If you have decided to learn Swedish after arriving in Sweden, that is good news. Sweden offers free Swedish courses to immigrants. The goal is to help newcomers find work, build connections, and settle into daily life. To access the free courses, you need a personal identity number (personnummer).
If you do not have a personnummer yet, there are paid options available. Folkuniversitetet, Medborgarskolan, and private tutoring platforms like Preply are some examples.
SFI — Svenska för invandrare
SFI is organized and funded by each municipality. The actual classes usually take place at Komvux, which stands for kommunal vuxenutbildning, or municipal adult education. In larger cities like Stockholm, there are several SFI schools to choose from, and the municipality covers the cost for all of them. To sign up, contact your local municipality. You will need a personnummer to register.
SFI is the starting point for most newcomers. It is a free programme that teaches basic Swedish, including speaking, reading, writing, and some knowledge of Swedish society. You can study full-time or part-time, and it is possible to combine it with work, parental leave, or other studies.
From January 2026, you have three years to complete SFI from the date you register. Extensions are possible in special circumstances, such as illness, parental leave, or disability.
To apply, you need a valid residence permit or EU/EEA citizenship, and you must be at least 16 years old.
The easiest way to find out how to apply is to contact your local municipality directly. When searching their website, look for the words “Vuxenutbildning”, “SFI”, or “Utbildning på Komvux”. Many municipality sites are in Swedish only, but the SFI page is often available in English.
Here are direct links for the three largest cities: (last updated links in May 2026)
- Stockholm: Vuxenutbildning in Stockholm
- Gothenburg: Vuxenutbildning in Gothenburg
- Malmö: Vuxenutbildning in Malmö
To find your municipality: skr.se/kommunerochregioner/kommunerlista
Free Resources to Practice Swedish
While studying, these free resources can help:
- SVT Play — Swedish public television
- UR Play — educational content
- 8 Sidor — news in simple Swedish
- Radio Sweden på lätt svenska — radio in easy Swedish
After SFI — What Comes Next
Once you finish SFI, you can continue with SVA, Svenska som andraspråk. This is offered through Komvux and covers more advanced Swedish at both basic and upper-secondary level. I will write more about this in a separate post.
One honest note
SFI gives you a foundation, but how far you go depends on you. Study at home, read and listen to Swedish as much as you can, and make the effort to speak. Finding Swedish-speaking friends and practising regularly makes a real difference. It takes patience, but it is possible. I am still learning. I probably always will be. That is just how language works.
Some useful information about SFI
https://www.norden.org/en/info-norden/language-courses-people-moving-sweden
https://www.informationsverige.se/en/jag-ar-asylsokande/lar-dig-svenska/kurser-i-svenska.html
