New to Sweden with foreign qualifications?

Completed higher education

If you have completed higher education in another country than Sweden, it is possible to supplement your education here. Supplementary education can be useful in certain cases to deepen your knowledge of Swedish society. In some professions, supplementary education is required before you can take employment in Sweden.

Supplementing your foreign degree (studera.nu)

It is also possible to request that higher education completed abroad be evaluated by UHR, in order to present this information to possible employers. 

Recognition of foreign qualifications

Supplementary education available at Linköping University

Foreign teacher training, ULV, 120 credits

Complementary Programme for Biomedical Laboratory Scientists with a Foreign Degree, 90 credits

Higher Education for Students with a Foreign Academic Degree, 30-120 ECTS credits 

Partially completed higher education

UHR does not evaluate incomplete education. Information is given below for those who have started to take higher education in another country than Sweden and not completed it.

Entry requirements

Apply for prior learning recognition 

Applicants with upper secondary education

If you have completed upper secondary education and have good language skills in Swedish and English, you can apply to higher education in Sweden.

Upper secondary qualifications taken outside of Sweden are evaluated when you apply at antagning.se.

Recognition of foreign qualifications

Entry requirements

Apply for prior learning recognition

Courses and programmes

Higher education in Sweden can take the form of either a programme or single-subject courses. Taking single-subject courses enables you to construct your own education. No matter whether you take a programme or a set of single-subject courses, you will be able to complete your education and be awarded a degree.

Linköping University offers education within the following areas:

• Behavioural and social sciences
• Computing, IT and logistics
• Economics and law
• Engineering
• Culture, media and design
• Teacher education
• Mathematics, natural sciences and the environment
• Medicine and care sciences

Recognition of foreign qualifications

Completed foreign upper secondary education, further vocational education and training, or higher education can be evaluated by UHR. You can use the evaluation by UHR when applying for employment. The statement specifies in brief the Swedish degree or the level of Swedish further vocational education and training to which your foreign education corresponds. It is possible to apply for employment without having obtained a statement from UHR. The evaluation is to be seen as an aid for employers when comparing your foreign education with a Swedish degree.

At present, UHR does not evaluate partially completed courses of study, but it is possible that this will change.

It is not necessary that your foreign upper secondary education be evaluated by UHR before you apply to higher education in Sweden, but it can be useful and make it easier for you to plan.

Entry requirements

If you plan to apply to higher education in Sweden, the upper secondary education you have taken must be such that it has prepared you for university study. You must have completed upper secondary education in order to satisfy the general entry requirements for Swedish higher education.

You must also be able to demonstrate that you have sufficient language skills in Swedish and English. You must have passed the Swedish upper secondary course either “Svenska 3” or “Svenska som andra språk 3”, and “Engelska 6”. It is also possible to demonstrate that you have sufficient English language skills with a test approved by Swedish institutions of further education, such as TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge English Language Assessment certificates.

Most courses and programmes have specific entry requirements that you must satisfy, in addition to the general entry requirements. In most cases, these requirements are that you have taken certain courses at upper secondary level. It is important that you check what the entry requirements are for the course or programme in which you are interested. More information is available at:

antagning.se

studera.nu 

Apply for prior learning recognition

If you do not formally satisfy the entry requirements on the basis of upper secondary education, but even so consider that you have the knowledge required to take the course or programme, you may apply for your prior learning to be evaluated with respect to general entry requirements and specific entry requirements. This is relevant if you have acquired the necessary knowledge in another way. This may be, for example, that you have taken certain courses, have taken another type of education, or have experience from working life. An evaluation is carried out when you apply. 

Prior learning recognition (in Swedish)