The Swedish language test for citizenship: what we know
The citizenship test held on 15 August 2026 assessed knowledge of Swedish society. But the new citizenship rules contain two knowledge requirements: knowledge of Swedish society and knowledge of the Swedish language. A separate test is to be developed for the language half, and it is considerably less well known than the civics test. Here is what is actually confirmed.
Updated 1 October 2026: In its final report on 30 September, UHR recommends introducing the reading and listening test in autumn 2029. We previously wrote autumn 2027, based on Universitetsläraren on 21 September. The government has not decided, and the language requirement is unchanged.
Bli Svensk is independent study material. For official information about the test, always go to uhr.se/medborgarskapsprovet. For citizenship applications, see migrationsverket.se.
What UHR recommends
UHR’s final report describes a rollout in three steps, the first being the civics test in August 2026:
- Step two, reading and listening comprehension in Swedish: autumn 2029. The government’s assignment says the test must be fully developed by 1 October 2027, but UHR writes that the conditions for that are not in place (“inte finns stabila förutsättningar”).
- Step three, writing and speaking: 2030 at the earliest. A particular challenge is recruiting enough qualified assessors.
- The Swedish test is digital from the start, while the civics test stays on paper to begin with. The aim is to run both parts on one digital platform eventually.
Why it is taking longer
The test will not be ready. Stockholm University, which develops the test together with the University of Gothenburg, estimates that the reading and listening parts can be delivered on 1 October 2028 at the earliest. UHR calls that timetable “mycket optimistisk”, very optimistic.
The digital platform does not exist yet. UHR expects to have a digital test platform in place at the end of 2027 at the earliest, and both universities estimate they need about two years after that to build digital tests. UHR wants a thorough trial of the platform during 2028.
The timetable has moved before. The government originally wanted the test ready in August 2026. In February 2026 the assignment was extended to 1 October 2027, after Stockholm University reported that the work would not be finished in time. In its interim report in September 2025, UHR had already proposed autumn 2028.
What has not been decided
The government decides. The recommendation is not a decision. According to Migrationsverket, the government will take a position on it and decide when the Swedish test can start. UHR also notes that law changes due to take effect in 2027 may need adjusting.
The details are not published. The number of questions, locations, cost and exact level required for the Swedish test are still unknown.
We will update this article when the government decides.
Important: you do not need to wait for the test
This is the most common misunderstanding. The language requirement already applies, and has since 6 June 2026, to applicants aged 16 to 66, but the test is only one of the ways to meet it. Migrationsverket lists, among others:
- a pass in Swedish or Swedish as a second language from compulsory school, upper secondary school, folk high school or komvux,
- a pass in the highest SFI course (course D),
- passing grades in Swedish from another Nordic country,
- a Tisus result,
- a result from another Swedish test that shows, with a high degree of certainty, knowledge at a functional level.
Exactly what counts in your case is decided by Migrationsverket, so work from migrationsverket.se rather than from any third party, ourselves included. The civics test is not affected and continues to be held.
Remember too that language and civics are two separate requirements. SFI course D covers the language half but says nothing about knowledge of society, and vice versa. We have written more about which grades can replace the tests in Can grades replace the Swedish citizenship test?.
How to prepare now
Even though the format has not been published, we know what is being assessed: reading and listening in Swedish, and eventually writing and speaking. You train for that the same way regardless of what the questions look like.
If you are studying SFI, you are already on the right track. The SFI national test covers reading, listening, writing and speaking, and a pass in SFI D can additionally satisfy the language requirement outright. If the government follows UHR, there will be no language test until autumn 2029, so until then grades or another approved test such as Tisus are the way to meet the requirement. More on the D grade in Does SFI D count for Swedish citizenship? Our free app SFI Prov lets you practise reading, listening, writing and speaking ahead of the national test, and we have written a full guide to the SFI national test.
Revising for the civics test trains your Swedish as a side effect. The test is in Swedish, and UHR’s study material Sverige i fokus exists both as text and as recorded audio files. Reading a chapter and then listening to the same chapter is, in practice, reading and listening comprehension training with precisely the vocabulary citizenship demands.
In summary
The Swedish citizenship test is delayed. UHR recommends reading and listening in autumn 2029 and writing and speaking from 2030 at the earliest, but the government has not decided. The language requirement applies today and can be met with grades, for example in SFI course D, so for most people the right strategy is not to wait for the test. Study Swedish now, ideally through SFI, and sit the civics test when it opens up to more people.
Further reading
- Swedish citizenship test 2026: everything you need to know
- Swedish citizenship 2026: all the new requirements
- Can grades replace the Swedish citizenship test?
- The SFI national test: everything you need to know
- The next Swedish citizenship test: what’s confirmed and what isn’t
- (Official) UHR’s final report, 30 September 2026 · Migrationsverket, 30 September 2026 · uhr.se/medborgarskapsprovet · regeringen.se · migrationsverket.se
Frequently asked questions
When will the Swedish language test for citizenship arrive?
It has not been decided. On 30 September 2026 UHR recommended introducing the reading and listening test in autumn 2029, instead of the 1 October 2027 set in the government's assignment. Writing and speaking are expected to be tested from 2030 at the earliest. The government will now take a position on the recommendation.
What does the language test assess?
The Swedish test comes in two steps: reading and listening first, then writing and speaking. All four skills are assessed eventually, but not at the same time. According to UHR, the Swedish test will be digital from the start.
Who is developing the language test?
Stockholm University and the University of Gothenburg are developing it, with UHR as the coordinating agency. Stockholm University estimates the reading and listening parts can be delivered on 1 October 2028 at the earliest, a timetable UHR calls very optimistic.
Do I have to wait for the language test to become a Swedish citizen?
No. The language requirement has applied since 6 June 2026, but it can be met by routes other than a test, for example a pass in the highest SFI course (course D), Swedish grades from school or komvux, or Tisus. Migrationsverket decides what counts in your case.
Is SFI course D enough for citizenship?
SFI course D can satisfy the language requirement, but citizenship also requires knowledge of Swedish society. These are two separate requirements. An SFI grade covers only the language half.
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