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New PhD students 2025

Congratulations on your acceptance to the PhD program at SSE! 🎉 We are looking forward to welcoming you at the School very soon. Below you will find the practical information you need in order to prepare your move to Sweden.

Before the start of the studies

Admission letter  
The admission letter you have received is the proof that you have been admitted as a PhD student at SSE. If you need a visa to come to Sweden, the Swedish Migration Office might ask you to provide the protocol of the decision to admit you to the program. This is a standard procedure, and the decision will be sent directly from SSE to the Swedish Migration Office. Contact Conrad Bakka in case you receive such a request. 

Immigration
Depending on your country of origin, you might need a residence permit to come to SSE. Please refer to the Swedish Migration Agency's website to read what applies to your specific case. 

In case you need a residence permit, note that permits must be granted before arrival to Sweden. To ensure that you receive a reply in time for commencement of your course program, it is extremely important that you apply for your permit as soon as possible (that is, now). Note also that as a PhD student you can be granted a residence permit for up to 4 years at a time, depending on the expiration date of your passport. If your passport has a validity shorter than 4 years, we highly recommend that you renew your passport before applying for your visa to Sweden if you can, so you can get the whole 4-year period you are entitled to. 

As part of the process for getting your residence permit, you will need to be photographed and fingerprinted. Depending on the country you are living in, you will either be requested to visit the Swedish Embassy in that country, or visit one of the Swedish Immigration Offices once you arrive in Sweden. This process can take time, as it is not always easy to get an appointment at the relevant authorities. This is one more reason why it is urgent that you start with your visa process right away. 

The certificate of admission and the certificate of studies that you have received from us are your proof that you have been admitted as PhD student to SSE, and they include all information you are asked for in the visa application to prove your acceptance to the program. Note also that students’ visas can have a start date as early as August 1, 2025 independently of the program’s start date, so don’t miss the opportunity to come to Stockholm a little earlier and settle down. 

Finally, please note that Immigration Authorities can ask you to provide the protocol of the decision to admit you to the program. This is standard procedure, and while the protocol is automatically sent to them it might sometimes arrive after you have applied. Contact Conrad Bakka (Conrad.Bakka@hhs.se) in case you receive such a request from the officer assigned to your case. 

Accompanying partner and children
Spouses / registered partners and children moving following a PhD student to Sweden are entitled to receive a residence permit based on the PhD student’s visa. In order for that to happen, it is very important that the whole family applies for the visa at the same time. The same applies also for the Swedish Personal Identity Number. 

Housing
At SSE we have a small housing office that offers rooms and apartments to some of our international students. Check our housing page to view the available options, but please contact your department before you contact our housing office, as some arrangements might already have been made for you.

Insurance
It is very important that you purchase a travel insurance that covers your trip and ensure that you have valid medical insurance covering you and any accompanying family members for the initial weeks in Stockholm before you have obtained your Swedish Personal Identity Number. 

EU/EEA students should make sure they bring a European Health Insurance Card from their home countries or, alternatively, bring the terms and conditions for a fully comprehensive private health insurance policy.

Introduction

We are welcoming all our newly admitted PhD students at SSE with a full day of activities on August 25, 2025. The introduction day is mandatory for all students and it is officially your first day at SSE, so please mark your calendar already now. Depending on which program you have been admitted to, you will also receive an invitation to introduction activities for your specialization. 

Academic calendar:
Academic Calendar 2024 / 2025 

Verify your Master's degree completion

If your Master's degree is not from SSE:

  • Unless you have attached it to your application, send a copy of your official Master’s transcript and diploma as soon as possible by email to Conrad Bakka.
  • If you are not done with your degree yet, make sure to send us your final official Master's transcript and a certificate from your home university that you are done with all the Master's program requirements by August 25, 2025. Don't forget to send the copy of your official Master’s transcript and diploma as soon as you receive it.

For SSE MSc students or graduates (except parallel enrollment): 

  • You must be done with all the MSc courses required for the degree by the start of the program. We will check your eligibility ourselves prior to the registration. 

Let's stay in touch!

Moving to a new country or even just starting at a new School can be challenging and we are here to help. 

For general questions regarding SSE, such as registration to the program, immigration, being a student at SSE, introduction day on August 25, 2025 and more, feel free to email Conrad Bakka. 

For questions specific to your program, like for instance courses, introduction days for your specialization or specific questions about the department you have been accepted to, please contact

Business Administration:
Katarina.Ahlstrom@hhs.se

Economics:
Kathrine.Abelson@hhs.se 

Finance:
Nicola.Donohoe@hhs.se

Would you like to learn Swedish before your studies begin?

Then download the app “Learning Swedish” now! This app has been developed in Sweden by the Swedish Institute, a public agency, together with a group of experienced Swedish teachers and partners. "Learning Swedish" is a free course in Swedish course for beginners with material for self-study aimed at adult learners.

It is your fast track to learning Swedish wherever you live. The course gives basic spoken and written knowledge of the Swedish language, as well as an insight into Swedish culture and society. All instructions are given in English. Once you have downloaded the app, it is also available offline:

Google Play: swedn.me/LearningSwedishAndroid
App Store: 
swedn.me/LearningSwedishiOS

In addition, feel free to check out the following Swedish courses as well: