SFI online: how to study SFI at a distance
You can study SFI online in several kommuner, free through your kommun. Who can study at a distance, what you need, how tests work and other options.
- 5 min read
- Updated November 5, 2026
Contents
Yes, in several kommuner (municipalities) you can study SFI online from home. It is free, and you apply through your kommun. But it is not offered everywhere, it does not suit everyone, and you take the national test in person. If you cannot study online, there are other options such as evening courses. If you want to practise online on the side, you can use free courses on Beyond SFI.
What is SFI online?
SFI online, in Swedish SFI på distans, is the same education as SFI in a classroom. You follow the same syllabus and get the same grade. What changes is where and how you study. You work on a learning platform, and your teacher guides you mainly online. In Gothenburg, for example, you have online lessons twice a week full time and once a week part time.
It is not very common. In 2022, 10 percent of SFI course participants had some distance teaching, according to Skolverket (the Swedish National Agency for Education). It was most common in study path 3, for students who are used to studying.
Who can study at a distance?
Your kommun decides, so the rules differ. No national rule says that everyone can study online. Here are three examples:
| Kommun | What the kommun says |
|---|---|
| Gothenburg | You can study fully online if you have upper-secondary or university education. You need to have a computer and be able to come to the school for tests. |
| Malmö | Distance study is for you if you are motivated and independent. You need a computer, must be used to it and must be able to study on a learning platform. |
| Sundsvall | Distance study is offered full time and part time, but you need the right conditions for it. |
If you have little schooling, online study is often not possible. Östra Grevie folkhögskola, for example, offers distance SFI only for study paths 2 and 3, and you must be registered in Malmö.
How do you apply?
You apply the same way as for ordinary SFI, through the adult education office in your kommun. Say in your application or when you talk to the kommun that you want to study online. How to apply, step by step.
Private schools such as NTI-skolan and Hermods also offer distance SFI. You still apply through the kommun, and the kommun decides if you can study there. If you want to study in a kommun other than your own, you need special reasons. You may also have the right to study SFI at a folkhögskola that can set grades. Ask the school how to apply.
How do tests work if you study online?
You take the national test in person. In autumn 2026 and spring 2027 the tests are on paper, and you may not be left alone with the test. In the speaking part a teacher leads the conversation. Gothenburg says you must be able to come to the school for tests. Östra Grevie folkhögskola holds the tests at the school in Malmö. Ask your school where the test is and plan for it early. Read more about how the test works.
Is distance study right for you?
Distance study can suit you if you work irregular hours or live far from the school. It can also help if you have small children at home, but you need quiet time to study. It is harder if you need a lot of support. During the pandemic, Skolverket saw that students in study paths 1 and 2 found it hard to study at home on their own.
Ask yourself:
- Can I plan my time without a fixed timetable?
- Do I have a computer and a quiet place to work?
- Can I read instructions in Swedish without help?
- Do I get to speak Swedish some other way, for example at work?
Think about time as well. You have the right to SFI for three years, and being away for more than three weeks in a row without an accepted reason counts as dropping out. Ask your school how they count attendance online.
Online study gives you freedom, and it also gives you more responsibility. You miss what happens before and after a lesson: the small talk in Swedish. So make sure you speak Swedish every week. Go to a språkcafé (language café), talk to a colleague or call a friend. Your teacher helps you forward, and your Swedish also grows when you use it with other people.
What if you cannot study online?
There are often other forms. Ask your kommun what it offers:
- Evening course: In Malmö it is 6 hours a week. In Sundsvall it is two evenings a week for the courses in study paths 2 and 3.
- Flex: Malmö has sfi flex for people who find it hard to come to lessons at fixed times. You are at school at least 4 hours a week and study the rest at home.
- Part time: In Sundsvall it is 7.5 hours a week at the school.
Is there free SFI online?
Yes, SFI is always free when you study through your kommun, also online. There is no national SFI website where you can simply log in. A language course you pay for yourself is not SFI, and it gives no SFI grade.
If you want to practise Swedish online next to SFI, there is free material. 8 Sidor has news in easy Swedish, Klartext has news to listen to and Lexin is a dictionary in many languages. There are more tips in our guide to free material.
Beyond SFI is a free place to 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. You practise when you want. 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 is not SFI and gives no SFI grade. You can do both.
Common questions
Related articles
- How to apply for SFI and register in your kommun
- How long does SFI take? Weeks per course and the time limit
- Free SFI material: practice for courses C and D
Facts checked: November 2026. The rules differ between kommuner, so always ask yours. Beyond SFI is independent and has no connection to Skolverket.
Sources
- Skolverket – Studieavbrott och genomströmning i sfi, report 2024:3 (distance teaching in 2022, studying at home during the pandemic, in Swedish)
- Skolverket – Student information on the new SFI rules (three years, absence, SFI in another kommun, in Swedish)
- Skolverket – Rätt till sfi (in Swedish)
- Skolverket – Regulations on national tests, SKOLFS 2026:6 (tests on paper in autumn 2026 and spring 2027, in Swedish)
- Stockholm University – Vanliga frågor och svar om sfi-proven (students may not be left alone with the tests, in Swedish)
- City of Gothenburg – Om sfi och hur du söker (in Swedish)
- City of Malmö – Olika sätt att läsa sfi (in Swedish)
- Sundsvall municipality – Sfi: studieformer och scheman (in Swedish)
- Östra Grevie folkhögskola – SFI på distans (in Swedish)
- NTI-skolan – SFI på distans (in Swedish)
- Hermods – SFI (in Swedish)