You must have a licence to work as a psychologist in Sweden. A licence, (“legitimation”) in Swedish healthcare is proof that a practitioner has the skills and qualifications that a profession requires.
Psychologist is one of 22 different healthcare professions that demands a licence. The authority responsible for approving these licences is the National Board of Health and Welfare (“Socialstyrelsen”).
You will find information from their website below. The quotes are excerpts, please visit their website for further information.
Obtaining a licence if you are educated outside EU and EEA
If you would like to practice as a psychologist in Sweden, you will need a Swedish licence. The title psychologist is protected by law. In other words, you may refer to yourself as a psychologist only if you have a licence. To obtain a licence you need to learn Swedish.
You have two options
If you were educated outside the EU and EEA, you have two options for obtaining a licence in Sweden. No matter which option you choose, the final step is to apply for a licence from Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.
- Apply for a licence through the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare
- Apply for a licence through additional training
Apply for a licence through the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare
To get a licence via the National Board of Health and Welfare, you need to go through 5 different steps. Take one step at a time. You start by applying to have your education assessed and in the last step you apply for the licence.
- Have your education assessed
- You will need to know Swedish
- Take a course in Swedish laws and regulations
- Undergo clinical training
- Pay and submit your application
Apply for a licence through additional training
Instead of turning to Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare first, you can take additional training at a college or University and do a PTP (Practical Service for Psychologists) and then apply for a licence.
There are a limited number of places at the additional training at a few different universities. Each university decides the requirements to be able to attend the additional training.
The following institutions offer additional training:
Have you practiced as a psychologist for a minimum of 3 years in an EU/EES country?
The quote below is an excerpt, please visit this website for further information.
Psychologist educated outside EU and EEA with at least three years practice within EU or EEA
To be able to get a Swedish licence, you need to get your qualifications for your profession recognised. You also need to have language skills in Swedish, Danish or Norwegian. This applies even if you are a citizen of Sweden, Denmark, Finland or Norway.
If you are unable to speak any of these languages, we recommend that you begin by learning Swedish if you would like to work in Sweden.
You apply to Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, either by using the authority web form or by filling in the application form and sending it to Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare by post.