Learning Swedish when you move to Sweden: SFI, work, citizenship

Do you need Swedish to live in Sweden?

Strictly speaking, you can get by in Sweden in English for a long time. Most Swedes speak it well, many international employers work in it, and a lot of public information is available in English. People who have moved here will tell you that this is both a blessing and a trap. It is a blessing in your first months, and a trap in your third year, when you realise that conversations at fika, parents' meetings at school, jokes on the radio, letters from the authorities and most job adverts are still in Swedish.

Sweden also expects newcomers to learn the language, and that expectation has become formal: since June 2026, knowledge of Swedish and of Swedish society is a requirement for citizenship. So the practical answer is: you can arrive without Swedish, but you should start early, and the country gives you free tools to do it.

This guide covers what is available, how it works, and how to make the most of it. Rules change, and some of the details below depend on your situation and your municipality, so we point you to the official source wherever it matters.

SFI: Swedish for Immigrants

SFI (svenska för invandrare, Swedish for immigrants) is the free, publicly funded Swedish course for adults whose first language is not Swedish. It is part of municipal adult education (Komvux), so it is run or procured by your kommun (municipality), and the national curriculum is set by the Swedish National Agency for Education, Skolverket.

Who can study at SFI?

As a general rule, you are entitled to SFI if you:

• are resident in Sweden (bosatt i landet), which for most people means being registered in the population register (folkbokförd) in the municipality and so having a personnummer (personal identity number)
• are at least 16: the right starts on 1 July of the year you turn 16
• lack basic knowledge of Swedish

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens with a right of residence can count as resident even before they are folkbokförda. Asylum seekers are not entitled to municipal SFI. If you only have a samordningsnummer (coordination number), what matters is whether you count as resident, and municipalities differ in what documents they ask for. If you are not entitled, other options exist, such as courses run by study associations (studieförbund) and folk high schools (folkhögskolor).

Since 1 January 2026 the right to SFI is also time-limited: as a rule, three years from when you are first admitted, with the possibility of extensions. Your place can also be ended if you do not make reasonable progress or are absent for long periods without a valid reason.

There are special cases, and the rules have changed several times, so check your municipality's website or contact its adult education office. Search for "sfi" plus the name of your kommun.

How SFI is structured: study paths and courses

SFI is organised in three study paths (studievägar) and four courses (kurser), A to D. Which path you are placed in depends mainly on your previous education, not on your level of Swedish.

Most readers of this guide, with secondary or university education, will be placed in study path 3, starting at course C or D depending on what they already know. Course D is the final SFI course. It is often described as roughly B1 on the European CEFR scale (some put it at high A2 to low B1); there is no official mapping. Courses B, C and D include national tests (nationella prov). A revised SFI syllabus, with more emphasis on speaking and pronunciation, applies to courses starting from 2027.

How to apply

1. Get your personnummer by registering with Skatteverket (the Swedish Tax Agency), which handles the population register.
2. Go to your municipality's website and find the page for sfi or vuxenutbildning (adult education).
3. Apply online, usually with BankID, or through the municipality's adult education guidance service (studie- och yrkesvägledning).
4. You will typically be invited to an introductory meeting or placement assessment, where they find out about your education and any Swedish you already have.
5. You will then be offered a place with a provider. Larger municipalities often let you choose between several schools, daytime or evening classes, and on-site or distance study.

Waiting times vary a lot between municipalities and times of year, from days to several weeks.

What SFI is like

SFI is a school, not a private language course, and experiences vary widely. Class sizes, teaching quality and the mix of students depend on the provider. Some people love it, some find it slow. A few things are almost universal:

• The pace is set by you, to a degree. You move to the next course when you pass the current one, not after a fixed number of weeks. Motivated learners with a strong educational background can move quickly.
• Classes are mixed. You will study with people from many countries and backgrounds, which is valuable for speaking practice, since Swedish is your only shared language.
• Hours vary. Full-time SFI can be around 15 hours a week of teaching; part-time and evening options exist in many municipalities. Distance and blended courses are common.
• There are variants. Many municipalities offer yrkessfi (SFI combined with vocational training, for example in healthcare or transport), and some regions have fast tracks for people with a university degree or specific professional qualifications.

After SFI: Swedish as a second language

When you finish course D, the next step in the public system is svenska som andraspråk (SVA, Swedish as a second language) at Komvux. It exists at two levels:

• Grundläggande nivå (basic level, equivalent to Swedish compulsory school)
• Gymnasial nivå (upper-secondary level)

Upper-secondary Swedish as a second language, at the highest level, is what Swedish universities require for general entry. If you want to study at a Swedish university in Swedish, you can also demonstrate the level through Tisus, a test of Swedish for university studies.

Komvux courses are free, and like SFI they are applied for through your municipality.

Swedish at work

English goes a long way in Swedish working life, especially in tech, research and large international companies. Many people are hired without Swedish. But the picture changes as you look closer:

• Most job adverts are in Swedish, and many that are written in English still list Swedish as a requirement or a merit (meriterande).
• The public sector, healthcare, education and customer-facing jobs usually require Swedish. Regulated professions often require a documented high level: doctors, nurses and other licensed healthcare staff trained outside the EU/EEA, for example, must show Swedish at C1 level to get a Swedish licence (legitimation) from Socialstyrelsen. Check the requirements with the relevant authority early.
• Fika and meetings drift into Swedish. Colleagues switch to English for you, but the informal conversations where decisions, jokes and relationships happen tend to be in Swedish.
• Promotions and networks are easier with Swedish.

A useful strategy at work is to ask colleagues to speak Swedish to you in low-stakes situations, like fika and lunch, and to keep meetings in English until you are ready. Swedes switch to English quickly out of politeness; telling them Jag vill gärna öva på svenska, kan vi prata svenska? ("I'd like to practise my Swedish, can we speak Swedish?") usually works.

Citizenship and the language requirement

This is the area that has changed most in recent years, and where you should rely on official sources rather than forums.

For a long time Sweden had no language requirement for citizenship. That changed on 6 June 2026, when stricter citizenship rules came into force. In outline, according to the Swedish Migration Agency and the Government Offices:

• Longer residence. The general requirement went up from five to eight years of residence, with different periods for some groups, such as Nordic citizens.
• Self-support. Applicants generally need to support themselves through income from work or a business.
• Knowledge of Swedish and of Swedish society (samhällskunskap, civics). Most adult applicants must now show both. This can be done with certain grades, for example from SFI course D or other Swedish education, or by passing a citizenship test. The civics test was first held in August 2026. The law plans a Swedish language test from October 2027, but UHR has asked to move it to autumn 2029; see our guide to the citizenship language requirement and the free B1 check.

The new rules apply to applications that had not been decided by 6 June 2026, including ones submitted earlier.

What we deliberately do not state here: the level of Swedish required, the fees, the format, the pass marks or exactly which grades count in every case. Some of these details are still being put in place, and anything more specific could be out of date by the time you read it. Instead:

• Check migrationsverket.se (the Swedish Migration Agency) for the requirements that apply to applications right now.
• Check regeringen.se (the Government Offices) for decided and proposed changes and their start dates.
• Check uhr.se (the Swedish Council for Higher Education), which runs the citizenship test, for test dates and practical information. You cannot book the test on your own: Migrationsverket refers applicants to it.

The practical conclusion: if you plan to stay in Sweden long term, reaching a solid intermediate level of Swedish, and learning how Swedish society works, is worth doing now. A pass in SFI course D is one of the documented ways to show your Swedish, and continuing to SVA takes you further.

Swedish for everyday admin

Much of the early stress of moving to Sweden is admin. The authorities are generally helpful and many have English pages, but phone queues, letters and forms are often in Swedish. These phrases are written the way people naturally say them. All use du, which is normal with officials in Sweden.

Skatteverket (Tax Agency): registration and personnummer

Handläggningstid (processing time) is a word you will meet on every authority's website. Skatteverket also issues the Swedish ID card, which you usually need before you can get BankID.

Försäkringskassan (Social Insurance Agency)

1177 and healthcare

1177 is the national healthcare advice number and website. You can call it for advice from a nurse, and log in at 1177.se to book appointments, read your medical records and renew prescriptions. In an emergency, call 112.

If you need an interpreter in healthcare, the care provider arranges one, and it is normally free of charge. Ask when you book. Some regions charge a fee if you miss an appointment with an interpreter without cancelling, and a national interpreter fee has been proposed, so check your region's rules on 1177.se.

The bank

BankID is the electronic identification used for almost everything in Sweden, from banking to logging in to 1177 and the authorities. Getting it early makes everything else easier.

Your landlord

Your landlord is your hyresvärd. A first-hand contract is a förstahandskontrakt; renting from another tenant is andrahand (subletting).

Felanmälan (fault report) is the magic word: most landlords have a form or phone line with exactly that name.

A realistic plan for your first year

1. Before you move, or in your first weeks: learn the basics yourself. Pronunciation, greetings, numbers and simple sentences. The essential phrases guide and the Swedish numbers tool are good starting points.
2. As soon as you have a personnummer: apply for SFI. Even if you are working full time, look for evening or distance options.
3. Alongside SFI: add daily listening and speaking. SFI gives you structure; a few extra minutes of real Swedish every day is what speeds you up. Easy news like 8 Sidor and Klartext from Sveriges Radio is made for exactly this stage. There is a full list in our guide to learning Swedish with TV, podcasts and easy news.
4. At work and in daily life: ask for Swedish in low-stakes moments. Order in Swedish, do small talk at fika in Swedish, and switch to English only when you need to.
5. After SFI D: continue with SVA, especially if you plan to stay or study. Keep your SFI grade: it is one of the ways to show your Swedish when you apply for citizenship.

If you are wondering how SFI compares with apps and online courses, and how to combine them, we have written a separate guide: SFI or an app?. To check your current level before placement, try the Swedish level test.

FAQ

Is SFI free?

Yes. SFI is part of municipal adult education and is free for those who are entitled to it. Some providers may ask you to buy or borrow materials, but the teaching itself costs nothing.

Can I study SFI while working full time?

Often, yes. Many municipalities offer evening, part-time and distance courses. Options vary by municipality, so check what yours offers when you apply.

Can EU citizens study SFI?

EU/EEA citizens who live in Sweden have the same right to SFI as other residents. A right of residence can be enough even before you are folkbokförd, but check with your municipality.

How long does SFI take?

It depends on your study path, your starting level and how many hours a week you study. Because you move up when you pass each course, well-educated learners studying intensively can finish much faster than those studying part time. There is no fixed course length, but since 2026 the right to SFI is generally limited to three years, with possible extensions.

Do I need to pass a Swedish test to become a Swedish citizen?

Since 6 June 2026, most adult applicants must show knowledge of Swedish and of Swedish society. This can be done with certain grades, such as a pass in SFI course D, or by passing the citizenship test: the civics test started in August 2026, and the law sets 1 October 2027 at the latest for a Swedish reading and listening test (UHR has asked to postpone it to autumn 2029). Check migrationsverket.se for the rules that apply when you apply.

What comes after SFI?

Swedish as a second language (svenska som andraspråk, SVA) at Komvux, first at basic level and then at upper-secondary level. The highest upper-secondary level meets the Swedish requirement for university entry.

Start before you arrive

You do not need to wait for a personnummer to start. Learning the sound of Swedish and the basic sentence patterns before you move makes SFI faster and your first months easier. Our free lessons are a good place to begin: all 49 lessons of Season 1 of Complete Swedish cost nothing and need no account. Start here, and see the complete guide to learning Swedish for the bigger plan.