Family and schools

Contact LiU’s International Office and let us know you are bringing children. We can help you with tips on finding accommodation and make sure you know who to contact next. It is very important that you inform us if your children are coming with you.

Research your needs and responsibilities regarding childcare in your situation. For instance, school is compulsory in Sweden from 6 years of age, for younger children you need to check eligibility and current waiting times if you need childcare.

Make an appointment with Linköping or Norrköping municipality for when you arrive. You will receive contact information from our International Office. Your contact person at the municipality can help you arrange day-care or school that works for you and your child.

If you have children, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the Swedish school system. Some schools have a long queue, so it is recommended that you apply for a place at a school in Linköping or Norrköping before you arrive in Sweden. You can read more about the Swedish school system at studera.nu, the Swedish National Agency for Education’s website (Skolverket) and at Study In Sweden's website.

Once you have been admitted, paid your tuition fee (if applicable) and arranged for accommodation, you can apply for childcare in the city you are moving to (if childcare is required). Applications are made on the municipality's website, Linköping or Norrköping.

In Sweden, the amount of childcare you can receive depends on what activities both parents are involved in such as work, study, parental leave and unemployment. Childcare is heavily subsidized, but not free. Fees usually range from 400-1500 SEK per month and child.

Your child can go to preschool from the age of 1. Preschool is voluntary. From the autumn of the year that your child turns 3, he or she has the right to attend public preschool. Public preschool comprises 15 hours a week and is free of charge. In preschool, the children are to be given the opportunity to develop and learn through play and creativity, both on their own, in groups and together with adults.

For children from the age of 6, it is compulsory to begin in a reception class (kindergarten). After the reception class (kindergarten), the children begin compulsory school or equivalent types of school. Pupils between 6 and 13 years of age can attend activities at a recreation centre that is open before and after school and during school breaks and offers meaningful activities during the time that their parents work or study.

Compulsory school education is compulsory for all children. In Sweden, school attendance is required for the reception class (kindergarten) and years 1-9 of compulsory school, in other words for ten years.

School is compulsory and free in Sweden. To apply you will have to have arranged accommodation first as you will need a registered address in Sweden. Parents should note that homeschooling is illegal.

Six-year-olds in Sweden attend a transitional class between nursery school and primary (elementary) school called preschool class (förskoleklass). This is the first year of compulsory education in Sweden.

Some Swedish schools have international classes for children between the ages of 7 and 16. The child is usually placed into an international class for a year to learn Swedish and then transferred to a regular Swedish class. If you are staying in Sweden for less than 3 years, your child is not guaranteed a place at an international school. In this case, your child may need to attend regular classes in Swedish.