Understanding letters from your kommun
Who sends these letters
Sweden's 290 municipalities (kommuner) run preschool (förskola) and compulsory school (grundskola), SFI and adult education, care for older people, and social services (socialtjänsten), which handle financial assistance and support for children and families. Letters from the kommun are often about a preschool place and its fee, school absence and meetings, and decisions on applications such as financial assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd). National rules come from laws such as the Education Act (skollagen) and the Social Services Act; each kommun adds its own routines.
Deadlines and your right to challenge a decision
Most kommun decisions on social services can be appealed to the administrative court (förvaltningsrätten). The decision explains how; under the Administrative Procedure Act the appeal must arrive within three weeks of the day you received it. Preschool fees are capped nationally (maxtaxa): from 1 July 2026 the fee for the first child is 3 per cent of the household's monthly income after a deduction of 10,000 kronor, at most 1,547 kronor a month.
Checked on 2026-10-07 against: Skolverket: avgifter (maxtaxa), Malmö stad: maxtaxa från 1 juli 2026, Skolverket: skolplikt och rätt till utbildning, Skolverket: utvecklingssamtal, Socialstyrelsen: ekonomiskt bistånd. Rules change: the official website and your letter always win.
These pages explain the Swedish words in official letters. They don't replace the letter itself or advice about your case. Always check the deadline printed on your letter, and contact the agency (their phone number and your case officer are usually at the bottom of the letter) if anything is unclear. Lingolib is not connected to any of the agencies named here. Facts were last checked on 2026-10-07.
Example letters, word by word
These letters were written by us to show the style and the typical phrases. The names, amounts and dates are made up; real letters look different from agency to agency and year to year. Tap a word to see what it means.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
Heading: an offer of a preschool place.
Noah Solrosens 4 2027.
Your child is offered a place at this preschool from Monday 4 January 2027.
30 2026.
Answer the offer online by 30 October 2026.
.
If you don't answer, the place goes to another child.
.
The preschool will call to plan the settling-in period.
. .
The fee depends on household income, within the national cap. Report your income online before your child starts.
.
If you don't report income, you are charged the highest fee.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
Sara Ali, 6B
To the guardians of the pupil named.
Sara .
In the last four weeks Sara has been absent without valid reason several times.
, .
Under the Education Act school is compulsory, and as guardian you must make sure your child attends.
Sara.
The school wants to meet you to discuss how to help Sara together.
12 . 15.30. , .
They suggest Thursday 12 November at 15:30; contact the form tutor if that doesn't suit.
.
They can book an interpreter for the meeting.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
Heading: a decision on financial assistance.
2026.
You applied for financial assistance for November 2026.
6 940 4 210 .
You are granted money for rent and for living costs at the national standard rate.
, .
Your request for money for furniture is refused because the cost is not considered reasonable.
25 .
The money is paid to your bank account on 25 October.
.
To appeal, your appeal must reach social services within three weeks of receiving the decision.
.
Contact your case officer with questions.
34 key words in letters from your kommun
The words specific to these letters first, then the general ones every agency uses.
- förskoleplatspreschool place
- A place for your child at a förskola. Answer the offer by the date in the letter, or it may go to someone else.
- erbjudande om platsoffer of a place
- The kommun offers your child a place. Accept or decline by the date given.
- placeringplacement
- Which förskola or school your child is placed at.
- inskolningsettling-in period
- The first days or weeks at förskola, when a parent stays with the child. Plan time off work for it.
- maxtaxamaximum fee
- The national cap on preschool fees, based on household income. You must report your income to the kommun.
- barnomsorgsavgiftchildcare fee
- The monthly fee for förskola or after-school care, based on your household's income.
- inkomstuppgiftincome statement
- Information about your income, which the kommun needs to set the fee. Report changes, or you may have to pay back the difference.
- uppsägning av platsgiving up a place
- Ending your child's place. There is usually a notice period, and you pay until it ends.
- vårdnadshavareguardian (legal parent)
- The person with legal custody of the child, usually the parents. Letters about children are addressed to them.
- skolpliktcompulsory schooling
- Children must go to school from the autumn of the year they turn six. Guardians must make sure the child attends.
- frånvaroabsence
- Time away from school. Report illness the same morning, as the school says.
- giltig frånvaroauthorised absence
- Absence for illness, a medical visit or leave approved in advance.
- ogiltig frånvarounauthorised absence
- Absence without a valid reason. The school contacts you, and the head teacher must look into repeated absence.
- ledighetleave (from school)
- Permission to be away for a few days. The head teacher (rektor) decides; longer leave needs very special reasons.
- rektorhead teacher
- The head of the school, who decides on leave and is responsible for the school.
- mentorform tutor
- The teacher responsible for your child's class or group and your main contact.
- utvecklingssamtalparent-teacher meeting
- A meeting with teacher, pupil and guardian about how the child is doing. In grundskola at least once a term.
- modersmålsundervisningmother-tongue tuition
- Lessons in a language other than Swedish that the child speaks at home. You usually apply to the kommun.
- socialtjänstensocial services
- The kommun's social services: financial assistance, support for families and children, and more.
- ekonomiskt biståndfinancial assistance
- Money from the kommun for people who cannot support themselves in any other way. You apply, and your savings and other income are checked first. Also called försörjningsstöd.
- riksnormnational standard amount
- The national guideline amount for living costs used to calculate financial assistance.
- orosanmälanreport of concern (about a child)
- A report to social services that someone is worried about a child. Staff at schools and in healthcare must report. Social services then decide whether to investigate.
- utredninginvestigation, assessment
- Social services looking into a situation or an application. You will be asked to meet and to give information.
- bifallapproval
- A yes to an application. Avslag is a no.
- avslagrefusal
- A no. The decision says why and how to appeal.
Words every agency uses
- beslutdecision
- The formal answer to your case. A beslut is legally binding until it is changed. Read the date on it: most time limits for challenging it start from the day you received it.
- handläggarecase officer
- The person handling your case. Their name and phone number are usually at the bottom of the letter. You can call and ask them to explain it.
- överklagaappeal
- To ask a court or higher body to change a decision. The letter must tell you how and by when. Missing the deadline usually means you lose the right to appeal.
- förvaltningsrättenthe administrative court
- The court that hears appeals against most decisions by agencies and the kommun. You usually send the appeal to the agency, which passes it on.
- ansökanapplication
- A request for something, like a benefit or a permit. Ansöka om is to apply for.
- underlagsupporting documents, basis
- The documents or information a decision is based on. Begära underlag means asking for documents.
- tolkinterpreter
- Agencies and healthcare can book an interpreter for meetings and calls. Ask for one when you book; say which language you need.
- senastat the latest, no later than
- Marks a deadline: senast 15 november means 15 November is the last day. It must usually have arrived by then, not just been posted.
- folkbokfördregistered (in the population register)
- Registered as living at an address in Sweden, with Skatteverket. Many rights depend on where you are folkbokförd.
What to do next
- Find the date and the deadline. Look for senast, inom and förfallodag. Write the deadline in your calendar.
- Find who to contact. The handläggare and a phone number are usually at the end. You can ask them to explain the letter in simpler Swedish or English, and to book an interpreter.
- Answer in writing when it matters. Our email templates include a polite Swedish message asking an agency to explain a letter.
- Look up other words in the all-agency glossary or the Swedish dictionary.
Letters from other agencies
Reading letters like these gets easier fast once the everyday words are automatic. Season 1 of our course is free in full, and the guide to the language you need when moving to Sweden covers the basics.