New system for applying for a licence
to practice for doctors of medicine
educated outside the EU and EEA
On 1 July 2016 a new system for doctors of medicine that have been educated outside the EU
and EEA takes effect. The new system applies to you who choose the option to obtain a licence
through The National Board of Health and Welfare and includes the following steps:
Assessing your education
Those who have documented clinical specialist
skills will no longer be able to complete a trial
clinical training (provtjänstgöring).
Take a proficiency test
Once your education has been assessed, the next
step is to take the proficiency test. The test is in
Swedish. The new proficiency test is arranged
by Umeå University and consists of a theoreti­
cal part and a practical part. You are given three
opportunities to pass the theoretical part and
two to pass the practical part. Both parts must
be completed within 24 months from the first at­
tempt. More information about the test and how
to prepare for it will follow in the beginning of
the autumn. Keep an eye on our website legiti­
mation.socialstyrelsen.se.
Photo: Robert Churchill, Getty Images
Take a course in Swedish laws and regulations
Once you receive a decision from us approving
your proficiency test, you should take a course
in Swedish laws and regulations. In the course
you will learn about the laws and regulations to
which the Swedish healthcare system is subject.
Demonstrate your skills in Swedish
You need to have certified knowledge in Swed­
ish to be able to obtain a Swedish licence. You
can start learning Swedish when you prefer,
but you will need to verify your linguistic skills
with a certificate or grade before you start your
clinical training.
Undergo clinical training
Once you pass the course in Swedish laws and
regulations and submit your certificate confirm­
ing your linguistic skills, you will undergo clini­
cal training. You cannot start the clinical training
before you have received a decision from us to
do so.
Submit your application for a licence
What applies to those already
in the system?
Those who have submitted their application
before 1 July 2016 and have not received
a decision from us
Those who have submitted an application before
1 July 2016 to have their education assessed will
be reviewed based on the system before 1 July
2016. You will then be entered into the new sys­
tem (see steps on the previous page).
Those who have documented clinical special­
ist skills will be given the opportunity to undergo
a trial clinical training period if they qualify. You
can choose to have your education reviewed on
the basis of the new system, instead of undergo­
ing trial clinical training. You will need to con­
tact us if this is what you prefer. You only need
to contact us if you want your application to be
reviewed according to the new system, which
includes a proficiency test, a course in Swedish
laws and regulations and clinical training.
If you have been given a decision from us
The decisions that the National Board of Health
and Welfare took before 1 July 2016 apply. This
means that those who have received a decision
to perform a proficiency test will be entered into
the new system and take the new proficiency
test. A change, contrary to what is stated in your
decision, is that you can take the proficiency
test before you have demonstrated your skills
in Swedish to the National Board of Health and
Welfare. The test is however in Swedish so you
need to be proficient in Swedish in order to pass
the test.
Those who have received a decision to under­
go trial clinical training are able to do so, but
they can also opt to be entered into the new
system instead. To do so, you need to request
a review of your decision. You can do this by
contacting us.
Those who have received a decision to do an
internship (AT) must do so. If you want to under­
go clinical training instead, you first have to take
the new proficiency test. To do so, you need to
New system for applying for a licence to practice for doctors of medicine educated outside the EU and EEA
request a review of your decision. You can do
this by contacting us.
Those who have taken the proficiency test
(TULE) at Karolinska Institutet (KI)
Those who have taken the TULE test at KI once
or twice but have not passed any part of it have
to take the new proficiency test arranged by
Umeå University. You will be given three new
attempts to pass the test.
Those who have taken the TULE test at KI
once or twice and have passed one or more parts
can choose from completing the TULE test at KI
in the autumn of 2016 or to take the new profi­
ciency test.
If you choose to take the new proficiency
test, you will be given three new attempts. If so,
please contact us via post or e-mail. Information
about registration for the new test will be posted
on our website legitimation.socialstyrelsen.se in
early autumn 2016.
Those who would like to complete the TULE
test have the opportunity to take the test on two
separate occasions in the autumn of 2016, one in
September and one in December. Beyond these
two occasions there will be no more opportuni­
ties to take the TULE test. For more information
on dates and registration, go to ki.se/utbildning/
tule-provet. Once the TULE test has been ap­
proved, a course in Swedish laws and regulations
and an internship (AT) follows before you can
apply for a licence to practise.
If you fail to pass the TULE test in autumn
2016 after three attempts you will not be given
the chance to take the new proficiency test.
Those who have taken the TULE test three
times but have not passed it will not be given the
chance to take the new proficiency test.
Contact us
Remember to quote your reference number when
you contact us.
E-mail: socialstyrelsen@socialstyrelsen.se
Telephone: +46 (0)75-247 30 00. Our telephone
hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 9am to 11am.
Post: Socialstyrelsen, SE-106 30 Stock­
holm, Sweden
THE NATIONAL BOARD OF HEALT AND WELFARE – June 2016