Forged assistant-nurse certificate triggers nationwide checks

Nearly half of the 167 Swedish municipalities that answered a national survey have changed or plan to change how they check assistant-nurse credentials after a forged certificate was found in Norberg's eldercare service.

P4 Västmanland found that municipalities nationwide are reviewing their routines. Fagersta is checking every employee working as an assistant nurse, while Radio Sweden reported that Degerfors sent staff certificates to Socialstyrelsen for confirmation. The title has been protected since July 2023.

For internationally trained care workers, the official application route requires education records, course descriptions and proof of Swedish, Danish or Norwegian. EU, EEA and Swiss applicants with an existing professional authorisation must also provide a certificate of good standing. Documents must be in their original language and translated into Swedish or English.

Training from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland can require Swedish practical service. Someone with less than three months' experience in Sweden may be assigned six months; at least three months can reduce that to three, while one year can remove the requirement. The application costs SEK 360.

A rejected applicant may still work in care, but cannot use the assistant-nurse title or act as a fixed care contact. Employers can check approved title holders through Socialstyrelsen's HOSP register. Workers permanently employed under the title on 1 July 2023 may keep using it without a certificate until 30 June 2033.

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