Sweden student finance guide
CSN for foreigners: can international students get it?
CSN is the Swedish authority for student finance. Studiemedel is made up of a grant (bidrag) and a loan (lån). Most students who come to Sweden only to study cannot get it: the right depends on your residence, not on being admitted to a Swedish university. Here is who can, and how to check your own case.
Can international students get CSN?
Usually not. A residence permit for studies does not give a right to Swedish student finance, so a student from outside Sweden who moves there to study normally pays their own way or holds a scholarship, such as the Swedish Institute's.
According to CSN, foreign citizens may be entitled when they live in Sweden and:
- Hold a permanent residence permit, or a permanent right of residence (EU/EEA citizens normally have it after five years of legal residence).
- Are EU/EEA or Swiss citizens who work, or have worked, in Sweden, and may qualify as workers.
- Hold a residence permit based on a family tie to someone in Sweden, in certain cases (not usually as the family member of someone with a work permit).
- Have a residence permit as a refugee, or on similar grounds.
Grant and loan are not the same decision
Studiemedel combines a grant you do not repay and a loan you do. They are applied for together but are worth understanding separately, because the loan is a long commitment and the repayment rules are published by CSN rather than by your university.
Get your own case straight first
Entitlement depends on facts about you: how much you study, how much you earn, how long you have already received support, and your residency status. Ask Draimo to lay out which of those apply to you and which you still need to confirm, so the time you spend on the official service is spent on answers rather than on working out the question.
- List what determines your entitlement, in your own case
- Separate what you know from what needs confirming with CSN
- Keep deadlines and required documents in one checklist
What Draimo does not do
Draimo is not CSN. It cannot apply for studiemedel, check or change a decision, report income, or affect repayment. Amounts and rules change between years, so treat any figure you have not read on CSN's own pages as something to verify.
Use Draimo for the next step
Bring your notes, files, questions, or comparison criteria into Maria and turn them into a brief, checklist, study plan, research task, or finished document.
Start with DraimoOfficial sources to verify
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners get CSN in Sweden?
Most international students cannot. CSN can be available to foreign citizens living in Sweden with a permanent residence permit or right of residence, some EU/EEA citizens who work in Sweden, some family-based permits, and refugees. CSN decides each case.
Can Draimo apply for CSN on my behalf?
No. Applications and status changes are made with CSN directly. Draimo helps you prepare questions, understand the terms, and keep track of deadlines.
Does Draimo know the current CSN amounts?
Treat any amount as something to verify on CSN's own pages. Rates change between years, and CSN is the only authority on what you are entitled to.