How long does SFI take? Weeks per course and the time limit
How long SFI takes depends on where you start: from 15 weeks to several years. See the weeks per course, real figures and how the three-year limit works.
- 5 min read
- Updated November 5, 2026
Contents
How long SFI takes depends on where you start. One course is planned as 15 to 50 weeks full time, and all of SFI takes from a few months to several years. Since 1 January 2026 you have the right to SFI for three years, but you can get an extension. Here you can see the weeks per course, how long it takes in real life and how to move forward faster, for example with free practice on Beyond SFI.
How many weeks is each course?
Courses that start after 31 December 2026 have verksamhetspoäng (course points). The points show how big a course is. One week of full-time study is 20 points. Course 3D has 300 points, which makes 15 weeks full time.
Study path 1 is for people with little or no schooling. Study path 2 is for people with some schooling. Study path 3 is for people who are used to studying.
| Study path | Weeks (W) per course, full time | All courses in the path |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1A: 45W 1B: 50W 1C: 50W 1D: 45W | 190 weeks |
| 2 | 2B: 30W 2C: 40W 2D: 35W | 105 weeks |
| 3 | 3C: 25W 3D: 15W | 40 weeks |
We worked out the weeks from the points in Skolverket's syllabuses. They show how big a course is. They do not promise when you will finish. If you study half time, the same course takes about twice as long. With fewer hours, for example in the evening, it takes even longer. There are also courses in basic literacy and in the Latin alphabet, which are not in the table.
You do not always take every course. Your kommun (municipality) assesses your Swedish before you start, and you can start higher up. If you start in 2C, you take 2C and 2D, which is 75 weeks full time. Read more about what the courses and study paths mean.
How long does SFI take in real life?
In real life SFI often takes longer than the weeks in the table. Skolverket (the Swedish National Agency for Education) looked at the students who passed course D in 2022. The table shows how many years half of them and three in four needed, counted from the course they started in.
| Started in | Half had finished D after | Three in four had finished after |
|---|---|---|
| 3D or 2D | 1 year | 2 years |
| 3C or 2C | 2 years | 3 years |
| 1D | 2 years | 2 years |
| 1C | 2 years | 3 years |
| 2B | 4 years | 5 years |
| 1B | 4 years | 5 years |
| 1A | 5 years | 7 years |
These figures only cover students who finished course D in 2022, before the new rules. Those who stopped earlier are not included, so reality may look worse than the table. Skolverket also followed everyone who started SFI in 2018. After five years, about one in three had passed course D. Among those with at most three years of school in their home country it was 16 percent, and among those with 13 years or more it was 43 percent.
Do not compare yourself with your classmate. Two people can start on the same day and have very different roads. Many study SFI while they work or take care of children, and everyone has a different school background. Taking longer does not mean you have failed.
How many hours a week is SFI?
Full-time SFI is usually 15 hours of teaching a week. That is also what the Education Act says: at least 15 hours a week on average. You can get fewer hours if you ask for it and the school agrees. That is why some forms have fewer hours. In Sundsvall, part time is 7.5 hours a week. In Malmö, the evening course is 6 hours. You also study at home, and if you take SFI online your week looks different. Ask your school what applies to you.
How long are you allowed to study SFI?
You have the right to study SFI for three years from the day you were first admitted. The time keeps running when you are not studying, for example during a break. If you started before 2026, the three years count from 1 January 2026. These rules have applied since 1 January 2026:
- Extension: With special reasons you can get more time. Examples are parental leave, illness, work or other studies. You get at most six months at a time and at most three more years, so six years in total.
- Absence: If you are away for more than three weeks in a row without an accepted reason, it counts as dropping out.
- Progress: The kommun can end your studies if you do not make enough progress.
- Decisions: If the kommun says no to letting you continue, you can appeal.
All courses in study path 1 add up to 190 weeks full time. Three years is about 156 calendar weeks, and that includes holidays and breaks. Half of those who started in 1A, 1B or 2B needed four years or more. So three years can be hard to reach, especially part time. You can get an extension if you have special reasons, but it is not certain. Talk to your school in good time. Did you get ill, start a job or have a baby? Tell your school right away. Then you have time to find a solution together.
How long until you can start?
You should usually be able to start within three months, unless there are special reasons. For some newcomers in a combined programme (sammanhållen utbildning), the kommun must work to get you started within one month. Waiting times differ between kommuner. Read more about how to apply and what to do while you wait.
Can I finish faster?
Yes, you can often do a lot yourself. The most important thing is to study as much as your life allows and to come to your lessons. Also talk to your teacher about your next step. Courses B, C and D end with a national test, so it helps to know in good time when it is your turn.
It also helps to use your Swedish between lessons. Read, listen and write a little every day. Beyond SFI is a free place to do that: you practise Swedish for real life, during or after SFI. Its courses follow Skolverket's syllabus for SFI. Everyday Swedish A2 fits during or after course C, and Everyday Swedish B1+ after course D. The courses, exams and certificate are free to use. Plus adds AI feedback on what you write and say, and chats with an AI partner. Beyond SFI does not replace SFI, and it gives no SFI grade. If you are in course A or B it is too early, but there is other free material.
Common questions
Related articles
- SFI levels: courses A–D, the new course names and CEFR
- SFI online: how to study SFI at a distance
- The SFI national test: how it works in courses B, C and D
Facts checked: November 2026. Beyond SFI is independent and has no connection to Skolverket.
Sources
- Skolverket – Regulations on the SFI syllabuses, SKOLFS 2026:67 (points per course, in Swedish)
- Skolverket – Information om de nya kursplanerna i sfi (20 points is one full-time week, in Swedish)
- Skolverket – Studieavbrott och genomströmning i sfi, report 2024:3 (years to course D, schooling, 15 hours a week, in Swedish)
- Skolverket – Student information on the new SFI rules (three years, extension, absence, progress, study plan, in Swedish)
- Skolverket – Rätt till sfi (in Swedish)
- City of Malmö – Olika sätt att läsa sfi (in Swedish)
- Sundsvall municipality – Sfi: studieformer och scheman (in Swedish)