Preschool and school in Sweden: enrolling after a move
Contact your municipality about preschool or a school place after moving to Sweden. Preschool is voluntary. School attendance normally becomes compulsory in the year a child turns six.
Who this guide is for
This guide is for parents and guardians arranging preschool or compulsory school after moving to Sweden. It covers the first application steps, rather than upper-secondary admission.
Contact the municipality where your child lives about a place. Preschool (förskola) is voluntary. School attendance normally becomes compulsory from the autumn term of the year a child turns six.
Start with the municipality
Ask the municipality’s education office how to apply after a move. Check the local process and dates, including how to start during the school year. If an online application does not work for your family, ask the municipality for help.
For a municipal preschool, Skolverket’s English preschool guide directs parents to the municipality. For an independent preschool, contact the preschool directly about applying.
Some municipalities have a service for newly arrived families. In Lund, Lundavälkomsten helps with preschool applications and introduces children to school. Its page links to Swedish and English forms. This is a local example, not a national application route.
Who can attend preschool?
From age one, preschool is offered according to parents’ work or studies, or the child’s needs arising from family circumstances. Children needing special support can also qualify, including before age one.
If a parent is unemployed or on parental leave with another child, the minimum is three hours daily or 15 hours weekly. This applies from age one. Municipalities may offer more time.
From the autumn term of the year a child turns three, at least 525 hours of preschool per year must be offered. Those hours are free. Fees can apply for additional hours. Ask the municipality about the schedule and fees for your child.
These rules are explained in Skolverket’s preschool eligibility guidance. After a request for municipal preschool, the municipality must offer a place within four months. Children needing preschool for special support must be offered it promptly. The offer need not be at your preferred preschool.
When must a child attend school?
Children who should be population-registered in Sweden normally have compulsory school attendance. The usual starting point is preschool class (förskoleklass) in the autumn of the year they turn six. Preschool class is different from voluntary preschool.
Skolverket’s school attendance guidance explains exceptions, including postponed starts. Ask the municipality if an exception may apply.
Children can also have a right to school without being population-registered, including asylum-seeking and undocumented children. Preschool rights are not identical for every residence situation. Contact the municipality to establish what applies, rather than assuming a missing personal identity number prevents enrolment.
From autumn 2028, a new first year replaces preschool class. For a start in 2028 or later, check the municipality’s instructions for that school year.
Can I choose the school?
Parents can state which municipal school they prefer. A preferred place is not guaranteed. The municipality must follow school placement rules, including other children’s right to a school near home. This does not always mean the nearest school.
For a newly arrived pupil, the school assesses previous schooling and knowledge to decide the year and teaching needed. Skolverket’s guidance for newly arrived families explains that process. Ask the school for an interpreter if you need one for meetings.
