Apply for certification
You can apply for certification if you have a teaching degree, a preschool teaching degree or a recreation instructor degree (for the equivalent of the Swedish school form “fritidshemmet”).
You do not need to reside in Sweden to apply, and you also do not need a Swedish civic registration number. Please read the instructions carefully before applying.
Apply for certification here
Digital application
If you have a Bank-id or Freja e-id+, you can submit your application in our digital service. The system is closed every night, between 22.45 and 01.00, due to maintenance work.
Application by post
Submit your application and attached documents to the following address.
Skolverket
Box 4002
171 04 Solna
Sweden
Please note
To open and edit the file, you need to download it on your computer, after which it can be opened with a free PDF-reading program such as Acrobat Reader. Download the file by right-clicking on the link and selecting the “Save link as...” option.
Application for certification with a foreign teaching degree pdf, 619 kB.
How to apply
When you send in your application, you must submit the following documents:
- A completed application form.
- A copy of your teaching degree, preschool teaching degree or recreation instructor degree (all pages).
- A list of the courses you have completed, including grades specified for each course.
- A certificate of your teaching experience, if you have worked as a teacher or preschool teacher (in Sweden or abroad).
You also need to submit a certificate of proficiency in Swedish.
Please note that you should only submit copies or your documents. Only submit your original documents if we have specifically requested them.
- Submit copies of your documents in the language in which they were issued.
- Also submit a translation of your documents to Swedish or to English. You do not need to translate documents that have been issued in Danish, Finnish, Faeroese, Icelandic, Meänkieli, Norwegian or Sami.
Send in all your documents along with your application to ensure that it can be processed as efficiently as possible.
Translation of certificates
You can find authorised translators at Kammarkollegiet (the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency) or the Federation of Authorised Translators in Sweden:
The Federation of Authorised Translators
If there is no authorised translator for the language that you need, we also accept translations from members of the Swedish Association of Professional Translators (SFÖ):
Application fee
The cost of application is SEK 1,890. The Swedish government has decided that the National Agency for Education must charge a fee to cover the cost of processing applications. When we have received and registered your application, we will send you a confirmation message with information on how to pay the application fee.
Applying with a Swedish degree as well as a degree or credits from another country
If you have a Swedish teaching- or preschool-teaching degree as well as a foreign degree or credits, you should apply based on your Swedish degree.
Documents showing your work experience as a teacher or preschool teacher
If you have worked as a teacher or preschool teacher in Sweden or abroad, you can submit a certificate of work experience (service record), issued by a headmaster at the preschool or school where you have worked. In certain cases, teaching experience may compensate for possible differences between your credentials and a Swedish degree as a teacher, preschool teacher, or recreation instructor degree. You can submit your certificate of work experience along with your application or wait until we inform you that you need to supplement your application with additional documents.
Download a certificate of experience template here
To open and edit the file, you need to download it on your computer, after which it can be opened with a free PDF-reading program such as Acrobat Reader. Download the file by right-clicking on the link and selecting the “Save link as...” option.
Work certificate for teachers or preschools teachers pdf, 201 kB.
If you have changed your name
If you have changed your name and your documents have been issued in your old name, you need to submit proof of your name change. You can attach an extract from the population register from the Swedish Tax Agency or an equivalent agency which handles national registration data. Information of the name change must be stated in the extract from the population register. You may also submit a marriage certificate or birth certificate which contains information of the name change.
Documenting your foreign education
If you completed your education in one of the countries listed below, we require specific documentation to verify your study results. Please locate your country to see the requirements for your application.
Education from Ethiopia, Canada, Cameroon, Nigeria, or the USA
If you have an education from one of these countries, you need to have an official transcript sent directly from your university to the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket).
You will receive further information on how to proceed once you have submitted your application.
Education from Norway
If you have an education from Norway, you need to share a link to your study results from Vitnemålsportalen with us at the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket).
You will receive further information on how to proceed once you have submitted your application.
Education from Australia or New Zealand
If you have an education from Australia or New Zealand, you need to share a link to your study results from My eQuals with us at the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket).
You will receive further information on how to proceed once you have submitted your application.
Degrees from Great Britain
February 1 to December 31 2020 was a transitional period, where applications from Great Britain were processed according to EU/EES regulations. Decisions that were made in cases under this period are valid even after the end of the transitional period.
Applications that have been submitted after the end of the transitional period will instead, generally, be treated in accordance with the regulations for applications from non-EU/EES countries.
FAQ
Yes, you must always submit translations to either Swedish or English, if the original document was not issued in Danish, Finnish, Faeroese, Icelandic, Meänkieli, Norwegian or Sami.
No, you must also submit copies of the documents in the languages in which they were issued. Only submitting translations will not be sufficient for us to assess your documents.
When applying, you should only submit copies of your documents. However, we may contact you during the processing of your case and request your original documents.
The document must show that you have worked as a teacher or a preschool teacher, as well as which grade(s) and subject(s) you have taught, the time period of your service and whether you have worked full-time or part-time (for example, 50%). If you have worked as a preschool teacher in a preschool or in the school-preparatory preschool class, your document must also contain this information. The document should be issued by a headmaster or principal at the preschool or school where you have worked. If you have worked abroad, you must submit a copy of your document in the language in which it was issued, as well as a translation to English or Swedish.
We recommend that you have all your documents in order before applying. You cannot obtain certification if you do not meet the Swedish language requirements, but we can still assess your qualifications to determine whether they meet the necessary requirements.
Yes, experience as a teacher or preschool teacher (in Sweden or abroad) may compensate for possible differences between your credentials and a Swedish degree as a teacher, preschool teacher, or recreation instructor degree.
You can submit your certificate of work experience along with your application or wait until we inform you that you need to supplement your application with additional documents.
If you have a Bank-ID or Freja e-ID+, you can pay the fee when submitting your application through the e-service. If you do not have a Swedish Bank-ID or Freja e-ID+, we will contact you with information on how to pay the application fee.
If you have not paid the application fee, we will close your case and reject your application, after which it is too late to pay. You will then need to submit a new application.
If the fee has not been paid within two weeks after your application has been registered, we will send you a reminder, with a new final date for payment. There is no added fee for the reminder. You can also pay the application fee even if you have not received the reminder if the original final date has passed.
If the fee is paid after we have decided in your case, you will need to submit a new application for certification. When you receive confirmation that your new application has been registered, you can notify us that you have already paid the fee in a previous case.
Yes, you can pay the fee with a foreign bank account. Use the following IBAN- and SWIFT-codes:
IBAN: SE58 1200 0000 0128 1010 7300
BIC-KOD: DABASESXBank address:
Danske Bank
S-103 92 StockholmWhen your application was registered, you should have received a confirmation e-mail containing an OCR-number. This is your reference number for payment and must be provided when you pay the fee in order for us to connect your payment with the correct case.
The Swedish government has decided that the National Agency for Education must charge a fee to cover the cost of processing applications. There are different fees for applications for certification and applications to extend your certification with additional school forms, grades, or subjects.
The headmaster must have worked at the school or preschool either during the whole time of service or during a part of the time. The headmaster should also be comfortable with signing the certificate and ensure that there are sufficient grounds to confirm your experience and skill.
If the headmaster has not worked during any part of your service, or otherwise cannot confirm the information in the certificate of experience, we also accept documents signed by your superintendent or head of school.
Senast uppdaterad 26 June 2026.