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 22 September 2026: The Swedish test is to be introduced in two parts, not as a reading and listening test alone. The first part is planned for autumn 2027. An earlier version of this article said speaking and writing were not included, which followed the wording of the government’s assignment. The source for the structure is Universitetsläraren on 21 September 2026, not UHR’s own pages, which still do not describe two parts.

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 is confirmed

The test comes in two parts. That is how Universitetsläraren described it on 21 September 2026: “Prov i svenska kommer att införas i två delar: den första om läs- och hörförståelse, det andra om skriftlig och muntlig färdighet” — a test in Swedish introduced in two parts, the first on reading and listening comprehension, the second on writing and speaking.

The government’s assignment mentions only reading and listening, and that is the part arriving first. But all four skills are assessed in the end, as in the SFI national test, just not at once and not from the start. Note where this comes from: a trade publication, not UHR’s own pages, which still do not describe a two-part test.

The first part is planned for autumn 2027. Universitetsläraren writes that “det första medborgarskapsprovet i svenska är planerat att genomföras hösten 2027” — the first citizenship test in Swedish is planned to be held in autumn 2027. That applies to the first part. For the second part, writing and speaking, no timing is given at all.

The assignment deadline is 1 October 2027. The government adjusted the assignment in February 2026 and extended the time available. The background is that Stockholm University, which is developing the test together with the University of Gothenburg with UHR coordinating, reported that the work would not be finished by the original date. The deadline means the test must be fully developed by then, and a first sitting during autumn 2027 is consistent with that.

The civics test came first. UHR writes that the test in Swedish “införs vid ett senare tillfälle”, that it will be introduced at a later point. The sequence is deliberate: the reform is being rolled out in stages.

What has not been published

UHR has still published nothing on a test date, the number of questions, the format, locations, cost or the exact level required, nor on the two-part structure. The only date mentioned, autumn 2027 for the first part, comes from a trade publication rather than from the agency itself. When the second part arrives is entirely open.

We previously wrote that a first sitting would plausibly land some way after the deadline, perhaps 2028. That no longer holds for the first part. For the second part there is nothing to estimate from.

We update this article when UHR or the government publishes more.

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, but the test is only one of the ways to meet it. You can already demonstrate your Swedish another way, for example with a pass in SFI course D or other approved Swedish grades. Exactly what counts in your case is decided by Migrationsverket, so work from migrationsverket.se rather than from any third party, ourselves included.

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. You train for that the same way regardless of what the questions eventually look like.

If you are studying SFI, you are already on the right track. The SFI national test trains exactly this, reading and listening comprehension, and a pass in SFI D can additionally satisfy the language requirement outright. 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

A citizenship test in Swedish is coming in two parts, reading and listening first and planned for autumn 2027, then writing and speaking with no date given, developed by the universities with UHR coordinating. But the language requirement applies today and can be met with grades, 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.se/medborgarskapsprovet · regeringen.se · migrationsverket.se