New student

If you're an international student, there are several things you should know and do before arriving to ensure a smooth transition and a successful stay. Learn about residence permits, student housing and other things to prepare for your arrival in Gothenburg on Before you arrive on gu.se.

All students at the University of Gothenburg have a student account. You will use your student account throughout your entire period of study, including logging in to the Student Portal, the Canvas learning platform and Ladok. You also need a student account to access your student email, order a GU card, and use the university's Eduroam Wi-Fi.

When you can activate your account
Student accounts can be activated a few weeks before the start of the semester. The date for the autumn semester 2024 is yet to be set. For courses starting during the current semester or in the summer, there is no fixed date, but you will always be able to access your student account in connection with registration.

How to activate your account as an international student
As an international student, you activate your student account by visiting Servicecenter. Remember to bring a valid ID such as a passport or driving licence (digital ID:s are not accepted). 

If you are an international student studying a distance course, please contact Servicecenter for assistance. 

If you have a permanent Swedish personal identity number, you can activate your student account yourself using BankID, eduID, Freja eID Plus or login information to universityadmissions.se:

Activate your student account

About Chalmers ID (CID)
If you are studying a programme or course that includes classes at Chalmers campus or if you are studying alongside Chalmers students, you may also need a Chalmers ID (CID). Scroll down on the page to get information from your programme.

To secure your spot, make sure to register for your education by a specified deadline. The department responsible will inform you about the registration period for your education. If you have any questions or missed registration, please contact your department for assistance.

Registration is mandatory. It is only when you are registered that you are officially considered a student for that semester and are allowed to attend classes in the course. Registration is also necessary to receive student aid from CSN, renew your GU card, access courses in Canvas, and take exams.

Registration is usually done through Ladok for students, but sometimes the department responsible for the course handles registration at the course's beginning.

How you register for a course

Two weeks before your course begins, you should have access to the course syllabus. For each course, there is also a list of literature, which should be available no later than eight weeks before the course starts.

Syllabus and reading list

At the latest two weeks before the course starts, you should have access to the schedule for the course. Most schedules can be found in the University's booking system, TimeEdit. Schedules in TimeEdit may be preliminary and subject to changes up to two weeks before the course starts.

How to access your schedule

The University of Gothenburg's uses the learning management system Canvas. In Canvas you'll find course rooms for your current courses, a digital space where you can find, for example, learning resources, assignments and results.

You must be registered for a course to have full access to Canvas, but you can log in to Canvas as soon as you have activated your student account. Canvas is also available to download as an app.

Canvas learning management system

The GU card is the University's multifunctional card
The GU card serves as an access card, a library card at the University Library, and for using the University's printers.

Typically, if you are studying remotely, you may not need to obtain a GU card. However, if you know that you will want to borrow books from the University Library, it's a good idea to order a GU card.

Learn more and order your GU card

Access card for Chalmers
If your programme or course includes classes at the Chalmers campus or if you are studying alongside Chalmers students, you may need to obtain an access card for Chalmers facilities. Scroll down on the page for program-specific information.

Other facilities with their own access cards
There are certain locations where you don't use your GU card for access, such as when you're studying at Campus Steneby or in Mariestad.

For specific information relevant to your situation, please refer to the details provided by the faculties and departments further down on this page or on the Finding your way on the University page.

As a student at the University of Gothenburg, you will have your own email account through Microsoft Outlook. Your student email is created when you activate your student account. To be able to access the student email and the other services in Microsoft 365, you need to activate and use multi-factor authentication (MFA) when logging in.

Email and Microsoft 365

How to activate MFA for your account

It's important to monitor your student email
Sometimes, the University sends information directly to your student email, so it's essential to keep an eye on your student email inbox:

• A convenient way to do this is through notifications in the Outlook app, which you can download to your phone. By enabling notifications in the app, you can see if you have received a new email in your inbox.
• Another option is to forward your student emails to another inbox.

More information on how to login monitor your student emails is found on the Email and Microsoft 365 page.

Get to know the Student Portal

To ensure that you do not miss important information from the University, it's essential that we have the correct contact information for you. There are several different systems that manage your contact details.

Here's how you can update your contact information

Student life is about more than just studies and lectures! At the beginning of each semester, many different welcome activities are organized for new students, giving you the opportunity to get to know other new students and the student life in Gothenburg

International Student Welcome Programme
The International Student Welcome Programme is held at the beginning of each semester. The programme of events and activities provides international students with practical information about the University and living in Gothenburg. It is also a perfect opportunity to meet other international students and Student Buddies from all over the world.

Introduction Days (gu.se)

Welcome Day
The International Student Welcome Programme always kicks off with a Welcome Day, where you'll get information about the University's digital services, the Servicecenter, student unions, Mecenat, and much more. You will also be able to ask the presenters questions.

Information about dates and how to participate in the Welcome Day the autumn semester 2024 will be published closer to the start of the semester. 

Welcome activities hosted by student unions
At the University of Gothenburg, there are four student unions, all of which organize various welcome activities. Which union you belong to depends on what you are going to study.

Your student union is also on your side throughout your studies, protecting your interests both in and outside the lecture halls. Check out your student unions website for more information!

Find your student union at the University of Gothenburg

If you have questions about your current education and future career paths, a study counselor can help you.

Study counselling

All students at the University of Gothenburg are to have the opportunity to successfully complete their studies. Study support is available for those who have a long-term, documented disability.

Disability study support 

It is important that you feel well and that you experience being able to manage your studies effectively. If you need support regarding your health and wellbeing, you can contact the student healthcare services at the University. There are also resources that you can use on your own.

Student health

At the Swedish National Sports University (RIU) Gothenburg, you can continue developing as an elite athlete while studying. They offer a wide range of courses and programmes to choose from, giving you access to the latest in sports research.

About Swedish National Sports University (RIU) Gothenburg on gu.se

A significant portion of your time at university will involve independent or group study. We provide advice and assistance for those looking to enhance their study strategies, including information searching, reference management, academic language, and writing.

Academic language and study strategies