Dentistry Schools and Programs in Sweden

Dentistry Studies in Sweden

Dentistry in Sweden is a five-year professional programme, the Tandläkarprogrammet, that leads directly to the dental degree (tandläkarexamen). It is taught in Swedish, so it suits students who already speak the language or plan to learn it to a high level first. SpainExchange lists one Swedish university for this subject: the University of Gothenburg (Göteborgs universitet), founded in 1891 and today home to about 58,000 students. Dentistry is taught at its Institute of Odontology, part of the Sahlgrenska Academy, on the Medicinareberget campus in central Gothenburg.

How the dental degree is organised

Swedish higher education credits follow ECTS: 30 credits per semester and 60 per academic year. Professional qualifications most often take five years, and dentistry fits that pattern. At Gothenburg the programme covers 300 credits and leads to the tandläkarexamen, which the university translates as Master of Science Degree in Dental Surgery. The programme starts every semester, in autumn and in spring.

The first part covers medical theory: how the body is built and works, and how the mouth is affected by the body as a whole. Teaching then turns to health and disease of the mouth and jaw, with courses in psychology and patient care. Practical and clinical work dominates the later years. Students train in laboratories and in a virtual simulator before treating patients at the university's teaching clinics under supervision. In the final semester they do a longer placement at a general dental clinic in the Västra Götaland region. Students also write a degree project. Erasmus exchanges with other European universities are possible, best in the later semesters.

The same institute trains dental hygienists and dental technicians, each in a three-year, 180-credit programme that also gives a bachelor's degree.

Admission and language

Places are allocated through the national admissions system (antagning.se). Applicants need general entry requirements plus upper secondary Biology 2, Physics 2, Chemistry 2 and Mathematics 4 (or Mathematics D), and Swedish at the level of the upper secondary course Swedish 3. At Gothenburg, 66% of places go by school grades and 34% by results in the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (högskoleprovet). For the spring 2027 intake the application period runs from 15 September to 15 October 2026; for autumn 2027 it runs from 15 March to 15 April 2027.

Fees, residence permit and living costs

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland do not pay tuition fees. Other students pay an application fee of SEK 900 through universityadmissions.se and tuition fees that depend on the programme; the University of Gothenburg publishes the first instalment on each programme's page. Newly admitted fee-paying students must pay the autumn fee by 1 May.

Students from outside the EU/EEA need a residence permit from the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket), and count as finally admitted only once the tuition fee is paid. For permits granted since 11 June 2026, students may work up to 15 hours a week during term and must complete 37.5 credits in the first year to have the permit extended. Study in Sweden estimates living costs at around SEK 10,656 per month.

Licence and careers

Dentist is a licensed profession in Sweden; the licence (legitimation) is issued by the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen). After the degree, graduates can work as general dentists in public or private practice. After some years in general practice they can train as specialist dentists, and the degree also gives access to doctoral studies.

Dentists who qualified outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland follow a separate route. The University of Gothenburg runs a one-year, 60-credit supplementary programme for them, taught in Swedish; selection is based on the theoretical part of the national proficiency test for dentists (Kunskapsprovet), and graduates can then apply to Socialstyrelsen for a licence. Karolinska Institutet and Malmö University offer the same programme.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study dentistry in Sweden?

Five years of full-time study (300 credits). The programme leads directly to the dental degree, after which graduates apply for a licence from Socialstyrelsen.

Can I study dentistry in Sweden in English?

No. The dental programme at the University of Gothenburg is taught entirely in Swedish, and Swedish at the level of Swedish 3 is an entry requirement.

I am a dentist from outside the EU. Can I work in Sweden?

You need a Swedish licence. The usual route is the proficiency test for dentists and a one-year supplementary programme, offered at Gothenburg, Karolinska Institutet and Malmö University.

Which universities teach dentistry in Sweden?

SpainExchange lists the University of Gothenburg for this subject.