With a Master of Science in Dental Surgery from another EU country or from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland
you have the right to establish yourself as either self-employed or an employee. If your degree is from an EU country (other than Sweden or from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland) the EU directive (2005/36/EC) requires member states to recognize the professional qualifications of other member states.
In simple terms, if you have a Master of Science in Dental Surgery from any of the above countries and want to work in Sweden, it is easy to obtain a Swedish dentist license. We recommend anyone planning to earn a Master of Science in Dental Surgery in a different EU country or in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland to make sure that the study program leads to a "full qualification" in the country you are studying in. Full qualification means that you are allowed to work as a fully qualified dentist in the country in which you are studying. This information can be obtained from the school.
Apply for a license as follows:
In Sweden, licenses are issued by the National Board of Health and Welfare. In order to process your application, the National Board of Health and Welfare needs you to submit the following documentation:
- Application form (completely filled in)
- Civic registration certificate (extract from the Swedish population register)
- Attested copy of Master of Science in Dental Surgery diploma + translation Attested copy of qualified status certificate + translation (only applies to applicants from Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, the CzechRepublic as well as any other Nordic country)
- European certificate on actual professional qualification + translation (does not apply to applicants from another Nordic country)
Complete information on what the National Board of Health and Welfare requires for each point can be found at their website.
It does not cost anything to apply for a license. In order to work as a dentist in Sweden, you must be proficient in Swedish and knowledgeable of Swedish regulations. Read more about this on the National Board of Health and Welfare's website (Socialstyrelsen).
If you have a Master of Science in Dental Surgery from a country other than an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland
- Start by applying to the National Board of Health and Welfare to have your foreign education assessed.
- Pass a Swedish proficiency test.
- Pass a relevant knowledge test. Pass a test on policy and regulations in dental services.
- Serve a practical internship. Once all of five steps have been completed, you can submit a formal license application.
More information on each step can be found on the National Board of Health and Welfare's website (Socialstyrelsen).