Subsistence allowance and insurance

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This page is only intended for invited guests. Please do not spread this link to anyone else.

The information on this page is intended for participants/students within the Sida bilateral programs in Bolivia, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, where ISP handles the administration and payment of subsistence allowances and insurance.

• Residence permit
• Request for Letter of Support and Insurance certificate
• Request for Subsistence allowance
• Payment of Subsistence allowance
• Insurance - terms and conditions
• Contact information

Some useful information for your visit to Sweden.

Current information on COVID-19 in Sweden.

Visa

For shorter visits (up to 90-days), a visa is required and the application is made at a local embassy. This also applies for students that are not enrolled at the Swedish university/institution no matter the duration of the visit.

Residence permit

PhD students – admitted and registered at a Swedish university
Students on sandwich program that are registered at the Swedish university should apply for a residence permit for studies.

General rules:

• Validity 3 to 24 month
• At least 50% of the time has to be spent in Sweden
• Each visit outside Sweden can be maximum 25 % of the total duration of the validity period of residence permit.
• Each period for the residence permit has to start and end with a visit in Sweden.
• A residence permit cannot be valid during a longer period than the validity period of the holders passport.
• Can be extended

The application to the Embassy/Migration Agency has to include:

• A Letter of admission/invitation from the hosting Swedish university/institution
• A Letter of Support and an Insurance Certificate from ISP (Use Request form)
• A passport valid for the whole period for the Residence permit
• Any other document required by the Swedish Migration Agency as indicated on their website.

More information about residence permit for doctoral studies:
https://www.migrationsverket.se/English/Private-individuals/Studying-and-researching-in-Sweden/Higher-education/Residence-permit-for-doctoral-studies.html

More information about extending a residence permit for doctoral studies: https://www.migrationsverket.se/English/Private-individuals/Studying-and-researching-in-Sweden/Higher-education/Extend-a-residence-permit-for-doctoral-studies.html

PhD students – not admitted/registered at a Swedish university
Students on sandwich program that are not registered at the Swedish university should apply for a visitor’s permit.

Validity 3 to 12 month, can not be extended.

The application to the Embassy/Migration Agency has to include:

• Certificate from the host institution in Sweden
• Certificate from home university
• Letter of Support and insurance from ISP (Use Request form)
• A passport valid for the whole period for the Residence permit
• Air ticket

More information: https://www.migrationsverket.se/English/Private-individuals/Visiting-Sweden/Doctoral-exchange-students.html

Postdocs

Postdocs should apply for a residence permit as a visiting researcher. A visiting researcher is a person who has taken their doctor's degree or is qualified to start their doctoral studies and who has been invited by a Swedish institution to conduct research in Sweden.

Validity 3 months – 4 years, full time in Sweden expected.

The application to the Embassy/Migration Agency has to include:

• The hosting agreement with the hosting institution in Sweden
• Letter of Support and insurance from ISP (Use Request form)
• A passport valid for the whole period for the Residence permit

More Information: https://www.migrationsverket.se/English/Private-individuals/Working-in-Sweden/Employed/Special-rules-for-certain-occupations-and-citizens-of-certain-countries/Visiting-researchers.html

How to request a Letter of Support and Insurance certificate from ISP

In order to obtain the required Letter of Support and Insurance certificate the below steps have to be followed:

1. Fill in the Request Form for Letter of Support and Insurance certificate
2. Send the signed Request form to ISP, allowances@isp.uu.se together with the Letter of admission/invitation from your hosting Swedish university/institution.

ISP will thereafter issue a Letter of Support and an Insurance certificate and send the requested documents to the student.

We recommend the student to start this process as soon as a study period in Sweden is set in order to avoid delays.

How to request Subsistence allowance

In order to obtain subsistence allowance the student needs to request this from ISP. The request has to be done for each separate visit or prolongation of a visit in Sweden. We recommend that the request is made as soon as the visa/residence permit has been approved and travel plans are set. The below procedure should be followed:

1. Fill in the Request Form for subsistence allowance
2. Send the signed Request form to ISP, allowances@isp.uu.se
3. Confirm your arrival in Sweden with a copy of your boarding pass to the same e-mail above.

Disbursement of subsistence allowance will only be done while the student is in Sweden.

ISP has to be informed about any changes in stay in Sweden.

Payment of subsistence allowance are done on a monthly basis, normally on the 25th each month.

If the student holds a Swedish bank account the allowance payment will be deposited on the account. If the student does not have a Swedish bank account the allowance will be deposited on an ICA Maestro Card. The card will be sent to the Swedish supervisor´s institutional postal address. The students have to follow the instructions that are sent with the card in order to activate the card and obtain the allowance.

Students living in Uppsala can get their ICA cards from Segerstedthuset reception only after having a confirmation from ISP administrator. In order to get ICA cards, students need to have their valid passport as an identity proof.

* Segerstedthuset is open during the weekdays from 8.00.16.30

Claims to the insurance company are handled by ISP. Fill in the claim form (leave the fields for authority empty for ISP to fill in) and send it together with original receipts/invoice to:

Uppsala university/ ISP
Att: Allowance
Box 549
751 21 Uppsala

• Terms and conditions 2018 - Insurance for foreign visitors
• Claim form
• Insurance for foreign visitors - A Presentation by Kammarkollegiet
• Health Care in Sweden - A brief Summary