Preschool fees in Sweden 2026 (maxtaxa): what you pay, and when it is free
Short answer
From 1 July 2026 you pay for the first child at most 3 percent of the household's fee-based income, but never more than SEK 1,547 a month. For the second child at most SEK 1,031 and for the third at most SEK 516. From the fourth child, preschool is free.
Preschool (förskola) in Sweden costs money, but never more than the maxtaxa, a cap that every municipality uses. On 1 July 2026 the fee went down for every household, and for some it became completely free. Here is what you pay, how to work it out, and what applies if you are new to Sweden.
Your municipality (kommun) works out your fee and decides on your place. We checked the rules on the pages of Skolverket (the Swedish National Agency for Education) on 10 October 2026.
The maxtaxa from 1 July 2026
The fee is a percentage of the household’s fee-based income per month, with a cap in kronor:
| Child | Preschool | After-school centre (fritidshem) |
|---|---|---|
| first child | 3 percent, at most SEK 1,547 | 2 percent, at most SEK 1,031 |
| second child | 2 percent, at most SEK 1,031 | 1 percent, at most SEK 516 |
| third child | 1 percent, at most SEK 516 | 1 percent, at most SEK 516 |
| fourth child and more | no fee | no fee |
You pay the highest fee for the youngest child, and the next highest for the second youngest. If the household pays the highest fee allowed, no other fees may be charged. Meals are included.
The maxtaxa applies to both municipal and independent preschools.
New from 1 July: the first SEK 10,000 no longer counts
From 1 July 2026 the part of the income below SEK 10,001 no longer counts. That means SEK 10,000 is deducted from every household’s fee-based income. Households with an income under SEK 10,001 a month pay no fee at all.
An example for the first child, if the municipality counts the household’s income as SEK 35,000 a month: 35,000 minus 10,000 is 25,000, and 3 percent of that is SEK 750 a month. The highest fee-based income is SEK 51,560. So if the household’s income is at least SEK 61,560 a month, you pay the cap, SEK 1,547.
Your municipality works out the fee. Ask it which incomes count.
From age three: 525 hours free
From the autumn term of the year your child turns three, every child has the right to preschool for at least 525 hours a year, whatever the parents do. This is sometimes called universal preschool (allmän förskola). The fee may then only cover time above 525 hours a year, so it goes down.
How to get a place
- Preschool is for children aged one to six, and it is voluntary.
- Apply to the municipality where you live. If you want an independent preschool, contact that preschool.
- Once you have said you want a place, the municipality must offer preschool within four months. So apply in good time.
- From the age of one, your child should get preschool as much as needed for the parents’ work or studies, or if the child has needs of its own.
- If you are unemployed or on parental leave with another child, your child has the right to at least three hours a day or 15 hours a week.
Want to know when your child can start and when to apply at the latest? Enter your child’s date of birth in our Children tool. It works out the dates and can add a reminder to your calendar.
If you are new to Sweden
- Your child does not need a personnummer. The right to preschool and school does not depend on whether a child has a personnummer or a coordination number.
- The municipality may offer a place without you applying. Before the autumn of the year your child turns three, the municipality must offer a place if the child was born abroad and has lived in Sweden for at most five years, or if the guardians were born abroad and have lived here for at most five years. This applies to children who are registered in Sweden (folkbokförda). The offer must come at the latest three months before the earliest day the child can start, and the municipality keeps the place for one month. You decide whether to take it.
- At preschool your child develops their Swedish, and children with another mother tongue should also be able to develop it.
Summary
- At most SEK 1,547 a month for the first child, 1,031 for the second and 516 for the third. From the fourth child, preschool is free.
- From 1 July 2026 the first SEK 10,000 of income no longer counts, and households under SEK 10,001 pay nothing.
- From the autumn of the year your child turns three, 525 hours a year are free.
- The municipality must offer a place within four months of your application.
- Your child does not need a personnummer.
Sources
- Skolverket: Statsbidrag för maxtaxa 2026 (in Swedish)
- Skolverket: Avgifter (in Swedish)
- Skolverket: Rätt till förskola (in Swedish)
- Skolverket: Nyanlända elevers utbildning (in Swedish)
The app for SFI and Swedish
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum preschool fee (maxtaxa) in 2026?
From 1 July 2026 you pay for the first child at most 3 percent of the household's fee-based income, but never more than SEK 1,547 a month. For the second child at most SEK 1,031 and for the third at most SEK 516. From the fourth child, preschool is free.
When is preschool free?
Households with an income under SEK 10,001 a month pay no fee from 1 July 2026. From the autumn term of the year your child turns three, 525 hours a year are free, and from the fourth child you pay nothing.
Does my child need a personnummer to get a preschool place?
No. According to Skolverket, the right to education does not depend on whether a child has a personnummer or a coordination number (samordningsnummer).
How quickly must the municipality arrange a place?
Once you have said you want a place, the municipality must offer preschool within four months. Apply to the municipality where you live.