About Sweden – for new arrivals

If you are resident of Sweden and lack basic knowledge of the Swedish language, you are entitled to Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) education. Contact your municipality to find out more. To get a job in Sweden, it is often important to be able to speak and understand Swedish.

Read more about sfi on the website of the Swedish National Agency for Education External link.

Informationsverige.se has exercises and films to help you learn Swedish on your own, using a computer or mobile phone.

Learn Swedish on Informationsverige.se External link.

In Sweden, men and women have the same rights. Children have special rights. No one should be subjected to discrimination because of their gender, gender expression or gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, religion or disability.
Read more about gender equality, equal rights for all, and protection against discrimination:

The Individual’s Rights and Obligations – Informationsverige.se External link.

Sweden.se – Gender equality External link.

If you have questions about healthcare, contact the region where you live.

Find care providers anywhere in the country via the 1177 Care Guide (in Sqwedish) External link.

More information about how the healthcare system works in Sweden can be found on Informationsverige.se

If you need healthcare – Informationsverige.se External link.

If you have moved to Sweden to apply for asylum or to live with a close relative and you do not have a job, the Swedish Public Employment Service External link. can support you in finding a job in Sweden.

You can find more information about jobhunting and your rights as an employee at Informationsverige.se:

Looking for work – Informationsverige.se External link.

Being employed – Informationsverige.se External link.

To be granted a permanent residence permit, you must be able to support yourself financially. It is wise to start thinking about work early. Having a job affects how much parental allowance you can receive if you have children and how much money you get when you retire.

You can find information about higher education programmes at the university or university college level at antagning.se External link. or studera.nu External link..

Learn about CSN’s student grants and loans for foreign citizens External link.

In Sweden, it is most common for both parents to work. Children of working parents are entitled to preschool from one year of age. Even if one of their parents does not work, a child has the right to attend public preschool for 15 hours per week from the year the child turns three years old.

All children have the right to attend compulsory school. Children who have started compulsory school are entitled to a place at an after-school centre. You can get more information about this from the municipality in which you live.

You can find more information about the Swedish education system on the Swedish National Agency for Education’s website External link..

If you are a victim of violence, you are a victim of a crime. This also applies to children. No one is allowed to hit anyone else or use other forms of violence, including within the family. If you or your child are subjected to violence, you can get help from the police or by contacting the Kvinnofridslinjen women’s helpline. It costs nothing to Kvinnofridslinjen, and they can provide an interpreter to help you communicate, if you need one.

Kvinnofridslinjen External link.

Crime in close relationships – the Swedish Police Authority External link.

Read more about the help you can receive if you are subjected to violence on Informationsverige.se:

Help if you have been subjected to violence – Informationsverige.se External link.

If you plan to stay in Sweden for at least one year, you should usually get listed in the Swedish Population Register. To be listed in the Swedish Population Register and get a Swedish personal identity number, you must contact the Swedish Tax Agency External link..

To be enrolled in the social security system, you must contact the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) External link.. They assess whether you are entitled to benefits such as child allowance or housing allowance.

Some municipalities have municipal housing agencies where you can apply for housing. The municipality can also give you tips about private landlords.

The Swedish Pensions Agency (in Swedish) External link. has information about elderly support for people who come to Sweden late in life and have little or no pension.

For questions about driving licences, contact the Swedish Transport Agency External link..

For questions about voting rights, you can contact the Election Authority (in Swedish) External link..