The Swedish language
SFI is Swedish teaching for adult immigrants, run by the municipality. Practising in daily life can support the lessons.
Goal: understand the basics and find the right official help route.
Translated from Swedish. Always rely on the Swedish text and the official source.
Show the original Swedish text
Svenska språket
Sfi är kommunal vuxenutbildning i svenska för invandrare. Praktisk övning kan komplettera undervisningen.
- Sfi ska ge vuxna invandrare grundläggande kunskaper i svenska.
- Utbildningen ger också möjlighet att utveckla grundläggande läs- och skrivfärdigheter när sådana saknas.
- Hemkommunen ansvarar för att erbjuda sfi till personer som har rätt att delta.
- Hitta kommunens information om sfi.
- Fråga vilka villkor och nästa steg som gäller i din situation.
- Öva frasen: Kan du förklara en gång till?
Rätten till sfi har villkor och undantag. Webbövningar är inte kommunal utbildning eller officiella betyg. Exempelfrasen är vår egen övning.
Good to know
-
SFI is meant to give adult immigrants basic knowledge of Swedish.
-
The teaching also helps people learn basic reading and writing if they need these skills.
-
The home municipality is responsible for offering SFI to people who have the right to take part.
Three steps to get started
-
Find your municipality’s information about SFI.
-
Ask which conditions and next steps apply in your situation.
-
Practise the phrase: Kan du förklara en gång till? (Can you explain once more?)
A practical checklist to try. It does not add any legal requirements.
Important distinctions
The right to SFI has conditions and exceptions. Website exercises are not classes run by your municipality and do not give official grades. The example phrase is our own exercise.
Practice question
Show the right answer and explanation
A. The home municipality.
The National Agency for Education (Skolverket) describes the home municipality’s responsibility.
This question is practice, not a test. Answers are not saved.
Sources
-
Skolverket
Rätt till sfi (opens in a new tab)“Hemkommunen är skyldig att se till att utbildning i sfi erbjuds dem som har rätt att delta i utbildningen.”
Checked . Check the source again before you act. Rules and contact routes can change.
In depth
Modules and guides
10 modules in this area. Everyone can read the modules marked Free. The rest are part of Premium.
10 modules in this area. You have Premium and can read everything.
No module matches. Try another word.
-
Sfi [Swedish for immigrants] and routes into education
Who has the right to sfi, how to get started, and which rules apply since 2026.
Sfi [Swedish for immigrants] and routes into education. Who has the right to sfi, how to get started, and which rules apply since 2026.The essentials
- You have the right to sfi from the second half of the year you turn 16 if you live in Sweden and lack basic Swedish.
- You do not need a personal identity number to start sfi.
- The municipality must offer sfi as soon as possible and normally within three months.
- You have three years from your first acceptance; special reasons can give you more time.
- Tell the head teacher if you cannot attend your lessons.
Key words
- sfi
- Municipal adult education in Swedish for immigrants.
- hemkommun
- The municipality where you are registered or counted as living.
- mottagande
- The decision that lets you start a course.
- individuell studieplan
- Your plan with your learning goal, study hours and first acceptance date.
- särskilda skäl
- Personal reasons that may give you more time.
After this module, you can…
- Check whether you have the right to sfi.
- Find your start date and time limit in your study plan.
Example: ask your municipality about sfi
Amira is 17, lives in Sweden and does not know basic Swedish yet. She does not have a personal identity number. She contacts her municipality and asks how to sign up for sfi.
What is sfi?
Sfi stands for Swedish for immigrants. It is adult education in Swedish for people whose first language is not Swedish. You learn to speak, read and write Swedish, and you learn about Swedish society. The education is free.
Sfi should also give people who cannot read and write the chance to learn. The teaching can be in your first language or in another language you know well.
Who has the right to sfi?
You have the right to sfi from 1 July in the year you turn 16, if you:
- live in Sweden, and
- lack basic knowledge of Swedish.
Tip: You do not need a personal number to start. The municipality may not require one before you start.
Important: Asylum seekers and people who are in Sweden without permission do not have the right to sfi. The same applies to people with temporary protection who must not be registered. However, the municipality may still let them take part from the second half of the year they turn 18.
How much teaching?
On average, sfi must be at least 15 hours of teaching a week. You can ask for fewer hours. You can study full-time or part-time, and combine sfi with work, work placement or other education.
Newly arrived people in the establishment programme who have short education can get combined education with sfi and other courses, at least 23 hours a week.
Tip: You can also study sfi at some folk high schools [folkhögskolor]. Report this to your home municipality.
If you do not agree with a decision
You can appeal some sfi decisions to Skolväsendets överklagandenämnd [the Swedish Education Appeals Board]. This applies, for example, to decisions that you are not accepted, that you do not get more time, or that your education must end.
After sfi
When you have finished sfi, you can continue with Swedish as a second language at komvux [adult education]. Talk to the study and career guidance counsellor at komvux. You can study Swedish as a second language even if your time for sfi has run out.
Vocational Swedish [yrkessvenska] is Swedish for a specific job. You must be registered with Arbetsförmedlingen, and Arbetsförmedlingen decides whether you can start.
Tip: From 1 January 2027, sfi will have a new course structure and new course plans.
Read more (2 sections)
What happens when you start sfi?
How to do it
- Contact the municipality where you are registered. If you take part in the establishment programme [an introduction programme for newly arrived people], you can ask your case worker at Arbetsförmedlingen [the Swedish Public Employment Service] instead.
- Sign up for sfi. Ask for study and career guidance too. The municipality must offer it.
- When you are accepted, your skills are checked. For example, how well you read and write.
- Together with the school, you make an individual study plan. The plan says your goal, how much you will study, and the date you started.
- Start studying. The municipality must offer sfi as soon as possible. Unless there are special reasons, you should be able to start within three months.
How does the three-year period work?
From 1 January 2026, you have three years to finish sfi. The time counts from the date you were enrolled. That date is in your study plan. The time keeps running even if you do not study.
If you were enrolled before 1 January 2026, the three years count from 1 January 2026. Then you must finish by 31 December 2028.
- You can get more time if you have special reasons. For example, illness, a disability, parental leave, work, or other education.
- You must ask for more time before the three years end. Contact your sfi teacher or the municipality.
- More time is given for at most six months at a time, and at most three years in total.
Important: If you are away for more than three weeks in a row, without being sick or on leave, it counts as dropping out of your education. Always tell the head teacher as soon as you cannot come.
Practice question
Show the right answer and explanation
A. Someone who lives in Sweden and lacks basic Swedish.
Skolverket says you must live in Sweden and lack basic Swedish to meet these conditions.
This question is practice, not a test. Answers are not saved.
Practice question
Show the right answer and explanation
A. On the date you are first accepted; for people accepted before 2026, it starts on 1 January 2026.
Skolverket counts the period from your first acceptance, with a transition rule for people accepted earlier.
This question is practice, not a test. Answers are not saved.
Sources
-
Greetings and introductions
Simple phrases to say hello, introduce yourself and end a conversation.
Part of Premium
This module and all other in-depth modules and guides are part of Premium.
You are logged in with a free account. Get Premium to read this module.
Launch price 49 SEK/month
Greetings and introductions. Simple phrases to say hello, introduce yourself and end a conversation.Introduce yourself Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Ask the other person Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Read more (2 sections)
When do you say hello or good morning? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Small words that help Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Sources
-
Ask someone to explain or repeat
Phrases for when you do not understand, plus your right to an interpreter with public authorities.
Part of Premium
This module and all other in-depth modules and guides are part of Premium.
You are logged in with a free account. Get Premium to read this module.
Launch price 49 SEK/month
Ask someone to explain or repeat. Phrases for when you do not understand, plus your right to an interpreter with public authorities.Check that you have understood Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Read more (2 sections)
What can you say when you do not understand? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
When can you ask for an interpreter? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Sources
-
Asking for directions and the time
Ask how to get somewhere, follow directions and talk about the time.
Part of Premium
This module and all other in-depth modules and guides are part of Premium.
You are logged in with a free account. Get Premium to read this module.
Launch price 49 SEK/month
Asking for directions and the time. Ask how to get somewhere, follow directions and talk about the time.Understand the answer Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Days and dates Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Read more (2 sections)
How do you ask for directions? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
What time is it? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Sources
-
Signs and short messages
Common words on signs, in shops, on public transport and in short messages.
Part of Premium
This module and all other in-depth modules and guides are part of Premium.
You are logged in with a free account. Get Premium to read this module.
Launch price 49 SEK/month
Signs and short messages. Common words on signs, in shops, on public transport and in short messages.Common signs Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
On public transport Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Read more (2 sections)
How do you read opening hours? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Which words show that you need to act? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Sources
-
Filling in everyday forms
Words that often appear on forms and how you fill them in correctly.
Part of Premium
This module and all other in-depth modules and guides are part of Premium.
You are logged in with a free account. Get Premium to read this module.
Launch price 49 SEK/month
Filling in everyday forms. Words that often appear on forms and how you fill them in correctly.Words in instructions Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Read more (2 sections)
What do common form fields mean? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
How do you check a form before you send it? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Sources
-
Booking a time and explaining what you need
Book, change and cancel appointments – and describe what you need help with.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
Part of Premium
This module and all other in-depth modules and guides are part of Premium.
You are logged in with a free account. Get Premium to read this module.
Launch price 49 SEK/month
Booking a time and explaining what you need. Book, change and cancel appointments – and describe what you need help with.Ändra eller avboka Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Beskriva ett ärende Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Read more (2 sections)
Hur bokar du en tid? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Hur beskriver du dina besvär? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Sources
-
Swedish at work and school
Common words and phrases at work and in contact with your children's school.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
Part of Premium
This module and all other in-depth modules and guides are part of Premium.
You are logged in with a free account. Get Premium to read this module.
Launch price 49 SEK/month
Swedish at work and school. Common words and phrases at work and in contact with your children's school.På jobbet Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Read more (3 sections)
Fraser på jobbet Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Barnens skola och förskola Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Kan du öva svenska på jobbet? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Sources
-
Language cafés and everyday practice
Find chances to speak Swedish in everyday life – without it feeling like school.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
Part of Premium
This module and all other in-depth modules and guides are part of Premium.
You are logged in with a free account. Get Premium to read this module.
Launch price 49 SEK/month
Language cafés and everyday practice. Find chances to speak Swedish in everyday life – without it feeling like school.Våga prata Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Read more (2 sections)
Vad är ett språkcafé? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Öva i vardagen Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Sources
-
Word lists and ways to keep learning
Free tools and ways to learn new words and remember them.
This module is only available in Swedish for now.
Part of Premium
This module and all other in-depth modules and guides are part of Premium.
You are logged in with a free account. Get Premium to read this module.
Launch price 49 SEK/month
Word lists and ways to keep learning. Free tools and ways to learn new words and remember them.Appar och nyheter Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Read more (2 sections)
Var kan du slå upp svenska ord? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Hur gör du en enkel övningsrutin? Locked
Locked section. Part of Premium.
Sources
General information, not individual legal, medical or financial advice.