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.
Certification requirements for teachers and preschool teachers with foreign education (2016:12)
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
Länk till annan webbplats.
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, alternatively Svenska B or Svenska som andraspråk B, from Komvux (municipal adult education).
- 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 Länk till annan webbplats.
We also accept certificates of Svenska 2 or Svenska som andraspråk 2 if you have completed the course before July 1st, 2013.
Subject studies
You must show that you have completed subject studies to an adequate extent during your teacher training programme. If your subject studies are inadequate in comparison to those in a corresponding Swedish degree, you can compensate by submitting a certificate of supplementary subject studies 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.
Teacher preparatory studies
You need to show that you have completed teacher preparatory studies to an adequate extent during your teacher training programme. If your teacher preparatory 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.
Preschool teachers: Language development
As a preschool teacher, you need to demonstrate knowledge of children’s language development, from a Swedish language perspective. You can show that you meet this requirement by submitting a certificate of supplementary studies in the field or a certificate of experience as a preschool teacher.
Teachers in preschool class or grades 1–3: Literacy development
As a teacher in preschool class or grades 1–3, you need to demonstrate knowledge of children’s literacy development (reading and writing skills) from a Swedish language perspective. You can show that you meet this requirement by submitting a certificate of supplementary studies in the field or a certificate of experience as teacher in preschool class or grades 1–3.
Teachers in grades 1–6: Studies in mathematics and language (the language of the country of study)
As a teacher in grades 1–6, you need to demonstrate that you have studies in mathematics and language, either the language of your country of study or in Swedish. You can show that you meet this requirement by submitting a certificate of experience as a teacher, or a certificate of supplementary studies in mathematics and the language of your country of study or Swedish.
Teachers of physical education and health: swimming and lifesaving out of water
In order to be granted eligibility in the subject of physical education and health, you must show that you have successfully completed training in swimming and lifesaving out of water. You can show that you meet this requirement by submitting documentation of
- studies in physical education and health that have included swimming and lifesaving out of water
- a certificate from a swimming hall in your municipality or a similar provider of courses in swimming and lifesaving out of water.
We provide a template for such a certificate, which you can download from here (PDF in Swedish)
Pdf, 116 kB, öppnas i nytt fönster..
We assess all certificates that are submitted, however, so you do not have to use this specific template.
If you do want to use our template, first download the file 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.
Teachers of religious studies: all world religions
In order to be granted eligibility in the subject of religious studies, you must show that you have knowledge of a range of world religions. You can show that you meet this requirement by submitting a certificate of experience as a teacher or supplementary studies in religious studies which have included all major world religions.
Teachers of English or modern languages: contrastive competence
In order to be granted eligibility in the subject of English or a modern language, you must show that you have contrastive language competency between the language that you have studied and Swedish. Contrastive competence means that you are able to teach modern languages or English from a Swedish language perspective. You can show that you meet this requirement by submitting a certificate of experience as a teacher or supplementary studies in English or the modern language which have included contrastive elements.
Teachers of Swedish or Swedish as a second language
In order to be granted eligibility to teach the subjects Swedish or Swedish as a second language, you need to demonstrate your subject knowledge by submitting a certificate of studies from a university or university college in Sweden.
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 preparatory studies.
- Studies in the subject or subjects that your teacher training programme prepared you to teach.
- Additional subject-specific requirements that may apply to your subject.