Legitimation (Swedish licence to practise)

Legitimation is the Swedish word for a professional licence. In health care it is the document that lets you work as, and call yourself, a doctor (läkare), nurse (sjuksköterska), midwife, dentist, pharmacist, physiotherapist or any of the other licensed professions. Socialstyrelsen says 22 health care professions require a licence in Sweden, and it is the single national body that issues all of them. It is the Swedish form of a licence to practise.

Once issued, your details are entered in Socialstyrelsen's register of licensed health care professionals (HOSP), which employers search to check that you hold the right licence. There is no regional or employer licence on top of it.

You need legitimation before you can work in Sweden in a licensed role. If you trained outside the EU and EEA, including in the UK after Brexit, you meet the word at the very start, because the whole route is built around it. While you work towards it, Socialstyrelsen says you may work in a health care role that does not require a licence, for example as an assistant nurse while your nursing application is pending.

EU and EEA graduates and people with three years' practice in the EU or EEA follow separate, shorter routes. See our Sweden country guide for those.

1. Have your education assessed by Socialstyrelsen. You do not need Swedish, a Swedish personal identity number or a residence permit for this step.
2. Pass the proficiency test, the kunskapsprov, run by a university on Socialstyrelsen's behalf.
3. Pass a course in Swedish laws and regulations.
4. Complete clinical training (praktisk tjänstgöring) in Swedish health care.
5. Apply for the licence with proof of Swedish and the original certificate of completed clinical training.

Swedish is needed from step 2 onwards. Accepted proof includes Swedish 3 from adult education (Komvux), Swedish at CEFR level C1, a course or exam that meets the Swedish entry requirement for higher education (such as Tisus), equivalent Norwegian or Danish, or an assessment by a health care provider on Socialstyrelsen's form. The alternative is a complementary programme at a Swedish university, which Socialstyrelsen says usually takes one to three years.

Socialstyrelsen says the full route usually takes two to four years, mostly because of the language. The education assessment costs SEK 990 and takes about three months. If you paid that fee at the assessment and did not do the Swedish medical internship (AT), the licence application costs nothing extra. Doctors who completed AT in Sweden pay SEK 2,310 if they paid SEK 990 earlier, or SEK 3,300 if they did not.

A complete licence application takes about two to four weeks. At that stage you need a Swedish personnummer or a coordination number; if you have neither, Socialstyrelsen asks the Swedish Tax Agency to assign a coordination number, which needs an identity check.

• Starting Swedish too late. The test, course and clinical training all happen in Swedish.
• Sending originals. Socialstyrelsen asks for copies at the assessment stage, with translations by a certified translator for languages other than Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or English.
• A refused assessment. If your education is not judged similar enough, the fee is not refunded and you cannot continue on this route.
• Delays from police checks. Socialstyrelsen checks your name against police records and contacts you if it appears.