School and education

Here you will find information about schooling in Sweden.

Schooling for children and young people

Children who are in Sweden through the Temporary Protection Directive have the right to attend preschool and primary school. They also have the right to attend secondary or secondary special school if the education starts before they have reached the age of 18. You can register your child for school yourself by contacting the municipality where you live. If you need help with that you can speak to your reception unit.

Preschool is for children between one and six years old. There, children get to play, sing, move, explore nature and practice cooperating. How many hours the child has the right to attend preschool depends on whether the parents work or not.

The first year of school is called preschool class. It involves a lot of play and creative activities to prepare young children for their future schooling.

This is followed by the nine-year Primary school, which is divided into primary, middle and junior high schools. All students study roughly the same subjects. Each year consists of two semesters and starting from year six and onwards, students receive grades at the end of each semester.

High school is an optional education where students have the opportunity to choose a specialisation to prepare for professional life or continued studies at a university or college.

Preschool class, primary school and upper secondary school are free of charge. In preschool, the child is entitled to three hours per day from the autumn semester of the year in which he or she turns three. For all other times, the parents pay a fee that is based on their income.

Children who are in Sweden with a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive and who are not registered here are not subject to compulsory schooling. For children who are registered in the population register, compulsory schooling applies.

Education for adults

If you have been granted a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive, you can apply to study at a university or college in Sweden. You do not need to pay an application fee or tuition fee, but you do need to meet the eligibility requirements for higher education studies in Sweden.

Here you can apply to Swedish universities External link, opens in new window.

As an adult, you can also participate in various activities that are called early interventions (TIA), where you, among other things, can learn Swedish.

Some municipalities offer SFI (Swedish for Immigrants) for people who have been granted protection under the Temporary Protection Directive. Contact the municipality where you live for more information about what applies there.

Last updated: 2024-11-01

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