SFI in Gothenburg: learn Swedish for free (2026)

How to start SFI in Göteborg

1. Check that you can study

   You must be at least 16 (from 1 July the year you turn 16), lack basic Swedish and be registered (folkbokförd) in Göteborg or Öckerö. People registered elsewhere need special reasons and apply on a separate form.

2. Book an information meeting

   First-timers book a meeting in the city's booking service, logging in with BankID or by creating an account. Meetings are held in Swedish, English, Arabic or Ukrainian, on site or online in Teams. You can apply up to three months before you want to start.

3. Attend the meeting and apply

   A group session is followed by an individual talk where you get help with the application. Your knowledge is assessed so you start on the right study path and course.

4. Choose how and where to study

   Full-time (15-30 hours a week) or part-time (6-12 hours), daytime or evening, online, flexible, and some Saturday courses, at a city-run school or a folk high school.

5. Study and take the national tests

   National tests are compulsory in courses B, C and D. Each course ends with a grade.

6. Finish course D

   A passing grade in course D, the highest SFI course, is accepted as proof of Swedish for citizenship.

Source: Göteborgs Stad: Swedish for immigrants (English)

EU citizens without a personnummer

If you are an EU citizen living in Göteborg without a personnummer (or with only a coordination number), you don't apply online. Go to Arbetsmarknad och vuxenutbildning, Brogatan 4, or International House Gothenburg, Järnvågsgatan 3, with your passport or national ID card and documents showing that you live here, for example an employment contract, your company registration, proof of studies or proof of your address. People with temporary protection (for example from Ukraine) book with a coordination number and bring their UT card or Migrationsverket decision.

How SFI is organised

Your path and starting course are set after an assessment of what you already know. The grading criteria for each course are the same on every path. National tests are compulsory in courses B, C and D; there is no national test in course A. Each finished course ends with a grade.

From 1 January 2027 new national syllabi apply: the same structure, but each of the nine path-courses gets its own syllabus, and two new courses are added for basic literacy and for learning the Latin alphabet.

Sources: Skolverket: SFI syllabus · Skolverket regulations SKOLFS 2026:67

The three-year limit (since 2026)

Since 1 January 2026 the right to SFI lasts three years from the day you are first admitted, full-time or part-time, and the clock keeps running if you move to another municipality. Anyone admitted before 2026 has three years from 1 January 2026. Extensions are possible only for special reasons, such as parental leave, illness, work or other studies. Municipalities must also now assess your knowledge at admission and record your first admission date in your study plan.

Source: Skolverket: new rules for SFI (student information)

SFI and Swedish citizenship

Since 6 June 2026, citizenship applicants aged 16-66 must show knowledge of Swedish and of Swedish society. A passing grade in SFI course D is accepted for the Swedish part, as are school grades in Swedish or Swedish as a second language, a Tisus pass and, for now, certain other Swedish tests. Migrationsverket describes the level as B1 for reading and listening and A2 for speaking and writing.

SFI does not cover the society part: for that you need a passing grade in social studies (samhällskunskap) or the citizenship civics test run by UHR. The first civics test was held as a trial in August 2026. The planned Swedish-language test may start later than its legal date of 1 October 2027: in September 2026 UHR recommended postponing it. See our citizenship guide.

Sources: Migrationsverket: new citizenship rules · Migrationsverket: Swedish test may be postponed · UHR: the citizenship test

Where to study

You can choose between schools run by the City's adult-education department (Arbetsmarknad och vuxenutbildning) and folk high schools that offer equivalent SFI, including several in Angered and central Göteborg. The City keeps the current list in its "find a school" search. Not registered yet, or want a faster pace? See private courses in our Swedish courses directory.

Contact: Arbetsmarknad och vuxenutbildning, Brogatan 4, 031-368 30 00, info@arbvux.goteborg.se. Source: Göteborgs Stad: find a school with SFI

Frequently asked questions