On this page we have gathered the most common questions about the application procedure for international students. If you cannot find the answer to your questions here or on the other pages concerning the application procedure, please contact us.
Note that exchange students find information about the application procedure under:
Exchange studies
You can find more information about available courses or programmes in English in our online course catalogue.
Sweden has a national admissions system (the University Admissions) that enables applicants to submit one application for courses and programmes in Sweden.
More information about applications can be found on our web page How to apply.
With a few exceptions, all citizens of countries outside of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland are required to pay tuition fees for education at Umeå University at the undergraduate and advanced level.
Full-time studies constitutes being enrolled in 30 ECTS for an academic term. In other words, if you decide to take individual courses, they must add up to a minimum of 30 ECTS credits in order to be considered a full-time student. For applicants requiring a residence permit (those outside of the EU/EEA), you will not be approved by the Swedish Migration Agency if you have less than 30 ECTS on campus courses.
To be a full-time student you have to study 30 ECTS credits per term (ex. 7.5 ECTS courses x 4 courses per term). You cannot be accepted to more than 45 ECTS per term without obtaining special permission to do so.
You need to meet the entry requirements for the courses/programmes you apply for. The entry requirements are stated under the course description.
Note: Exchange students have a separate course offering and should apply for courses listed at:
Exchange Studies - search courses
Umeå University offers beginner's level courses in Swedish, both during the Autumn and the Spring semester. It is possible to take these courses parallel to other courses, but they do not lead to basic eligibility in Swedish for higher education. They are open to all international students, which includes students under formal exchange agreements and students in degree programmes.
Basic eligibility in Swedish
We also offer intensive courses in Swedish for student who would like to study the language full time. There are three 30 ECTS courses in progression which lead to eligibility in Swedish for studies in programs and courses where Swedish is the language of instruction. Please note that these courses are only offered certain semesters: courses one and three are offered in the Spring semester and course two in the Autumn semester.
Intensivkurs i svenska 1: nybörjarkurs
Intensivkurs i svenska 2: fortsättningskurs
Intensivkurs i svenska 3: behörighetsgivande kurs
These courses are only available on the Swedish application web site Antagning.se. If you need guidance to make an application, please contact Infocenter on Campus Umeå or a general study counsellor.
You have to include:
These copies will be used in the assessment of your application at Umeå University.
From some countries, student copies of transcripts are not accepted. They have to be verified by the issuing university, in some cases sent directly to the University Admissions. For more information, please visit University Admissions.
The transcripts must be in English or Swedish, with the exception of transcripts from Scandinavian countries. However, in order to avoid misinterpretation, even these transcripts should be translated into English.
You must also include documents that prove your level of English proficiency.
Please use the following address when sending your documents by air courier:
PostNord Strålfors AB
Att: University Admissions in Sweden
R 312
SE-190 81 Rosersberg
Sweden
The cover sheet is intended for foreign applicants who do not have a personal identification number (personnummer). Students with a Swedish personal identification number need to include that number on any documentation they submit to the University Admissions in Sweden.
What you need to do is to make a copy of the confirmation that you will receive when you have successfully applied on-line. Send this copy together with the required documentation. If your documentation is sent by another party make sure that they have your national registration number and application number so that the documentation can be matched to your application.
Note: this also applies to applicants with temporary identity in the admissions system.
English language requirements (University Admissions website)
Copies that are stamped and signed by an official of the school, a public notary or embassy staff, and that attest that the copy has not been manipulated so that it deviates from the original.
The official stamp and the name of the person attesting should be clearly legible. Notary Public is not accepted from India, Pakistan, Cameroon or Nigeria. Unless specifically requested, you should never submit original documents. Original documents will not be returned.
When you apply for courses or programmes in Sweden your credentials are first processed by the Swedish Council of Higher Education. For questions regarding your documents, contact them directly through the contact form on their webpage.
Merit rating of previous academic studies
At Umeå university, merit rating takes place at the end of the assessment process, after the number of qualified applicants becomes clear. The merit rating is only changed for applicants to programmes or courses where there are more qualified applicants than places.
If you have an academic degree that is registered by the Swedish Council of Higher Education in your account in University admissions, a degree equivalent to or higher than a bachelor’s degree (equivalent to a Swedish kandidatexamen), it is given the nominal merit rating of 180 ECTS, regardless of its actual length. Applicants who are in their last year of a bachelor’s programme are given the nominal rating of 150 ECTS.
When merit rating is needed, applicants, who have further studies in addition to the nominal rating, will have their merit rating adjusted in accordance with what has been documented by the applicant and verified by the Swedish Council of Higher Education.
Only academic credits that are reported no later than the last application day are included in the calculation of merit value.
In the case of a late application, the merit rating is based on the day on which the late application was received and not on your upper secondary high school qualifications or academic qualifications.
There are often more eligible applicants than places available. As the number of applicants for each course and programme - and the merit rating of these applicants - changes from semester to semester, it's impossible to say what merit rating is required for a place in specific courses and programmes in a specific semester.
Applicants to programmes using GMAT for merit rating
The rating will be changed to the right selection group if the GMAT result is sent directly from the test holder to universityadmission.se or Umeå University. Contact us if you see that you have a GMAT result but have not been placed in the right selection group. We do not accept GRE and GMAT is not mandatory. However, applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and have provided a GMAT result will be selected first in the order of their results and the remaining applicants will be ranked according to academic credits.
There are different admission rounds with different dates and deadlines. For international students dates can also vary depending on if you have applied for bachelor's or master's studies.
You'll find detailed information on:
Most of the text that you receive is sent to everyone who applies - even if it is irrelevant. Please note that if you have been admitted to a course/programme the word "Admitted" will be clearly written next to the programme or course name.
If the word "Deleted" is written next to the programme or course, then you have not been admitted. The motivation for this is given in the notes.
Umeå University does not have an add-drop period. If you wish to change a course, you have to make a new application at University admissions.
Always remember to decline courses that you will not take. Please note, if you have declined a course you cannot be readmitted without making a new application.
For exchange students who needs to change courses, please visit the Exchange student FAQ.
The decision to defer the start of your course may be granted if you have valid reasons to do so.
If you are admitted to a course or a programme, and have valid reasons (e.g. social or medical) as to why you cannot start the course, you can apply for a deferment. If you are granted a deferment, you are guaranteed a place on the course at a later term. Applications should be submitted to Student Services and must include a copy of the admission letter and certificate confirming your reasons. You can appeal the deferment decision.
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