Study Permit Extensions Need Proof Of Progress

A Swedish study-permit extension can now depend on completed credits, the date your current permit was granted, work hours and money documents. For international students, the extension file should be checked before the permit expiry date, not after the next semester starts.

The Migration Agency says a higher-education extension requires a valid passport, final admission to full-time studies in Sweden, acceptable study progress, insurance when needed and enough financial maintenance. Distance learning does not qualify for this permit route.

The credit test changed for permits granted on or after 11 June 2026. Full-time university or university-college students must have completed at least 62.5 percent of the required studies during the first year, equal to 37.5 credits, and at least 75 percent during each later year, equal to 45 credits.

Students whose current permit was granted before 11 June 2026 stay under the previous progress rules: at least 15 credits in the first year, 22.5 credits in the second year, and 30 credits in the third and later years. The Government bill described the shift as stricter academic-progress requirements and new limits on student work.

The documents have to prove the answer. Migrationsverket asks for the continuing admission decision, a university certificate or official transcript showing completed course components, and a supervisor certificate if a degree project has begun or taken longer than expected. Illness or a similar reason for weak progress needs a medical certificate explaining how study capacity was affected.

Money and work also sit inside the extension check. For applications made in 2026, the maintenance amount is at least SEK 10,656 per month, covering both the requested permit period and the remaining period of the current permit. Bachelor's and master's students with permits granted on or after 11 June 2026 may normally work a maximum of 15 hours a week, with exceptions for summer and education-linked work.

You can apply no more than four months before the current permit expires, and you must apply before it expires. The agency says a late application can remove the right to work while waiting, risk some social benefits and lead to refusal because the student lacked a valid permit. If the new studies are a different permit type, Migrationsverket's study-change page says to make a first-time application instead.

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