SFI (Swedish for Immigrants) Explained

SFI — Svenska för invandrare, Swedish for Immigrants — is Sweden's free, publicly funded Swedish course for adults who have moved to the country. If you live in Sweden and don't yet speak Swedish, it's usually the first place to start. Formally, SFI is part of komvux (kommunal vuxenutbildning, municipal adult education); its official name is kommunal vuxenutbildning i svenska för invandrare, which you will see on many kommun pages.

Who can join

SFI is run by your kommun (municipality). The right to SFI is set nationally (in the Education Act, skollagen): you must be resident in Sweden (bosatt i landet), be at least 16 (from the second half of the year you turn 16) and lack basic Swedish (Skolverket). Only how you apply differs between municipalities, so check your kommun's website — search for "SFI" plus the name of your town.

How the courses are structured

SFI is split into courses, from A (the very beginning) to D (the most advanced). You're placed on one of three study paths — studieväg 1, 2 or 3 — depending on your educational background, which decides how fast you move and which course you start in.

• Studieväg 1 is for people with little previous schooling. It covers courses A, B, C and D and starts at the very beginning.
• Studieväg 2 is a middle pace. It covers courses B, C and D.
• Studieväg 3 is for people used to studying and moves fastest. It covers courses C and D.

How long you can study

Since 1 January 2026 you have the right to study SFI for three years from the day you are accepted. For people who were already enrolled, the three years count from 1 January 2026. The kommun can extend the time for special reasons, such as parental leave, illness or work, but at most six months at a time. The rules are set out in Skolverket's information for students and in the Riksdag's decision. Extensions are capped at three years in total, so six years of SFI at most.

Since 1 January 2026, being away more than three weeks in a row without an approved reason counts as dropping out. The kommun can end your studies if you don't make enough progress, and restarting then needs special reasons and remaining time. Decisions can be appealed to Skolväsendets överklagandenämnd (Skolverket). Ask your kommun how the limit applies to you.

SFI and citizenship

A pass in the highest SFI course is accepted proof of Swedish for citizenship (Migrationsverket). See our citizenship language requirement guide for the full list of accepted proof.

Getting the most out of SFI

Classes alone rarely get you to fluency — the learners who progress fastest add practice outside class:

1. Read a little every day. Short, graded texts build vocabulary much faster than grammar drills.
2. Learn nouns with their gender. Always learn en bil and ett hus, never just bil and hus.
3. Speak before you feel ready. Swedes will often switch to English — see our guide on keeping the conversation in Swedish.

Useful words