New in Sweden

Apply for residence permit

If you will be studying for longer than 90 days and are from outside an EU/EEA country you need to apply for a residence permit to study in Sweden. To apply for a residence permit, you need to contact the Swedish Migration Agency. You can read more about the process of applying for a residence permit on their website. 

Swedish personal identity number

If you do not already have a Swedish personal identity number and will be studying for more than 12 months you have to apply for that. The University will provide you with a temporary personal identity number that is only valid at the university and in our systems. To have a personal identity number in the Swedish society outside of the university you need to apply for one at the Swedish Tax Agency. You can read more about the process and the documentation needed on their website. 

If you are staying for less than a year you can apply for a Coordination number if needed.  You apply for the number at the Swedish Tax Agency.

How to change your personal identity number at the University?

If you have started your studies at the University without a Swedish personal identity number you been provided with a temporary number. Therefore you need to inform us when you have a new personal identity number. Contact ladok@uniarts.se to inform about the change in your personal identity number. 

Housing

At SKH we do not have our own student apartments for renting. There are different ways to find housing in Stockholm. You can read more about our tips on how to find one under “Student accommodation”. 

Insurance 

You can have different insurances as a student coming to Sweden. Make sure to always check what kind of insurance you have and if you need to cover anything with a private insurance. 

EU/EEA/Swiss Citizens

If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen student you need to bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The card is issued in your home country and you take it with you when you move to Sweden. Make sure to read about what the EHIC covers and provide additional personal insurance when needed. Always bring your EHIC when you are seeking medical attention. 

Students who pays tuition fee

As a student who pay the tuition fee to study at the University you have an insurance through Kammarkollegiet as a student in Sweden. The insurance does not cover everything so make sure to read through the information about the insurance on kammarkollegiets website and provide additional personal insurance when needed. 

Incoming exchange student

As an incoming exchange student, you are insured via Kammarkollegiet's insurance Student IN. Read more about the insurance at Kammarkollegiet. The insurance does not cover everything so make sure to read through the information about the insurance on kammarkollegiets website and provide additional personal insurance when needed.

EU/EEA/Swiss citizen also make sure to apply for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in your home country and bring it with you when moving to Sweden.

Health care

If you get ill and need healthcare you can contact 1177 Vårdguiden (telephone number 1177). There you can talk to a nurse to find out what options are best for you and how to visit your nearest health center (vårdcentral).

Dental care is not included in general health insurance and can be expensive. Make sure to talk to a dentist about the costs for a treatment before you visit.

Bank account

Sweden is largely a cashless society. Even small purchases in stores are often paid with card. There are ATMs if you wish to make a cash-withdrawal. Therefor, depending on the duration of your stay and your arrangements with your bank at home opening a Swedish bank account can be a good option for you or not.  On Swedish Banker's Association website, you can read more about what is required to open a bank account in Sweden. We have several banks and it can differ a bit between them. Always look at the specific banks website for information on what is required and contact them for questions. Usually the bank in Sweden is open between 10-15, even if it can sometimes have longer hours in big cities. 

If you are staying for 12 months or more

Then you have to apply for a Swedish personal identity number. The number can be required to open a bank account in Sweden. 

If you are staying less than 12 months

In this case you cannot apply for a Swedish personal identity number. This can make it harder to get a bank account in Sweden. It can be easier to check your options with your bank at home and if they facilitates services such as internet-banking and their paying options with card abroad. 

Public transport

In Stockholm the public transport is operated by SL. The types of transport are subway, tram, busses and even some boats in the city. As a student who are studying at a pace of 75% or more are entitled to a discount fare if you have a student card (Mecenat).

Student Card

As a student in Sweden you can apply for a student card. Depending on your duration and pace of study you can participate in different student discounts such as discounted fare on public transport. At SKH you apply for a card yourself at Mecenats website.