Requirements for certification

If you want to work as a teacher or preschool teacher in Sweden, you need certification in most cases. A certification as a teacher or preschool teacher is required in order to be permanently employed and have the right to set grades in the Swedish school system. In the following sections, you will find information on the requirements 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”). If you have a foreign degree, you also need a sufficient level of proficiency in Swedish. In addition, you need to meet certain national requirements for skills that are important for working as a teacher or preschool teacher in the Swedish school system.

Skolverkets föreskrifter om erkännande av yrkeskvalifikationer samt villkor för behörighet och legitimation för lärare och förskollärare med utländsk utbildning (2025:243)

Proof of proficiency in Swedish

You need a sufficient command of Swedish in order to work as a teacher or preschool teacher in the Swedish school system. Your level of proficiency must be equivalent to the required level for admittance to higher education (universities and university colleges) in Sweden, which corresponds to level C1 on the CEFR scale.

Level C1 on the CEFR scale, Council of Europe website

If your native language is Swedish, Danish, Faeroese, Icelandic, or Norwegian, you do not need to show a sufficient level of Swedish proficiency.

You can show that you have a sufficient level of proficiency in Swedish by submitting certificates of one of the following:

• Svenska 3 or Svenska som andraspråk 3 (Gy11) or Svenska, level 3 or Svenska som andraspråk, level 3 (Gy25) at secondary level.
• A course in Swedish for non-Nordic students, offered by universities or university colleges in Sweden.
• Knowledge in the Swedish language that is equal to level C1 in the council of Europe reference scale (CEFR).
• the Test in Swedish for University Studies (TISUS).

TISUS at Stockholm University website

We also accept certificates of Svenska 2 or Svenska som andraspråk 2 if you have completed the course before July 1st, 2013.

National requirements

To be granted certification, you need to meet certain national requirements for skills that are important for working as a teacher or preschool teacher in the Swedish school system.

Teacher pedagogy and didactics studies

You need to show that you have completed Teacher pedagogy and didactics studies to an adequate extent during your teacher training programme. If your Teacher pedagogy and didactics studies are inadequate in comparison to those in a corresponding Swedish degree, you can compensate by submitting a certificate of supplementary studies from a university or university college or a certificate of experience as a teacher or preschool teacher.

Subject knowledge

You must show that you have completed subject knowledge to an adequate extent during your teacher training programme. If your subject knowledge are inadequate in comparison to those in a corresponding Swedish degree, you can compensate by submitting a certificate of supplementary subject knowledge from a university or university college. If your degree is from an EU country, an EEA country, or Switzerland, you can also compensate by submitting certificates of experience as a teacher or preschool teacher.

To obtain a license as a preschool teacher

As a preschool teacher, you need to show that you have knowledge of basic reading and writing skills and in-depth knowledge of children's communication and language development. You must be able to apply this knowledge in Swedish.

You demonstrate your knowledge by submitting a certificate of a course in teaching reading and writing in Swedish or a certificate that shows that you have worked as a preschool teacher in a Swedish preschool or preschool class.

You do not need to submit a certificate if you have a preschool teacher education from Denmark, Iceland or Norway, or if you have an education from Finland that gives you the right to teach in Swedish-speaking preschools in Finland.

You must also show that you have knowledge of basic mathematics learning.

To obtain a teaching license for grades 1–3

As a teacher in grades 1–3 of compulsory school, you need to show that you have in-depth knowledge of basic literacy and numeracy and of children's communication and language development. You must be able to apply this knowledge in Swedish.

You can demonstrate your knowledge by submitting a certificate of completion of a course in teaching reading and writing in Swedish or a certificate showing that you have worked as a teacher in a Swedish preschool class or in grades 1–3 of compulsory school.

You do not need to submit such certificates if you have a teaching qualification from Denmark, Iceland or Norway, or if you have a qualification from Finland that entitles you to teach in Swedish-speaking schools in Finland.

You must also demonstrate that you have in-depth knowledge of mathematics learning.

Native language teachers and teachers of vocational subjects

There is no separate certification for native language teachers. You must always have a teaching degree in a school subject, including native language, in order to be granted certification. You must also meet the national requirements associated with your type of degree.

Primarily, your degree must correspond to a Swedish teaching degree in the subject or subjects that your teacher training programme prepared you to teach. If you have a teaching degree in mathematics, it is not enough to study supplementary courses in order to be granted certification as a native language teacher, without first meeting all of the requirements associated with your degree in mathematics. These requirements may include

• Teacher pedagogy and didactics studies.
• Subject knowledge that your teacher training programme prepared you to teach.
• Additional subject-specific requirements that may apply to your subject.