CSN Abroad: How Swedish Students Keep Their Grant and Loan While Studying in Europe

The same base support, wherever you study

CSN pays the same grant (bidrag) and standard study loan (studielån) whether you study in Sweden or abroad. For a full-time period of 4 weeks in 2026, that means 4,120 kr as a grant and 9,472 kr as a loan, a combination available to every eligible student regardless of destination (source: CSN ).

Extra loan for the higher cost of living abroad

On top of the standard package, CSN offers a supplementary loan for higher costs abroad, merkostnadslån för utlandsstudier. In 2026 it pays 740 kr a week for full-time study, 562 kr at 75 percent intensity, and 355 kr at 50 percent intensity, working out to 2,960 kr for a full-time 4-week period. Combined with the standard grant and loan, a full-time student abroad can access 16,552 kr per 4-week period in total (source: CSN ).

A separate loan for travel costs

CSN also lends money specifically for travel to and from your study destination, applied for separately from the study support itself. This is a loan, not a grant, and the maximum amount resets every calendar half-year: up to 5,920 kr for study in the EU, EEA, Switzerland or the UK, and up to 17,760 kr for destinations outside that zone (source: CSN, as above).

Program approval and other conditions

Your program needs to be approved either by Universitets- och högskolerådet (UHR) or directly by CSN before you can receive study support for it. Full-time study abroad needs a minimum length of 3 weeks at 50 percent pace within the EU, EEA or Switzerland, and at least 13 weeks full-time outside that area. Only Swedish citizens have an automatic right to CSN funding for studies abroad, so check your specific situation with CSN if you hold a different citizenship but live in Sweden.

Full degree, exchange or a single course

CSN funding works for a complete degree at a foreign university, an exchange semester as part of your Swedish program, or even a single approved course abroad, as long as the study pace and accreditation conditions above are met. Full-time study generally means at least 3 weeks at 50 percent pace in Europe, so a short summer course can sometimes still qualify if it meets that threshold.

Why the extra loan for cost of living exists

The merkostnadslån exists because rent, food and other daily costs run higher in many European study destinations than the standard Swedish rates assume. It is a loan, not a grant, so you repay it later along with your regular study loan, but it gives you more borrowing power to cover the gap instead of relying only on the base package.

Age limits and application timing

You can normally take out full study loans up to age 51, after which the amount you can borrow starts reducing each year, and you can no longer draw new study support at all from age 61. Apply for your regular study support and your merkostnadslån at the same time, and apply for the separate travel loan for each calendar half-year you need it, since it does not renew automatically (source: CSN, as above).

What happens if you fall below full-time abroad

CSN pays merkostnadslån at 3 different rates depending on your study pace: full rate at 100 percent intensity, a reduced rate at 75 percent, and a lower rate again at 50 percent. If your course load abroad drops below what you reported, tell CSN immediately, since study support is based on your actual study pace and an unreported drop can turn part of your grant into a debt you repay.

Before you apply, check this

• Confirm your host program is accredited and appears on CSN's approved list or gets separately approved.

• Apply for merkostnadslån and your travel loan as separate items, not automatically bundled with your basic study support.

• Reapply for the travel loan every half-year you study abroad, since the amount does not carry over.

• Report any change in your study pace immediately to avoid repaying money as a debt.

Combining CSN with an Erasmus+ grant

If your program abroad runs through an Erasmus+ exchange, you can use your CSN grant and loan alongside the EU grant. Neither system counts the other as income that reduces what you receive, so Swedish students commonly stack both to cover an exchange semester or year.

CSN pays your grant and loan into your Swedish bank account in kronor, even while you study abroad, so budget for currency conversion costs and exchange rate changes when you plan your monthly spending. If you extend your stay abroad beyond what you first reported, contact CSN before your original period ends, since extending after the fact can delay payments or reduce what you are entitled to for the extra time.

Keep documentation ready

Universities and CSN often ask for the same kind of proof: your acceptance letter, a signed learning agreement or equivalent enrollment confirmation, and evidence of your study pace once term starts. Keep digital copies of everything, since CSN can request updated confirmation partway through your period abroad to keep your payments running.