Preschool and school

This guide is for families moving to Sweden from any country. The rules are in the Education Act (skollagen, 2010

). Where the law is clear we quote it; where practice depends on the municipality we tell you whom to ask.

Age and school at a glance

Age / moment	What	In short
From age 1	Förskola (preschool)	Place offered by the municipality within 4 months; fee with a cap (maxtaxa)
From age 3	Allmän förskola	At least 525 free hours a year
From the autumn of the year the child turns 6	Förskoleklass	First compulsory year
After förskoleklass	Grundskola, grades 1–9	Free, with free school lunch
Before and after school hours	Fritidshem	After-school care; fee set by the municipality
After grundskola	Gymnasieskola	Free; you can start up to the first half of the year you turn 20

Förskola: preschool

From when, and how fast

The law says: «Barn ska från och med ett års ålder erbjudas förskola i den omfattning det behövs.» (Children must be offered preschool from age one, to the extent needed.) "Needed" means, for example, that the parents work or study, or that the child needs preschool for their own development.

The municipality must offer the place within 4 months of your application. So apply early, not when you need a place next week. You apply to the municipality where you live: search for "förskola" or "barnomsorg" on its website.

If you are unemployed or on parental leave

Children of unemployed parents or parents on parental leave are also entitled to preschool: at least 3 hours a day or 15 hours a week. It is not full time, but the child is not left without a place.

From age 3: 525 free hours

From age 3 there is allmän förskola (general preschool): at least 525 free hours a year for every child.

What it costs: the maxtaxa

The preschool fee is called maxtaxa. It is a percentage of the household income, with a national cap. It is lower for the second and third child, and free from the fourth. Your municipality works out the exact amount: ask them for the fee. We give no figures because they change.

Compulsory school

Where it starts

Compulsory school starts in the autumn of the year the child turns 6, with förskoleklass. Then comes grundskola, grades 1–9. Compulsory school applies to all children living in Sweden, whatever their citizenship.

Free, lunch included

The law is plain: «Utbildningen ska vara avgiftsfri.» (Education must be free of charge.) And on food: «Eleverna ska utan kostnad erbjudas näringsriktiga skolmåltider.» (Pupils must be offered nutritious school meals at no cost.)

So you pay no fee for teaching and none for school lunch. If a school asks you to pay for attendance, ask which rule it relies on.

Fritidshem

Fritidshem is after-school care for schoolchildren. Unlike school, the fee is set by the municipality: ask the school or the municipality.

Mobile phones at school

In 2026 a law on collecting pupils' mobile phones at school was proposed. We cannot tell you how it will work: ask your child's school how it handles phones.

Mother tongue

If you are unsure whether your language qualifies or whether there are enough pupils, ask anyway: the school and the municipality give the answer.

Newly arrived pupils

Children who arrive in Sweden without knowing Swedish get language support. What it looks like (reception classes, Swedish as a second language, help in the subjects) depends on the municipality and the school. Ask the school what support exists, ideally at the very first meeting.

Gymnasium

Gymnasium is the upper secondary school after grundskola. The law says: «Utbildningen i gymnasieskolan ska vara avgiftsfri.» (Education in gymnasium must be free of charge.)

You can start up to the first half of the year you turn 20. For young people who arrive as teenagers that margin matters: ask the municipality which programmes are open to someone newly arrived.

First steps, in order

1. Register if you are staying at least a year: see Population registration and personnummer.
2. Apply for preschool as soon as you can: the municipality has 4 months.
3. Sort out Swedish for yourself: courses for adults are in SFI, work and unemployment insurance.
4. Read up on parental leave, allowances and child health care in Pregnancy, children and family.
5. At the school, ask about mother-tongue tuition and support for newly arrived pupils.

Common mistakes

• Waiting to apply for preschool. The municipality has up to 4 months to offer a place.
• Assuming the unemployed have no right. With unemployed or parental-leave parents there are at least 15 hours a week.
• Confusing preschool with school. Preschool is an entitlement; compulsory school starts in the autumn of the year the child turns 6.
• Paying for teaching or school lunch. Education and meals are free by law.
• Forgetting to ask for mother-tongue tuition. The right exists if the language is spoken every day at home, but you have to ask for it.
• Waiting until you are 20 for gymnasium. You can start up to the first half of the year you turn 20, not later.
• Treating the phone proposal as law. In 2026 it was only proposed: ask the school.