Learning Swedish – sfi’s new three-year limit, how to start and the level needed for citizenship
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
Plenty of newcomers get by in English for a while. Swedish opens the rest of the country, though – and since 1 January 2026 the free course, sfi, comes with a clock. Here is who can take it, how long you have and what level you now need to become a citizen.
Since 1 January 2026, sfi (svenska för invandrare, Swedish for immigrants) is no longer open-ended. According to Skolverket (the Swedish National Agency for Education), the right to take part now lasts three years from the day you are first admitted, whether or not you attend all that time. The change was made in Chapter 20 of the Education Act (skollagen) after a government bill on stricter requirements in sfi. If you were admitted before 1 January 2026, a transitional rule lets you continue until 31 December 2028.
The second date that matters is 6 June 2026. Since then, anyone aged 16 to 66 applying to become a Swedish citizen must show knowledge of Swedish and of Swedish society, according to Migrationsverket (the Swedish Migration Agency). A pass in sfi course D is one way to show it. Together, the two rules turn sfi from something you will get round to into something worth starting in your first months.
Who can take sfi
Sfi is run by your kommun (municipality), and the right to it is broad. You qualify from the second half of the calendar year you turn 16 if you live in Sweden and lack basic Swedish. There is no upper age limit, and you do not need a personnummer (personal identity number) or samordningsnummer (coordination number).
| Your situation | Right to sfi? |
|---|---|
| Living in Sweden, from the year you turn 16, without basic Swedish | Yes, from the second half of that year |
| No personnummer or coordination number yet | Yes – the right does not depend on one |
| Finnish citizen living in Finland near the border and working regularly in a Swedish municipality | Yes, on the same conditions |
| Temporary protection (for example from Ukraine), not registered in Sweden | No automatic right, but the municipality may admit you from the half-year you turn 18 |
| Asylum seeker | No |
| In Sweden without a permit | No |
Source: Skolverket, read 22 September 2026.
How the course works
Sfi is free. You get textbooks and other teaching materials at no cost, although the provider may ask you to bring a few items of your own. Your home municipality must make the course available as soon as possible, and unless there are special reasons you should be able to start within three months. The municipality must also actively reach out to people who are entitled to sfi, and have an action plan for doing so.
| Feature | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Teaching time | On average at least 15 hours a week over a four-week period – less if you ask |
| Levels | Four courses: A, B, C and D |
| Language of instruction | Can be your mother tongue or another language you know |
| Start | As soon as possible, normally within 3 months |
| Cost | Free, including books and materials |
| Alternative | A folkhögskola (folk high school) that has the right to award grades and agrees to take you |
Source: Skolverket, read 22 September 2026.
Skolverket says new sfi syllabuses will apply from 1 January 2027; this autumn the four-course structure is what counts. For some participants in etableringsprogrammet (the establishment programme) who are judged hard to match with a job, there is sammanhållen utbildning (combined education) within komvux (municipal adult education): at least 23 hours of teaching a week, able to start within one month of registering.
The three-year limit, and how to protect your time
The clock starts when you are first admitted and keeps running during breaks. That makes attendance a practical question as well as an educational one. If you stay away for more than three weeks in a row without illness or approved leave, you are considered to have left sfi voluntarily.
| Situation | How long you can study sfi |
|---|---|
| Admitted on or after 1 January 2026 | 3 years from your first admission |
| Special reasons such as illness, parental leave or a break for work or other studies | Extensions of up to 6 months at a time, at most 3 years in total – 6 years at the very most |
| Admitted before 1 January 2026 | Until 31 December 2028 |
| Absent more than 3 weeks in a row without illness or approved leave | Treated as having left voluntarily |
Source: Skolverket, read 22 September 2026.
Example: Anna is admitted to sfi, then goes on parental leave. She applies for an extension and gets more time in steps of up to six months, but she can never stay in sfi beyond six years in total. The practical lesson is to tell the school before a break, not after, and to ask for approved leave in writing.
Swedish and the 2026 citizenship rules
The new citizenship rules took effect on 6 June 2026 without transitional provisions, so they apply to every application decided after that date – even one submitted earlier, Migrationsverket says. The language requirement covers applicants aged 16 to 66.
| Question | Answer under the 2026 rules |
|---|---|
| Level required | B1 for reading and listening, A2 for speaking and writing, on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages |
| Ways to prove it | Grades from compulsory school, upper secondary school, komvux or folkhögskola – or a pass in sfi course D |
| No grades? | A medborgarskapsprov (citizenship test): Migrationsverket decides who takes it and sends the invitation, UHR (the Swedish Council for Higher Education) runs it |
| Test on Swedish society | First held as a trial test in Stockholm in August 2026 |
| Test in Swedish | Autumn 2027 at the earliest, according to Migrationsverket; UHR has not set a date |
Source: Migrationsverket and UHR, read 22 September 2026.
Language is only one of the new conditions. The main residence requirement rose from five to eight years, and there is now a self-support requirement. Part 15 of this series covers the full rules.
Beyond sfi
Sfi is the starting point, not the only route. Folkuniversitetet, a studieförbund (study association), runs its own Swedish courses, including courses equivalent to sfi and Swedish for asylum seekers. They are the organisation’s own offer, not a statutory right, so check the terms before you sign up.
If you studied abroad, UHR can assess your upper secondary, post-secondary vocational or university education, state what it corresponds to in Sweden and say whether it gives basic eligibility for higher education. UHR is Sweden’s ENIC-NARIC office. Part 6 of this series covers regulated professions and recognition of qualifications.
| Route | What it gives you | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sfi | Free Swedish in courses A–D; a pass in course D counts for citizenship | Your home municipality |
| Folkhögskola | Teaching equivalent to sfi, if the school has the right to award grades | The folk high school |
| Komvux | Adult education whose grades count as proof of Swedish for citizenship | Your home municipality |
| Folkuniversitetet | Its own Swedish courses, as a complement to sfi | The study association |
| Assessment of foreign education | A statement of what your education corresponds to in Sweden | UHR, 010-470 03 00 (option 2), weekdays 9–16 |
Source: Skolverket, Folkuniversitetet, UHR and Migrationsverket, read 22 September 2026.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apply for sfi at your home municipality – no personnummer needed | As soon as you live here; the course should start within 3 months |
| 2 | Note the date you are first admitted – your three years run from it | On your first day |
| 3 | Report illness and apply for leave before any break | Before you are away more than 3 weeks |
| 4 | Apply for an extension if you have special reasons | Before your three years run out |
| 5 | Aim for a pass in course D if you plan to apply for citizenship | Before you apply |
| 6 | Have foreign diplomas assessed by UHR | Alongside sfi |
Source: Skolverket, Migrationsverket and UHR, read 22 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 22 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Skolverket · skolverket.se
- Skolverket · skolverket.se
- Skolverket · skolverket.se
- Skolverket · skolverket.se
- Migrationsverket · migrationsverket.se
- Universitets- och högskolerådet (UHR) · uhr.se
- Universitets- och högskolerådet (UHR) · uhr.se
- Folkuniversitetet · folkuniversitetet.se
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.