Checklist for incoming exchange students

Your acceptance letter (notification of selection results) will be sent out around one month after the application deadline. You will need to log in to your University Admissions account to view the letter. The letter can also be downloaded as a PDF.

If you are not a citizen of an EU/EEA country, you must apply for, and be granted, a residence permit before you move to Sweden. This is the case even if you have a residence permit in the country where you study at the moment.

Visit the Swedish Migration Agency website to find out more and apply. Study in Sweden and the Migration Agency have created a series of videos to guide you through the application process. The application process can take three months or more, so apply as soon as possible after being admitted.

SLU will not sign a learning agreement until you have been admitted to your courses. Once you are admitted, send us your Erasmus+ learning agreement, if applicable. SLU is a member of the Erasmus Without Papers initiative, meaning we can sign learning agreements electronically as long as your home university is also a member. Make sure your university will accept the courses you have been admitted to before sending your learning agreement to us.

Study support is available if you have a permanent disability that affects your studies. A disability is a physical or mental impairment that has a long-term impact on your ability to carry out daily activities. Disabilities include dyslexia, physical impairments, mental and neuropsychiatric disorders, visual or hearing impairments and certain chronic illnesses. More information about study support for students with permanent disabilities is available on the Studying with a disability page.

On the SLU student web, there is a page with semester dates and campus-specific information.

Further information about the academic year and semester dates is available in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

SLU has campuses throughout Sweden. The three main campuses are located in Uppsala (Ultuna), Alnarp (Malmö/Lomma) and Umeå. More about SLU’s campuses, including maps and directions.

Your home university will provide you with arrival and departure certificates. If you have not received the certificate(s) (arrival and/or departure), contact your university. Fill in as much information as possible before sending the certificate to us to be signed. SLU’s Erasmus code is S UPPSALA 02. 

SLU can sign your certificate of arrival during the meet-and-greet session. Alternatively, you can email it to us, and we will sign it once you have registered for your courses in Ladok. Use the date of your first day on campus for orientation/your first lesson as your arrival date. 

The same applies to the certificate of departure; your departure date is the last date of your studies – not the date you intend to leave Sweden. If you will be staying after the end of the semester, either to resit an exam or finish your thesis, write the date of your final exam on the certificate.

Information about housing options at SLU is available on the student accommodation page. If you require larger accommodation than a single room in a hall of residence, you must organise your own accomodation for the duration of your exchange. If you would like to bring a pet, please contact housing@slu.se to see if this is possible.

We are unable to guarantee accommodation for exchange students and do not offer housing for families/partners.

We recommend that all incoming exchange students have comprehensive health and accident insurance from their home university/country.

Exchange students at SLU are covered by the Student IN supplementary insurance policy from Kammarkollegiet. This policy covers accidents and is only valid in Sweden.

If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, make sure you have a European Health Insurance Card issued by your country’s social insurance agency.

More insurance information is available on the student insurance page.

Students without a Swedish personal identity number

With a student IT account, you can log in to student computers and the student web, access library resources, and log in to your SLU email account.

If someone at SLU needs to contact you or inform you about something, this is the email address they will use. Make it a habit to check your SLU email account regularly.

Two ways to obtain an SLU student account:

1. On campus

You can wait until you arrive on campus and then visit the IT support office at your campus.

• In Uppsala/Ultuna, you will find it at the Ulls hus service centre.
• In Alnarp, it is located in Tornhuset.
• In Umeå, it is located in the main administrative building on Skogsmarksgränd (marked in orange on the map).

Please bring valid identification with you (a national ID card if you are an EU citizen, or a passport).

2. Remotely

You can also activate your account remotely. This is possible from mid August at the earliest for courses starting in the autumn semester, and from early January for courses starting in the spring semester.

• Contact the IT service desk by phone on +46 18 676600 and choose option 1. An identity check will be conducted via video before your account details are provided. Acceptable forms of ID are a passport, a national driving licence, or a national ID card. Please ensure that your ID is readily available. The service desk is open Monday–Friday, 08:00–16:00 CET.
• During the call, you will be prompted to join: https://join.video.slu.se/webapp/#/?conference=it-stod
• The IT service desk will provide you with an activation code and a username, which you can use to activate your account. Click New account to complete the activation.

For questions about your IT account, please contact support@slu.se.

Contact IT support

Contact IT support on your campus if you experience any problems. They do not offer IT support for your personal devices.

For questions about your student IT account, contact support@slu.se.

Once you have been admitted to courses at SLU, you cannot apply for new courses at universityadmissions.se. The possibility of changing courses is limited and not guaranteed, however you can email your request to mobility@slu.se. In your email, please state the reason for your request and make sure to suggest alternative courses – you must meet any entry requirements. Look for courses in the course list for incoming exchange students.

During office hours, most campus buildings are open. However, some areas require an access card even during office hours. An access card is required for using computer labs etc., in the evening and on weekends.   

Once you have registered for an SLU course, you will receive an email informing you that your personal access card is ready for collection at the service centre. It may take up to two days before the card is available to collect.

Further information, including details on where to collect your personal access card, is available on the page Access card and lock-up times.

Visit the Canvas learning platform and use your student account to log in.

All SLU students have access to Canvas. However, it is up to the course coordinator whether they will use the platform for their particular course. Contact them to find out more.

Your course coordinator decides what will be available in Canvas. Generally, you will be given read-only access to the course once you have been admitted. You will not be able to submit assignments, take quizzes or make posts until you have registered on the course. Keep in mind that the content of each Canvas course may vary.

If you have questions about Canvas, contact IT support at support@slu.se or the course coordinator.

Read more about Canvas (learning platform).

On the first day of your course, you will be given important information about the course, assessment and grading requirements. Notify the course coordinator if you are unable to attend this first session. If you do not register for the course, you will not be able to receive any credits. By registering on the course, you will also activate the Kammarkollegiet insurance policy.

If, for any reason, you are unable to come to campus on the first day of the semester, it may be possible to start later, but at most two weeks after the semester begins. If this is the case, you must contact the course coordinator for the first course and obtain approval.

Find your schedule

Your schedule will be published on the course page on the student web, or on Canvas. Use the course search tool to find your course page. On the course page, you can see where and when your course starts. Ask the service centre for directions if you are not sure where to find your room.

Course registration in Ladok Student

Register for courses in Ladok Student. If you are unable to register for a course yourself, ask the course coordinator or administrator to register you at the start of the course.

How to register in Ladok Student:

1. Go to Ladok Student.
2. Select ‘Login via your university’.
3. Search for and select ‘Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences’.
4. Log in using your SLU student account details.
5. A list of courses open for registration can be found under ‘Registration’.
6. Click ‘Register’ under the title of the course you want to take.

If you are admitted after the semester has started

If you have been admitted to a course that has already started, you should attend classes as soon as possible. 

You will find your schedule on the course page here on the student web, or on the Canvas learning platform. Use the course search tool to find your course page.

Your course coordinator will need to extend the registration in Ladok.

As an SLU student, you are welcome to join a students’ union. By joining a union, you will be eligible for the Mecenat student discount card. Read more below.

Read about:

• student life in Umeå
• student life in Alnarp
• student life in Ultuna (Uppsala).

If you are a member of the Ultuna students’ union, you will also have access to the student nations (social clubs) in Uppsala. You will need to visit a nation in person to join and show them your union membership and proof of registration at SLU.

Read about events taking place on SLU campuses.

Once you have registered on an SLU course, you will be eligible for the Mecenat student discount card. Discounts include travel on public transport throughout Sweden. To be eligible for student travel discounts, you must have a valid Mecenat card with the logo of your regional transport provider (e.g. Skånetrafiken, SL/UL, Länstrafiken). If you buy a discounted ticket without a Mecenat card with the correct logo, you may be fined. The travel discounts are only available once you have registered at SLU.

The easiest way to get the Mecenat card is by joining a students’ union, as all union members receive the card automatically. The students’ unions do not issue physical cards; instead you will be given instructions for how to download the Mecenat app and activate your digital card.

If you prefer a physical card, you can request one once you have activated your digital card. The students’ unions’ page on the student web has more information. The digital card is accepted all over Sweden, but a physical card can be handy when travelling abroad.

Visit Mecenat’s website for more information about the card for SLU students.

The service centres on our main campuses offer information and guidance to all SLU students. You can find the service centres in central locations on Alnarp, Uppsala and Umeå campuses.

Certificate of departure/attendance

Your home university provides you with your certificate of departure/attendance. Please contact them if you do not have one. Fill in as much information on the certificate as possible before sending it to us for signing. SLU’s Erasmus code is S UPPSALA 02. You need to include the final date of your studies at SLU – not the date you intend to leave Sweden. If you will be staying after the end of the semester, either to resit an exam or finish your thesis, write the date of your final exam on the certificate.

Transcripts

Make sure your grades have been registered in Ladok. It can take up to 15 working days before results are registered for a course. You can download your transcripts from Ladok, or order a certificate online. The transcript and certificate will be sent to the postal or email address you provide. Read more about how to obtain transcripts and certificates. 

Grading scales

SLU generally uses a four-point grading scale:

• 5 (Pass with special distinction)
• 4 (Pass with credit)
• 3 (Pass)
• U (Fail)

In some instances, a two-point grading scale is used:

• G (Pass)
• U (Fail)

SLU cannot convert grades to other universities’ grading scales. Your home university will oversee the conversion of any transferred credits.

Sweden has a relatively high cost of living and it is important to be prepared.

The website Study in Sweden provides useful information about the cost of living, including an estimated average student budget.

If you are planning to live in Sweden for one year or more, you must register in the Swedish Population Register. You will receive a Swedish personal identity number from the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). There are five important steps you need to complete,  explained in this video: Moving to Sweden - Population registration

You can submit your application digitally through the Tax Agency's e-service (same link as above), after which you need to book an appointment for an identity check at one of their service offices.  

If you are coming to Sweden for less than one year, but for specific reasons, you will need a coordination number. You also need to book an appointment for an identity check at one of the Tax Agency service offices. 

After receiving your personal identity number

When you have received your personal identity number, please fill in the form Change from temporary identity number to Swedish personal identity number. Send the completed form to ladok@slu.se. This to make sure your temporary registration number is updated in the Ladok  student registry.

If you are staying in Sweden for less than six months, it is usually easier to make banking arrangements with your home bank than to open a Swedish bank account. If you are staying in Sweden for one year or more, you need to apply for a Swedish personal identity number. Having a personal identity number will make opening a bank account a lot easier.

To open a bank account, you must provide proof of identity and explain why you need a Swedish account. Further information about bank requirements is available from the Swedish Bankers’ Association. See the page Becoming a bank customer.

Sweden has four distinct seasons: spring (March to May), summer (June to August), autumn (September to October) and winter (November/December to February/March).

While winter temperatures can drop to around -30 °C, this is uncommon in the southern regions, where the average winter temperature is approximately 2 °C. Conversely, summer temperatures can reach 30 °C.

Equipping yourself for all seasons can be costly, but second-hand shops often offer affordable alternatives. If you are staying during the winter months, thermal mittens, a hat, a heavy winter coat, and insulated boots are essential. Waterproof rainwear is also highly recommended throughout the year, including summer.

As Sweden is a long country, conditions vary significantly between our campuses. Whether you are based in Umeå, Uppsala or Alnarp, you will find that winter temperatures differ and spring typically arrives later the further north you are.

Swedish weather and nature

Are you eager to learn some Swedish before you arrive? There are many tutorials online, or visit Study in Sweden.

The SLU library organises language cafés where you can meet with Swedish students and staff and practise your Swedish. The library also arranges other fun activities.