If you're a dentist with a degree from outside the EU/EES and Switzerland, there's a second path to your Swedish dental license that a lot of people don't know about. Or they've heard of it but don't really understand how it works. It's called Kompletterande utbildning för tandläkare, or KUT for short. It's a one year university program that leads straight to your Swedish license, and it's offered at three places: Malmö universitet, Göteborgs universitet, and Karolinska Institutet.
This guide walks through all of it. What the program actually is, who can apply, how the selection works, what you study, and how it compares to the standard kunskapsprov route.
What is the KUT program?
KUT is a 1 year, 60 higher education credits (60 hp) program at the advanced level (avancerad nivå). It's full time, on campus, 100% dagtid, and it runs in Swedish. The official long name is:
Kompletterande utbildning för tandläkare med utländsk examen från land utanför EU/EES och Schweiz
Which translates roughly to complementary education for dentists with a foreign degree from a country outside the EU/EES and Switzerland.
At Malmö University, the program is run by the Odontologiska fakulteten, the Faculty of Dentistry, and the next intake runs from January 19 to December 20, 2026. Gothenburg and Karolinska run their own parallel versions with slightly different details, but the purpose is the same.
The stated goal, straight from the program description, is that students:
demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and professional qualities required for dentistry in Sweden
And, crucially, graduates can then apply for Swedish dental licensure (legitimation) directly from Socialstyrelsen, without having to pass the kunskapsprov.
Who is it for?
The program is built for one specific group. Dentists educated outside the EU/EES and Switzerland who want to practice in Sweden. To be eligible, you need three things:
- A completed dentistry degree from a country outside the EU/EES and Switzerland.
- A decision from Socialstyrelsen about knowledge assessment for dentists (beslut från Socialstyrelsen om kunskapsprov för tandläkare). The decision must be no older than 5 years.
- Swedish language proficiency at the level of Svenska B or Svenska 3, with at least a pass grade (godkänd/E).
That Swedish requirement is not trivial. Svenska 3 is roughly upper secondary level, and most applicants get there through SFI and then SAS (Svenska som andraspråk) courses. If you're still early in your Swedish journey, this is where most of your prep time is going to go.
The application process, step by step
Applications go through Antagning.se, Sweden's central university admissions portal.
Key dates for the 2026 intake:
- August 15 to September 15, application window open on Antagning.se
- September 29, final deadline for submitting all supporting documents
- November 5, practical test and patient case evaluation for the top 40 candidates
- November 19 to 21, interviews with the top 24 candidates
- January 19, 2026, program starts
What you need to submit:
- Full dentistry degree credentials, meaning transcripts and your degree certificate
- The Socialstyrelsen decision on your knowledge assessment, no older than 5 years
- Swedish language certification
- The program's merit documentation form
- Proof of tuition fee payment, if it applies to you
If you're applying from a non-EU/EES country, you're subject to application and tuition fees. Questions about fees go to tuitionfees@mau.se at Malmö, and administrative questions go to studadm.od@mau.se.
How selection actually works
This is where KUT is different from most Swedish university programs. There are far more applicants than seats, so the selection is a three stage competition, not a simple GPA ranking.
Stage 1, theoretical knowledge ranking
All eligible applicants are ranked based on their theoretical kunskapsprov score from Karolinska Institutet. Your result must be no older than 5 years. Note that you don't need to have passed the exam, you need to have taken it and have a valid scored result.
This filter matters. The higher you scored on the theoretical kunskapsprov, the better your chance of making it into the next round. If you're preparing for the kunskapsprov, this is another reason to take it seriously. Your score is your entry ticket to KUT. For a deeper look at what that exam is like, have a read of our complete guide to the Swedish dental licensing process and our tips for passing the kunskapsprov.
Stage 2, practical test and patient case (top 40)
The 40 highest ranked applicants are invited to a practical test and patient case evaluation, held on November 5 for the 2026 intake.
- Practical skills, scored up to 3 points
- Patient case analysis, scored up to 6 points
Stage 3, interview (top 24)
The top 24 from stage 2 are invited to an interview on November 19 to 21, worth up to 12 points.
Final merit score
The maximum combined score is 21 points (3 + 6 + 12). The highest scoring candidates are admitted. In practice, that means you need to be strong across the board. There's no single golden ticket area that gets you in on its own.
What you actually study
The 60 credits are split into two 30 credit courses, one per semester:
Spring 2026, term 1 Odontologi: Kompletterande utbildning för tandläkare I, course code TV650A, 30 hp
Fall 2026, term 2 Odontologi: Kompletterande utbildning för tandläkare II, course code TV651A, 30 hp
The curriculum covers the full breadth of Swedish dentistry. Clinical cariology, endodontics, periodontology, prosthetics, oral surgery, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, gerodontology, oral diagnostics, radiology, pharmacology for dentists, and, importantly, Swedish healthcare law and regulations. It's designed to close the gap between your existing training and what the Swedish system expects of a licensed dentist.
The program is delivered jointly by the Odontologiska fakulteten at Malmö University, Göteborgs universitet, and Karolinska Institutet. The three institutions that train dentists in Sweden. You get supervised clinical practice as part of the program, so you graduate ready to work, not just ready to take another exam.
KUT vs. the kunskapsprov path, which one?
This is the question most people want answered. Both paths lead to the same Swedish dental license. Here's the honest comparison.
The kunskapsprov path
- Flexible timing, you register and sit exams when you're ready
- Cheaper, no tuition fees
- Slower in practice, most people take 1 to 3 years to clear both parts, often longer
- Limited attempts, 5 theoretical, 3 practical, and 5 years from your first attempt
- Self directed, you study on your own or with prep material
For a full breakdown of how the five licensing steps work, see our non-EU/EEA licensing guide.
The KUT path
- Fixed 1 year timeline, structured and predictable
- Tuition fees apply for non-EU/EES applicants
- Highly competitive, limited seats, multi stage selection
- Still requires a kunskapsprov score to apply
- Guided clinical training built into the program
- No additional exam after the program, you apply for your license directly
Who should choose KUT?
KUT makes the most sense if:
- You've already sat the theoretical kunskapsprov and scored well, but the practical exam is a bottleneck
- You want a structured, guided path rather than self study
- You thrive in academic environments and want formal credentials from a Swedish university
- You already have Svenska 3 or the equivalent
Who should stick with kunskapsprov?
The kunskapsprov path makes more sense if:
- You want the fastest, cheapest route
- You prefer self paced study
- You're already working as a dental assistant or tandsköterska and can't commit to a full time 1 year program
- You're not confident you'll land in the top 24 applicants for KUT
For a lot of dentists, the smart play is to prepare thoroughly for the theoretical kunskapsprov first. A strong score gives you the kunskapsprov path AND makes you a competitive KUT applicant. You're not choosing one or the other at the start, you're keeping both doors open.
A realistic view of life during the program
A full time 1 year advanced dental program is intense. The days are long, the clinical rotations are demanding, and it's all happening in Swedish. Most students don't work during the program, or only work very part time.
You also need to plan for the money side. Tuition, living costs in Malmö, Gothenburg, or Stockholm, and the general cost of being a student in Sweden add up fast. CSN, the Swedish student finance system, may be available depending on your residency status. Worth checking early.
If you want a fuller picture of what daily life and work actually feel like for international dentists in Sweden, the culture, the salaries, the social side, have a look at what to actually expect moving to Sweden as a dentist and working as a dentist in Sweden when you're from outside the EU.
After graduation, getting your license
Once you finish KUT with passing grades, you apply directly to Socialstyrelsen for your legitimation, the Swedish dental license. You do not need to sit the kunskapsprov. You still need to demonstrate C1 level Swedish and finish any remaining administrative steps, but the hardest substantive hurdle is already behind you.
From there, you're a fully licensed Swedish dentist. You can apply to Folktandvården, the public dental service, join a private clinic, specialize further, or eventually run your own practice.
The bottom line
KUT is a real, viable, and in some cases faster route to practicing dentistry in Sweden. It's not easier than the kunskapsprov path. The competition is stiff and your theoretical score still matters a lot. But it gives you structure, clinical supervision, and a direct line to your license.
If you're serious about either path, the single most important thing you can do right now is prepare thoroughly for the theoretical kunskapsprov. Your score is the foundation for everything that follows, whether you go the self study route to your license, or use that score as your ticket into a KUT program.
Diso gives you access to every previous kunskapsprov question with detailed explanations, timed exam simulations, and progress tracking across all 15 dental subject areas. Whether you're aiming for a self study license or a top 24 KUT spot, a high score is how you get there.