handles social insurance and manages the Swedish social benefit system. Swedish residents apply here for sick leave compensation, parental leave compensation, other parental benefits, disability support and more.

Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan)

About Social Benefits Insurance (Försäkringskassan)

The Social Insurance agency can help you with the following:

• Registration
• Social insurance benefits
• European health insurance card (EHIC)

About scholarships at Lund University

There are two different types of scholarships:

1. An 'established scholarship' for Master's/PhD studies or postdoctoral career development, is established and/or paid out by Lund University.
2. An 'external scholarship' is awarded and paid out directly to the scholarship holder by an external fund, for Master's/PhD studies or postdoctoral career development.

Decisions regarding scholarship awards

The scholarship holder will receive a decision about the scholarship from the Faculty/department at Lund University.

Letter of invitation

The department concerned will send a letter of invitation to the scholarship holder, signed by the Dean or Head of Department. This can be used when applying for a visa.

• Letter of Invitation for Postdoctoral scholarship holders (msword 76,0 kB)
• Letter of Invitation Postdoctoral employee (msword 75,5 kB)

Current scholarship holders

The receiving department will provide you with information and give you an introduction to Lund University and to the workplace. Your International Academic Staff Support contact will assist you with various practical issues related to your arrival and initial stay.