Step 3: Pay and send in the application

The processing time varies depending on the specialty and takes 2–4 weeks if you have submitted a complete application. The processing time may increase with a large influx of applications and on major weekends.

If you have received a licence to practise as a doctor of medicine prior to 1 June 2015, you can apply according to the 2015 Regulations SOSFS 2015:8 – descriptions of the learning objectives (in Swedish). In order for you to be able to do this, all of the requirements in the 2015 description of learning objectives for the specialty must be fulfilled. An application is to always be made based on the certificates belonging to the rules in the Regulations that you follow with when applying. If you have certificates belonging to previous Regulations, the principal internship supervisor is to transfer the information from the previous certificate and indicate the intermediate learning objective(s) of the 2015 description of learning objectives which the training activity relates to.

Not everyone will be covered by the new system immediately. Doctors in the following groups will still be able to obtain certificates of specialist expertise in accordance with the old rules when the new rules have come into force (which includes the 2015 descriptions of learning objectives, with a minimum period of 5 years and no BT foundation period (BT)):

• doctors who have completed Swedish medical internships (AT)
• doctors who have started but not completed a doctors’ medical specialty training residency (ST) before 1 July 2021.

As of 1 July 2021, only these two groups will be able to have their applications for certificates of specialist expertise examined in accordance with the old rules. This is regulated in the transitional provisions to the Patient Safety Regulation (in Swedish).

If you have received your licence to practise after 1 May 2015, you must apply for a Certificate of specialist expertise according to SOSFS 2015:8. An application according to SOSFS 2015:8 must always be made based on the SOSFS certificates belonging to those regulations.

SOSFS 2015:8 – descriptions of the learning objectives (In Swedish)

The application must contain the following documents as originals:

• Application form filled in with all of the relevant information
  Application form for Certificate of specialist expertise
• Certificate of expertise obtained according to the description of learning objectives for doctors’ medical specialty training (ST)
  Form for Certificate of expertise obtained according to the description of learning objectives for doctors’ medical specialty training (ST)
• Certificate of auscultation training
  Form for Certificate of completed academic studies /training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements for auscultation
• Certificate of supervised clinical training
  Form for Certificate of completed academic studies/training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements with regard to supervised clinical training
• Certificate for courses
  Form for Certificate of completed academic studies and training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements concerning courses
• Certificate of quality and development work
  Form for Certificate of completed academic studies/training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements concerning quality and development work
• Certificate of independent written work according to scientific principles
  Form for Certificate of completed academic studies/training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements for independent written work according to scientific principles
• Certificate of attainment with the expertise requirements for specialist physicians from third countries
  Form for Certificate of attainment of the expertise requirements for specialist physicians from third countries
• Certificate of attainment of the expertise requirements for specialist physicians from third-countries with regard to the specialist expertise achieved
  Form for Certificate of attainment of the expertise requirements for specialist physicians from third countries with regard to specialist expertise obtained

To learn more about the various Certificates and how to fill them out, you can read more about this in the document instructions.

Instructions for the Application for Certificate specialist expertise for doctors with a licence to practise in accordance with SOSFS 2015:8 (In Swedish)

APPLICATION for a certificate of approved basic training

This is where you enter your personal data, contact details, place of work and the date when you graduated with a medical degree. You also indicate whether you have previously received a Swedish or foreign licence or certificate of eligibility.

The list of attached certificates is filled in if you wish to clarify your application by numbering the attachments. The form must then be signed by the applicant.

Application for a certificate of approved basic training (PDF)

CERTIFICATE relating to intermediate objectives of basic training

Fill in the applicant’s name and personal identity number. The certificate must indicate the intermediate objectives to which the certificate refers (e.g. BT1, BT2) and the training activities completed in order to achieve the intermediate objectives. If the certificate relates to a number of intermediate objectives, the certificate must describe which training activities relate to which intermediate objectives. The certificate must also include a description of how your achievement of intermediate objectives (e.g. clinical care assessments or course examinations) was verified. If the certificate relates to a number of intermediate objectives, the certificate must describe which checks relate to which intermediate objectives.The certificate must be filled in and signed by the supervisor who has assessed your achievement of the intermediate objectives to which the certificate relates.

Certificate relating to intermediate objectives of basic training (PDF)

CERTIFICATE of completion of basic training

Enter the applicant’s name and personal identity number.Enter the training location, period and extent of the basic training. The certificate must also indicate which part was/which parts were completed in primary care and emergency care. The certificate must be filled in and signed by the Head of Department in charge or equivalent.

Certificate of completion of basic training (PDF)

CERTIFICATE of basic expertise

Fill in the applicant’s name and personal identity number.The certificate must be filled in and signed by the principal supervisor and an external assessor. The doctor holding a certificate of specialist expertise in accordance with older regulations is exempt from the requirement for an external assessor to make an overall assessment of whether he or she meets the expertise requirements in the description of learning objectives for basic training. The certificate of basic expertise then only needs to be signed by the principal supervisor.

Certificate of basic expertise (PDF)

APPLICATION for a certificate of specialist expertise

This is where you enter the specialist expertise to which the application relates, your personal data, contact details, place of work and the date when you graduated with a medical degree. You also indicate whether you have previously received a Swedish or foreign licence or certificate of specialist expertise, as well as the date of the certificate of approved basic training. The list of attached certificates and other documentation is filled in if you wish to clarify your application by numbering the attachments. The date on which the fee is paid must also be filled in. The form must then be signed by the applicant.

Application for a certificate of specialist expertise (PDF)

CERTIFICATE of completion of doctors’ medical specialty training residency

Enter the specialty to which the application relates and the applicant’s name and personal identity number.

It is important for the length of training for your ST to be stated clearly in the training record. Holidays and compensation for on-call periods may be credited to the training. Parental leave may not be credited.

If you wish to credit previous training, this must be indicated in your training record. You must indicate in your application both the training you wish to be credited and the training completed during your current medical specialty training residency. This also applies to any foreign training that you wish to be credited. It must be clearly stated that your ST has involved at least 60 months of clinical medical training under supervision. The Head of Department in charge or equivalent must issue the certificate.

Certificate of completion of doctors’ medical specialty training residency (PDF)

CERTIFICATE of specialist expertise

Enter the specialty to which the application relates and the applicant’s name and personal identity number.

The principal supervisor and the specialised doctors of medicine appointed in addition to the supervisor to conduct the overall assessment must sign the certificate. Both must be in possession of specialist expertise in the specialty in question.

Certificate of specialist expertise (PDF)

CERTIFICATE of training activity completed and expertise requirements met – auscultation

Fill in the applicant’s name and personal identity number, the specialty to which the application relates, the training location, the period of the auscultation and a description of the auscultation. The supervisor responsible for the auscultation in question fills in the intermediate objective(s) in the description of learning objectives to which the certificate relates. Please note that the auscultation training activity can only be credited in the designated intermediate objective when the follow-up box for auscultation is filled in.

Certificate of training activity completed and expertise requirements met – auscultation (PDF)

CERTIFICATE of training activity completed and expertise requirements met – supervised clinical training

All training that you wish to be credited for achievement of intermediate objectives must be reported on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate of training activity completed and expertise requirements met for supervised clinical training.

Fill in the applicant’s name and personal identity number, the specialty to which the application relates, the training location and period of clinical training, and a description of the clinical training. The supervisor responsible for the training in question fills in the intermediate objective(s) in the description of learning objectives to which the certificate relates and signs the certificate. The supervisor for the training in question must have the relevant specialist expertise and must have completed supervisor training.

Foreign training must be reported both on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate of training and on a certificate from the Head of Department or equivalent in the country in which training was completed. Your principal supervisor must then sign the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate and indicate the intermediate objective(s) in the description of learning objectives to which the training relates. You must attach a certified copy of the certificate or diploma that you received from your foreign training to the certificate of training issued by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. This certificate must include a description of the content and scope of the training and must state that the training has been carried out under supervision.

Certificate of training activity completed and expertise requirements met – supervised clinical training (PDF)

CERTIFICATE of training activity completed and expertise requirements met – course

All courses that you wish to be credited in your doctors’ medical specialty training residency must be reported on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate of training activity completed and expertise requirements met for the course.

Fill in the applicant’s name and personal identity number, the specialty to which the application relates, the subject of the course and a description of the course. The course leader or supervisor fills in the intermediate objective(s) in the description of learning objectives to which the certificate relates and signs the certificate.

If you have taken a foreign course as a ST doctor, this must be reported both on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s course certificate and through the foreign course certificate. Your principal supervisor must then sign the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate and indicate the intermediate objective(s) in the description of learning objectives to which the course relates. You must attach a certified copy of the course certificate or diploma that you received from the foreign course to the course certificate issued by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.

Certificate of training activity completed and expertise requirements met – course (PDF)

CERTIFICATE of training activity completed and expertise requirements met – participation in development work

Fill in the applicant’s name and personal identity number, the specialty to which the application relates, the course in the form of a heading and a description of the applicant’s participation in the work.

The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare has no specific requirements for the subject of the work, nor does it define any requirements for the scope of the work.

The supervisor for the quality and development work fills in and signs the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate of training activity completed and expertise requirements met for the eligible quality and development work. The supervisor must have specialist expertise in the field to which the work relates or in the intended specialty and have completed supervisor training.

Certificate of training activity completed and expertise requirements met – participation in development work (PDF)

CERTIFICATE of intermediate objective Sta3 – Medical science

Fill in the applicant’s name and personal identity number, the specialty to which the application relates and a description of the training activity (activities) undertaken by the applicant in order to achieve the intermediate objective. The certificate must also describe how the applicant’s achievement of the intermediate objective has been verified.

The supervisor who has assessed that the applicant has achieved the intermediate objective must fill in and sign the certificate. The supervisor must have specialist expertise in the field to which the work relates or in the intended specialty and have completed supervisor training.

Certificate of intermediate objective Sta3 – Medical science (PDF)

CERTIFICATE of intermediate objectives for specialised doctors of medicine from a third country

During the doctors’ medical specialty training residency period in Sweden, the supervisor must verify that the expertise of the specialist from a third country corresponds to the expertise required for the certificate of specialist expertise in Sweden. This certificate must include a description of the training activities undertaken by the applicant in order to achieve the intermediate objectives and how this has been verified. This verification applies to both real and formal expertise, and referring to the foreign training or the foreign medical specialty training residency will not suffice.

Fill in the applicant’s name and personal identity number and the specialty to which the application relates. The certificate may relate to one or more intermediate objectives, in which case it must describe the training activities and which checks relate to which intermediate objectives.

The principal supervisor must sign the certificate. The supervisor must be in possession of specialist expertise in the specialty in question.

Please note that the training activities completed during the doctors’ medical specialty training residency period in Sweden must always be reported on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate for each training activity.

Certificate of intermediate objectives for specialised doctors of medicine from a third country (PDF)

Application form

Application form for Certificate of specialist expertise

CERTIFICATE of specialist expertise achieved

Fill in the speciality which the application relates to, and the applicant’s name and Swedish personal identity number. The principal supervisor and the administrative director must sign the certificate. The internship supervisor must be specialist in the intended specialty. If the administrative director is not a specialist in the intended speciality, he or she is to delegate the responsibilities to a person who has specialist expertise in the intended speciality, however this cannot be delegated to the principal internship supervisor. In the event of such delegation, the certificate must be signed by three persons: the administrative director, the person the administrative director delegated to and the principal internship supervisor. The administrative director and the principal internship supervisor must certify the acquired specialist expertise after consultation with the Director of studies. The Director of studies' name and place of clinical training must be indicated on the certificate, however the director of studies does not need to personally sign the certificate.

Form for Certificate of expertise obtained according to the description of learning objectives for doctors’ medical specialty training (ST)

CERTIFICATE of completed clinical training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements – supervised clinical training

All clinical training that you desire to be given credit for the fulfilment of an intermediate learning objective is to be presented on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate of completed academic studies/training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements for clinical training taking place under supervision. Fill in the speciality which the application relates to, the place where the clinical training was performed and the period of clinical training, as well as a description of the clinical training. The internship supervisor responsible for the relevant clinical training fills in which intermediate learning objective(s) in the description of learning objectives to which the certificate relates and signs the certificate. The internship supervisor for the relevant clinical position must have relevant specialist expertise and must have completed medical intern supervisor training. Clinical training completed abroad must be reported both on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate of clinical training and on a certification from the administrative director (or a person in the equivalent position) in the country where the clinical training was performed. Your principal internship supervisor must then sign the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate and indicate which intermediate learning objective(s) in the description of learning objectives the clinical training relates to. You must attach a certified copy of the certificate or diploma that you received from the internship conducted abroad to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s course certificate. The certificate must contain a description of the contents and scope of the clinical training and the certificate is to state that the clinical training has been conducted under supervision.

Form for Certificate of completed academic studies/training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements with regard to supervised clinical training

CERTIFICATE of completed academic studies/training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements – Auscultation

Fill in the speciality which the application relates to, place where the clinical training was performed, period of auscultation, and a description of the auscultation training. The responsible internship supervisor for the relevant auscultation fills in which intermediate learning objective(s) in the description of learning objectives which the certificate relates to. Note that the credit for auscultation training activity can only be given in the intended intermediate learning objective when the follow-up box is filled in for auscultation.

Form for Certificate of completed academic studies /training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements for auscultation

CERTIFICATE of completed academic studies/training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements – Course

All courses that you desire to be given credit for in your doctors’ medical specialty training is to be presented on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate of completed academic studies/training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements for the course. Fill in the speciality which the application relates to, the subject of the course, the course leader’s name, the period of the course and description of the course content. The course coordinator or internship supervisor fills in which intermediate learning objective(s) in the description of learning objectives which the certificate relates to and signs the certificate. If you as a resident doctor have taken and passed a course abroad, this is to be reported both on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s course certificate and via the course certificate from the course taken abroad. Your principal internship supervisor must then sign the Certificate of the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare and indicate which intermediate learning objective(s) in the description of learning objectives the course relates to. You must attach a certified copy of the course certificate or diploma that you received from the course taken abroad to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s course certificate.

Form for Certificate of completed academic studies and training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements concerning courses

CERTIFICATE of completed academic studies and fulfilled expertise requirements – Independent written work according to scientific principles

Fill in the speciality which the application relates to, the subject in title format, and a brief description of the paper. It is important that the contents and format of the paper are clearly indicated in the certificate. If you have written the paper together with another colleague, it will also need to be clarified what your own work in the paper was. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare does not have any specific requirements concerning the subject or discipline for the paper and does not impose any requirements on the scope of the paper. The written individual paper should have a basic scientific/scholarly form, however other than this, it is primarily up to the internship supervisor and administrative director to decide what is required to achieve the relevant intermediate learning objective. Papers written before the doctors’ medical specialty training can be reported provided that the administrative director and internship supervisor approve the work.

There is no requirement that you must submit the written paper or parts of it together with the application. However, a medical expert or external assessor may desire to obtain copies of the material for review and in these cases. you will be notified by the case officer responsible for your case/file. There is nothing to prevent you from attaching an abstract or a summary to the application. It is the internship supervisor of the written work who completes and signs the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate of completed training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements for independent written work according to scientific principles. The internship supervisor must have specialist expertise in the field which the work relates to and have completed medical intern supervisor training. Please note that the Regulation does not require that the internship supervisor for the written work must have a specific scientific degree.

Form for Certificate of completed academic studies/training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements for independent written work according to scientific principles

CERTIFICATE of completed academic studies and fulfilled expertise requirements – Quality and development work

Fill in the speciality which the application relates to, the subject in title format, and a brief description of the paper. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare does not have any specific requirements on the subject or discipline for the paper and does not impose any requirements on the scope of the paper. It is the internship supervisor of the quality and development work who completes and signs the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate of completed academic studies and fulfilled expertise requirements for quality and development work. The internship supervisor must have specialist expertise in the field which the work relates go and have completed medical intern supervisor training.

Form for Certificate of completed academic studies/training activity and fulfilled expertise requirements concerning quality and development work

CERTIFICATE of attainment of the expertise requirements for specialist physicians from third-countries (Appendix 8a)

During the doctors’ medical specialty training in Sweden, the administrative director and internship supervisor must check that the expertise of the third-country specialist corresponds to the expertise required for a certificate of specialist expertise in Sweden. This must be certified on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s Certificate of compliance with expertise requirements for specialist physicians from third countries. The certificate must contain a detailed description of how the internship supervisor and administrative director have verified that the relevant intermediate learning objectives are fulfilled. This verification concerns both real and formal expertise and it is not sufficient to refer to the internship done abroad or doctors’ medical specialty training done abroad.

Fill in the speciality which the application relates to, the location(s) where the clinical training was performed and the period of each respective clinical training. The administrative director and the principal internship supervisor are to then describe how it has been verified that all expertise requirements in the intermediate learning objective(s) have been fulfilled. This specification can be done, for example, by specifying methods used for the assessment. The certificate may relate to one or more intermediate learning objectives and, if so, a detailed description must be made separately for each of the intermediate learning objectives which the certificate relates to. The principal supervisor and the administrative director must sign the certificate. The internship supervisor must be specialist in the intended specialty. If the administrative director is not a specialist in the intended speciality, he or she is to delegate the responsibilities to a person who has specialist expertise in the intended speciality, however this cannot be delegated to the principal internship supervisor. In the event of such delegation, the certificate must be signed by three persons: the administrative director, the person the administrative director delegated to and the principal internship supervisor. Please note that the educational activities completed during the doctors’ medical specialty training in Sweden must always be reported on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s certificate for each educational activity.

Form for Certificate of attainment of the expertise requirements for specialist physicians from third countries

CERTIFICATE of attainment of the expertise requirements for specialist physicians from third countries — Specialist expertise achieved (Appendix 8b)

This certificate corresponds to the certificate of specialist expertise achieved (Appendix 2). The principal supervisor and the administrative director must sign the certificate. The internship supervisor must be specialist in the intended specialty. If the administrative director is not a specialist in the intended speciality, he or she is to delegate the responsibilities to a person who has specialist expertise in the intended speciality, however this cannot be delegated to the principal internship supervisor. In the event of such delegation, the certificate must be signed by three persons: the administrative director, the person the administrative director delegated to and the principal internship supervisor. The administrative director and the principal internship supervisor must certify the achieved specialist expertise after consultation with the Director of studies. The name of the director of studies and place of the clinical training must be indicated on the certificate, however the director of studies does not need to personally sign the certificate.

Form for Certificate of attainment of the expertise requirements for specialist physicians from third countries with regard to specialist expertise obtained

Yes. But if you do your specialty training part-time, the length of the clinical training is to be extended so that the total time corresponds to full-time work for a minimum of five years.