After SFI, what next? Courses and options compared
After SFI, what next? An honest overview of courses after SFI: SAS at komvux, vocational training, folkhögskola, språkcafé and practising on your own.
- 6 min read
- Updated October 26, 2026
Contents
After SFI you have five main options: SAS at komvux, vocational training with Swedish built in, allmän kurs at a folkhögskola, a språkcafé, or practising on your own. Which one is right depends on one question: what do you want your Swedish for? A job, a degree, citizenship, or simply daily life without stress? This guide compares the courses after SFI and goes through each option honestly: what it gives you, what it demands and who it suits.
First, where are you now?
SFI has four courses, A to D, and ends at D. (There is no SFI E – we explain that in Is there an SFI E?.) Course D is roughly B1 on the CEFR scale. That means you can handle most familiar situations, but longer texts, fast speech and formal writing are still hard. (How the SFI levels roughly compare to CEFR.)
Everything below starts from that point. Some options build on your Swedish. Some use it as a tool for something else. Both are fine.
Option 1: SAS, Svenska som andraspråk at komvux
What it is: the school subject that follows SFI. You study it at komvux (kommunal vuxenutbildning – your municipality's adult education). It has a basic level, SAS grund, in four sub-courses (delkurs 1–4), and three upper-secondary levels, since July 2025 called nivå 1, 2 and 3. Nivå 3 gives you the Swedish part of basic university eligibility.
Who it is for: people who want grades, plan to study further, or need a formal Swedish qualification for a job. Nursing, teaching and most public-sector jobs want it.
What it demands: SFI D to start (usually delkurs 2). Fixed schedules, essays, oral presentations, homework. It is school. Reading is the big jump – from short texts in SFI to novels and articles in SAS.
Cost: free. CSN studiemedel is possible, unlike SFI.
We wrote a full guide: What is SAS? Swedish as a second language after SFI
Option 2: Vocational training with Swedish
What it is: komvux vocational programmes (yrkesutbildning) – for example care assistant, chef, bus driver, electrician, childcare. Many municipalities run kombinationsutbildningar (also called yrkes-SFI, SFI-kombo or sva-kombo): a vocational programme combined with SFI or SAS and yrkessvenska, the Swedish you need for that specific job.
Who it is for: people whose goal is a job, not a degree. Especially good if your Swedish is "good enough for life, not yet good enough for an interview". You learn the job and the words at the same time.
What it demands: eligibility for komvux at gymnasial level – from 1 July the year you turn 20, or earlier if you finished gymnasium. Requirements vary by programme and by municipality. Some programmes have long queues.
Cost: free. CSN studiemedel is usually possible.
Honest note: the Swedish you learn is narrow – care Swedish, kitchen Swedish. That is the point. But it means you still need to keep the "life Swedish" going on the side.
Option 3: Allmän kurs at a folkhögskola
What it is: folkhögskolor are independent adult schools with a different pedagogy: small groups, project work, discussion, no national tests. Allmän kurs covers grundskola or gymnasium level – Swedish or SAS, maths, English, social studies – and can give the same eligibility as komvux. Some folkhögskolor also run dedicated "Swedish after SFI" courses.
Who it is for: people who want the qualification but not the komvux pace. People who learn better by talking than by writing. People who want a community – some schools have boarding (internat).
What it demands: usually SFI C or D. You must turn 18 in the calendar year. Full-time attendance, often for one to three years. You apply to the school directly, not through your kommun.
Cost: tuition is free; you may pay for materials, food or boarding. CSN studiemedel is available.
Option 4: Språkcafé, just talk
What it is: free, informal conversation groups run by volunteers – at libraries, at Röda Korset, in churches (Svenska kyrkan), at studieförbund like ABF. You drink coffee and talk Swedish for an hour or two. No registration, no grades, no homework.
Who it is for: everyone. Especially people who understand a lot but freeze when they have to speak. And people who don't meet many Swedish speakers in daily life.
What it demands: showing up. Usually 18+. Search "språkcafé" plus your town, or ask at your library. We collected language cafés in Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö and Uppsala.
Cost: free.
Honest note: a språkcafé is practice, not teaching. Nobody corrects your grammar. Combine it with something more structured.
Option 5: Practise on your own, for real life
What it is: keeping your Swedish alive without a course – input every day, writing short texts, speaking whenever you can, and using real situations as your classroom. We collected the five methods that work in Continue after SFI – 5 ways to keep your Swedish going.
Who it is for: people who have the education they need, are working or busy with family, and want their Swedish to keep growing without another school course. Also everyone in options 1–4, alongside.
What it demands: a little time, often. Ten minutes a day beats two hours on Sunday.
Cost: from free upward.
This is also where Beyond SFI fits. It is a free place to keep practising Swedish for real life after SFI – at the doctor, with your landlord, at work, at your child's school. The content follows Skolverket's SFI syllabus, so it starts exactly where course C or D stopped: same five skills, same everyday situations, one level up. You practise at your own pace, in any order, on your phone. The core is free; you pay only for extras that cost real money to run, like AI roleplay. It is not a replacement for SAS or a teacher – many people use it alongside one of the options above.
Side by side
| Option | Best for | Needs | Grades? | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAS at komvux | Further studies, formal qualification | SFI D | Yes (A–F) | Free, CSN |
| Vocational + Swedish | Getting a job faster | 20+, varies | Yes | Free, CSN |
| Folkhögskola allmän kurs | Qualification at a calmer pace, community | SFI C/D, 18+ | Yes (eligibility) | Free, CSN |
| Språkcafé | Speaking practice, meeting people | Nothing | No | Free |
| On your own / Beyond SFI | Everyday Swedish, flexible | SFI C/D | Certificate (Beyond SFI) | Free core |
Our honest take
Most people don't need to choose only one. A common good combination: one structured thing (SAS, a vocational programme, or folkhögskola) plus one thing that keeps you talking (a språkcafé, a sports club, Beyond SFI). The structured thing gives you a paper. The other thing gives you confidence. You need both.
And if you are tired of school right now – that is allowed. Your SFI D is already worth something. Since June 2026 it is one of the accepted proofs of Swedish for citizenship. Take a breath, keep the language alive, and decide later.
Common questions
Related articles
- What is SAS? Swedish as a second language after SFI
- Is there an SFI E?
- Continue after SFI – 5 ways to keep your Swedish going
Facts checked: September 2026. Rules and course offers differ between municipalities – check your kommun's vuxenutbildning. Beyond SFI is independent and not affiliated with Skolverket.
Sources
- Skolverket – Rätt till sfi
- Skolverket – Så förändras komvux på gymnasial nivå 2025
- Skolverket – Organisera och genomföra kombinationsutbildningar inom komvux
- Stockholms stad – Kombinationsutbildningar – sfi/sva-kombo
- Stockholms stad – Svenska som andraspråk grundläggande
- CSN – Studiestöd för SFI · Studiestöd för SAS
- Stockholms Stadsmission – Allmän kurs på grundskolenivå · Röda Korsets folkhögskola – Lär dig mer svenska efter SFI
- Röda Korset – Språkcafé
- Migrationsverket – Nya regler för svenskt medborgarskap från 6 juni 2026