Sweden guide 路 verified 2026-07-04
Language Tests for Sweden: IELTS, TOEFL and Alternatives
Language & tests
English-taught programmes (the large majority of what non-EU students apply to) require proof of English at the 'English 6 / English Level 2' Swedish upper-secondary standard. Swedish-taught programmes require Swedish proficiency instead, much rarer for a first application from India.
University admission IELTS cutoff (English 6 / Level 2, the binding number)
ConditionalOverall 6.5, no band below 5.5
This is the university admission requirement (not a lower visa-office floor, Sweden doesn't run a separate immigration English test) and is the binding number for an offer. Accepted formats: IELTS Academic, IELTS Online, IELTS UKVI (Academic), IELTS One Skill Retake (Academic); General Training and Indicator versions are NOT accepted. Individual programs, especially competitive Masters (e.g. in business, engineering, or law-adjacent fields), can and do ask for a higher overall band, commonly up to 7.0; always confirm the specific program's own published requirement rather than assuming the 6.5 baseline applies.
TOEFL iBT (English 6 / Level 2)
Conditional4.5/6 overall, no section below 4 (from 21 Jan 2026); 90 overall / 20 in writing for tests taken through 20 Jan 2026
TOEFL rescaled its score bands in January 2026, always check which scale applies to the student's test date. Accepted: TOEFL iBT, iBT Home Edition, iBT Paper Edition.
Other accepted English tests
OptionalCambridge C1 Advanced (180+), Pearson PTE Academic (62, writing 61), Cambridge Michigan ECPE
Some Masters require a different level
ConditionalEnglish 5/Level 1 (lower) or English 7/Level 3 (higher) for specific programmes
The 'English 6' scores above are the general baseline, not universal, always check the individual programme page.
- Book IELTS/TOEFL early relative to the January First-round deadline, results must be uploaded with the application, not promised later.
- There is no separate 'visa-office accepted tests' restriction in Sweden the way there is for Germany, the university's accepted-test list is what governs, since UHR/universityadmissions.se runs both admission and (indirectly) feeds the Migration Agency file.
- GRE/GMAT are not a general Swedish requirement; a minority of Masters/MBA programmes ask for them, check the specific programme.
Where this fits
This is one step of the full Sweden journey: admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, every figure cited to an official source.
More on Sweden
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This page is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.