Childcare, schools and parental leave
Publish date: 26 May 2020
If you choose to bring your spouse and/or children to Stockholm, there are a few things to think about.
Giving your spouse the best career opportunities
Should your spouse wish to continue his or her career in Stockholm, there are a number of established agencies to approach. For more information, see the Find a Job section.
Learn Swedish – cost-free
Please note that Swedes are happy to speak English, but it could be hard to find a job if you don’t speak Swedish. There’s a cost-free course in Swedish for non-Swedes called SFI (Svenska För Invandrare or Swedish For Immigrants). We recommend you contact SFI as soon as possible. Also see SIFA (Stockholm Intense Swedish for Academics) and Stockholm Academic Forum.
Sweden – a very family-friendly country
Stockholm is an excellent place to be a parent (or a child). To prove this point, the Swedish Institute has put together a list of “10 things that make Sweden family-friendly”.
Good to know:
Children – like adults – need Personal identity numbers ("personnummer"). More info here
Childcare and schools
Note: School offerings and accreditations may change over time. Always check directly with the school or the relevant authority for the most up-to-date information.
Childcare services are available for all children from the age of 1, provided they have a Swedish personal identity number. Parents pay a fee linked to the family’s income and the child’s attendance. Contact your local municipality ("kommun") for more information.
Almost all six-year-olds attend voluntary preschool classes. Between ages 7-16, children go to compulsory comprehensive school. After completing the ninth grade, 90 % continue with a three-year upper secondary school ("gymnasium") with most programs leading to a vocational diploma and qualifications for studies at a university or university college (högskola). All education provided by the state is free.
Contact your local municipality ("kommun") or ‘stadsdelsförvaltning’ in Stockholm for more information about schools with other language profiles.
International and internationally-oriented schools in Stockholm
There are two types of international schools in Stockholm:
- Swedish schools with an international profile delivering a Swedish curriculum, culminating in a Swedish upper-highschool diploma upon graduation ("gymnasiebetyg"). Note that most subjects are taught in Swedish.
- Internationally accredited schools with an international curriculum and diplomas. A list of English-language IB schools in Stockholm can be found here: Find an IB World School.
- Additionally, there are also two schools offering education in French and German, respectively: Lycée Français and Tyska Skolan.
Parental leave
Sweden has one of the most generous parent leave ("föräldraledighet") systems in the world. Parents are granted 480 days of leave per child, and 420 of these days are paid at a rate of 80% of their salary up to a limit of SEK 910 a day.
To qualify for basic benefits (180 SEK a day for 480 days) you need to be a legal resident of Sweden. It’s not your employer who covers the cost of your parental leave benefit but the Swedish Social Insurance Agency ("Försäkringskassan").
Försäkringskassan offers more information on Parental leave.
Language you should be aware of:
- Parental leave = föräldraledighet
- Maternity leave = mammaledighet
- Paternity leave = pappaledighet