SFI explained: courses A to D, study paths and how to start

What SFI is

SFI (svenska för invandrare, Swedish for immigrants) is Sweden's free, publicly funded Swedish course for adults whose first language is not Swedish. Formally it is part of municipal adult education (Komvux), so your kommun (municipality) is responsible for offering it, either through its own adult education centre or through private and non-profit providers it contracts. The national syllabus is set by the Swedish National Agency for Education, Skolverket, so a pass in a course means the same thing everywhere in the country.

SFI has two jobs. It teaches you to communicate in Swedish in everyday life, at work and in society, and it gives you a documented grade that the rest of the system recognises: for further studies at Komvux, for many employers and, since June 2026, as one of the ways to show Swedish for citizenship.

This guide explains who can study at SFI, how it is organised, what changed in 2026 and 2027, and how to get through it faster. For the national tests at the end of each course, see our separate guide to the SFI national test.

Who is entitled to SFI?

As a general rule, you have the right to SFI if you:

• live in Sweden (bosatt i landet). For most people this means being registered in the population register (folkbokförd) and having a personnummer. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens may also count as resident through their right of residence (uppehållsrätt) before they are registered.
• are at least 16. The right begins on 1 July of the year you turn 16.
• lack basic knowledge of Swedish.

People who are not resident, such as most asylum seekers and many exchange students staying less than a year, are not entitled to municipal SFI. If that is you, see the alternatives at the end of this section.

There are special cases, and municipalities ask for different documents, so check the website of the municipality where you live (search for "sfi" and the name of your kommun) or contact its adult education office. International students should read our guide to learning Swedish as an international student, which covers how registration works for students.

Not entitled? Study associations (studieförbund) such as Folkuniversitetet and ABF run Swedish courses open to everyone, and folk high schools (folkhögskolor) run longer courses. A structured online course is the other option; our complete guide to learning Swedish has a plan you can follow on your own.

How to apply

1. Get registered. Register with Skatteverket (the Swedish Tax Agency) to get your personnummer, if you can.
2. Find your municipality's SFI page. It is usually under vuxenutbildning (adult education) or Komvux. Our SFI directory lists the SFI schools in every municipality, with a link to each municipality's website.
3. Apply. Most municipalities have an online form, often with BankID. Some also accept applications without a personnummer for people who can show they are resident in another way.
4. Placement. You are invited to an introductory meeting or assessment. Since 1 January 2026 the law says your knowledge should be assessed when you are admitted, unless that is obviously unnecessary, and the result forms the basis of your individual study plan (individuell studieplan). They will ask about your education and test any Swedish you already have.
5. Choose a provider and a format. In larger municipalities you can often choose between schools, daytime or evening classes, full-time or part-time, and on-site, blended or distance study.

Waiting times vary between municipalities and times of year.

Study paths and courses

SFI is built from three study paths (studievägar) and four course levels, A to D. Your study path depends mainly on your previous education, not on how much Swedish you know. The paths differ in speed, not in standard: a pass in course D is worth the same on every path.

Counting each course on each path separately gives nine courses in total (1A–1D, 2B–2D and 3C–3D). If you have a secondary or university education, you will usually be placed on study path 3 and start at course C, or at D if you already have some Swedish.

What each course roughly corresponds to. Skolverket has related the SFI courses to the European CEFR scale, with course D at roughly B1, course C around A2, and courses A and B in the A1 to A2 range. The fit is approximate, and it is best to think of SFI D as "around B1": you can handle familiar topics at work and in daily life, follow the main points of clear speech, and write simple connected texts.

National tests. Courses B, C and D end with a compulsory national test (nationellt prov) in reading, listening, writing and speaking. There is no national test for course A. The test results carry particular weight in your grade, but your teacher also uses everything else you have shown during the course. SFI uses the same A–F scale as the rest of the Swedish school system: E is the lowest pass and F is a fail.

What changed in 2026: the three-year limit

New rules for SFI were approved by the Riksdag in November 2025 and have applied since 1 January 2026. The main points, according to Skolverket's information for students:

• Three years from admission. The right to study SFI lasts three years from the day you are first admitted, that is, the day the municipality decides to accept you.
• Extensions for special reasons. The municipality can extend your time if you have special reasons (särskilda skäl), such as parental leave, illness, work or other studies. Each extension is at most six months, and extensions can add up to at most three more years. In other words, six years in total is the absolute maximum.
• Breaks need a reason. If you interrupt your studies, you need special reasons to start again, and you must still have time left.
• Assessment and study plan. Your knowledge is assessed at the start, and your study plan records the date you were first admitted. If you change provider, the plan follows you.
• Another municipality. In some cases, with special reasons linked to your personal circumstances, you can study SFI in a municipality other than your home municipality.

The older rule on progress still applies too: you have the right to finish your SFI education provided you make satisfactory progress (tillfredsställande framsteg) and can benefit from the teaching. The law does not define satisfactory progress, so it is assessed by your provider, course by course.

The practical message is simple. SFI is no longer something to start, pause and pick up again years later. Plan to move steadily, and practise outside class.

New syllabuses from 2027

Skolverket has decided on new syllabuses for SFI (SKOLFS 2026:67), which apply to SFI courses started from 1 January 2027. The three study paths and nine courses remain, but each of the nine courses gets its own syllabus, and the teaching places more emphasis on spoken Swedish in everyday life, with oral interaction at the centre of courses C and D. If you are already studying a course that started before 2027, the old syllabus still applies to it.

How long does SFI take?

There is no fixed length. You move to the next course when you pass the current one, so the time depends on your study path, your starting level, your hours per week and how much you practise outside class. A well-educated learner studying full time on study path 3 can move much faster than someone studying a few evenings a week alongside work and family. Some municipalities give rough estimates in hours or months, but those are guides, not rules.

The bigger factor is usually what happens between classes. Our guide to how long it takes to learn Swedish explains what drives the pace.

Formats: daytime, evening, distance and yrkessfi

• Daytime, full-time. Typically several hours of teaching a day. The fastest route if you are not working.
• Part-time and evening. Many municipalities offer evening classes a few times a week for people who work.
• Distance and blended. Lessons online with a teacher, sometimes combined with on-site sessions. Convenient, but it demands more self-discipline, and speaking practice can suffer.
• Yrkessfi (vocational SFI). SFI combined with vocational training, for example in healthcare, childcare, transport or restaurant work. Not every municipality offers the same programmes.
• Tracks for graduates and professionals. Some regions have tracks aimed at people with a university degree or specific professions. Ask your municipality what is available.

If you work full time, our guide to learning Swedish while working has a plan built around a working week.

How to move through SFI faster

1. Start before SFI. If you are waiting for a personnummer or a place, learn pronunciation and basic sentences now. You will be placed higher and progress faster. Our pronunciation guide and Swedish grammar overview are good starting points.
2. Tell your teacher your goal and timeline. Teachers can often adjust material, suggest a faster group or tell you when you are ready for the test.
3. Ask about testing out. If you already have the level, many municipalities offer prövning, an examination for a grade without taking the course. Ask whether it is available for course D.
4. Practise every day outside class. Twenty to forty minutes of review, listening and speaking out loud makes more difference than any other single change. Our guide SFI or an app? has a weekly plan that combines both.
5. Listen to real Swedish. Klartext and Radio Sweden på lätt svenska from Sveriges Radio, and 8 Sidor, are made for this level. See Swedish TV, podcasts and easy news.
6. Speak outside the classroom. Colleagues at fika, neighbours, shop staff. Say Kan vi prata svenska? ("Can we speak Swedish?") and mean it.
7. Practise the test formats. Our Swedish-language practice pages for the national tests are at /sv/sfi.

After SFI D

When you pass course D, the next step in the public system is Swedish as a second language (svenska som andraspråk, SVA) at Komvux, first at basic level and then at upper-secondary level, which is what universities require. Our guide After SFI: SVA, Komvux and Swedish for university explains the route. Keep your SFI D grade safe: a pass in the highest SFI course is one of the ways to meet the citizenship language requirement.

FAQ

Who can study SFI in Sweden?

People aged 16 or over who live in Sweden and lack basic Swedish. Living in Sweden usually means being folkbokförd with a personnummer, though EU/EEA citizens with a right of residence may also qualify. Check with your municipality, which handles applications.

How do I apply for SFI?

Apply to the municipality where you live, usually online through its adult education (vuxenutbildning or Komvux) pages. You will be invited to an assessment of your education and Swedish, then offered a place and a study path.

Is there a time limit on SFI?

Yes. Since 1 January 2026 the right to SFI lasts three years from the day you are first admitted. The municipality can extend it for special reasons, six months at a time and by at most three years in total.

What level is SFI D?

Roughly B1 on the CEFR scale, based on how Skolverket has related the courses to the European framework. The match is approximate, but SFI D means you can manage everyday life and familiar work situations in Swedish.

Can I study SFI in the evening or online?

In many municipalities, yes. Evening, part-time, distance and blended options are common, but what is on offer varies, so ask your municipality.

What is the difference between study path 1, 2 and 3?

The paths are for people with different educational backgrounds and move at different speeds. Study path 3, for people used to studying, has only courses C and D. The final grade in course D is worth the same on every path.

Practise between SFI classes

SFI gives you a teacher and a grade; daily practice is what makes it stick. Lingolib's Complete Swedish teaches Swedish in English through video lessons from A1 to around B1, and all 49 lessons of Season 1 are free with synced transcripts, no account needed. Start with lesson 1, or create a free account to save your progress and take the lesson quizzes.