Apply to a Vocational Program: Step-by-Step Guide

So, you’re interested in applying to a vocational school in Sweden? Great! This step-by-step guide will help you find the right school and lead you through the application process.

Before you start:

You'll need to choose a program and orientation that matches your interests and goals first. Interested in more than one program? No problem. You can apply to multiple programs and schools.

These are the program names in Swedish, you'll need them later on:

• Childcare and Recreation Program / Barn- och fritidsprogrammet
• Construction and Building Program / Bygg- och anläggningsprogrammet
• Electricity and Energy Program / El- och energiprogrammet
• Vehicles and Transportation Program / Fordons- och transportprogrammet
• Business and Administration Program / Handels- och administrationsprogrammet
• Handicraft Program / Hantverksprogrammet
• Hotel and Tourism Program / Hotell- och turismprogrammet
• Industry Engineering Program / Industritekniska programmet
• Natural Resources Program / Naturbruksprogrammet
• Restaurant and Food Program / Restaurang- och livsmedelsprogrammet
• Sanitary, Heating and Property Program / VVS- och fastighetsprogrammet
• Care and Treatment Program / Vård- och omsorgsprogrammet

Step 1: Find a school

• Go to http://www.gymnasieinfo.se/skola/sok
• In the box 'Alla program', find the name of the program you are interested in. Look at the list above to see what the program is called in Swedish.
• Enter where you live in the boxes 'Alla län' and 'Alla kommuner'. Then click Visa Skolor to see all the available schools.

Step 2: See if the school offers your preferred orientation

• You'll see a list of schools in your local area that offer the program you are interested in. *However, not all orientations are available at all schools.*
• You can see which orientation(s) is offered at the school under 'Intiktningar som skolan erbjuder'. If your preferred orientation is not listed, have a look at another school.
• Click on 'Programstruktur' to see all the different courses you'll be studying in the program.

Step 3: Login details 

So, you found the right school and it offers the orientation you'd like to study. Now what? Time to login to the website of your local Upper Secondary School Admissions Office - Gymnasieantagningen in Swedish - and make an online application.

• If you are registered in a primary school, a password is sent to your home in January. You can use this to log in to your local Upper Secondary School Admissions Office.
• If you are registered in a county in Sweden but don't go to school, you will need to contact your local Upper Secondary School Admissions Office for a password. 

You can find the contact details for your local Upper Secondary School Admissions Office at https://antagningskanslier.se/

The application period for high schools is different across Sweden but usually opens in early January and closes by the end of February.

Step 4: Making your application

After logging in to your account, you can start your application. Here are a few things to think about:

• You can choose more than one school or program in your application. This is good because it gives you lots of options.
• You will need to rank your choices of school or program. Put the school or program you’d most like to study at the top. If you are accepted on to a program, you will join the program highest on your list. 
• You should contact your local Upper Secondary Admissions Office (Gymnasieantagningen) about how to apply with foreign grades.

Good luck with your application, all the best!