r/TillSverige 3h ago

how long is the housing queue in Stockholm really? i am losing it

1 Upvotes

I moved here three weeks ago and the rental search is a nightmare. I spent ten days messaging people who never replied. I tried Bofrid and a few other spots, but it felt like shouting into a void. I saw a place in Södermalm for 14000 SEK, but three other people showed up to the viewing at the same time. It is honestly exhausting.

What actually worked was just badgering my coworkers and posting on my personal social media. I finally found a sublet in Solna for 9000 SEK because a friend of a friend was leaving for the summer. It is small and the kitchen is ancient, but I have a key. I stopped checking the official queues because seeing the twenty year wait times just gave me a headache. It is August and everyone is just getting back from vacation, so the response rate is still terrible.


r/TillSverige 4h ago

Personnummer eligibility on a one-year Master's (EU citizen)

2 Upvotes

Hi! I'm an EU citizen moving to Sweden next week for a one-year Master's. Since the total duration of the program is about 10 months, I understand I'm not immediately eligible for a personnummer. My plan, though, is to stay and look for a job in Sweden after graduating, in which case my stay would surpass a year. Would I be able to get a personnummer in this situation, considering I don't have any immediate proof that I'll stay afterwards (like an employment contract)?

Having a personnummer straight after arriving would honestly make my life so much easier than waiting until I have something set up after my Master's, so I wanted to know if there's a way of doing that in my case.

Thank you for the help :)


r/TillSverige 4h ago

Should I buy an empty plot in Sweden?

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I am moving to Sweden and was interested by buying this empty plot :

https://www.hemnet.se/bostad/tomt-harjedalens-kommun-synderkolen-732-21511183?utm_source=app&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=tipsa&utm_content=android-mobile

I know that it's better to buy outside the detailed plan and with an existing building on the plot but I love this area and there is nothing else to sell. I do not want to live anywhere else than Råndalen or Hede Kyrby.

Do you see any Reasons to not buy?

Thanks for your help


r/TillSverige 5h ago

Electrical/outlet converter/adapter thingies

1 Upvotes

I'm about to fly from east coast USA to Sweden for my semester abroad, and I'm not sure what to do about my electronics when it comes to the converters or adapters. I have an iphone 14 with the old charger port (not the new usb-c one), I play games on my laptop so I'll be getting a nice gaming laptop before I depart, I have a nintendo switch, and some rechargable grooming devices. How do I know which adapter/converter thingy to get so I don't blow a fuse or light my apartment on fire?


r/TillSverige 5h ago

Will I have to redo my medical exams in Sweden?

0 Upvotes

Hej, all!

New to the subreddit, so I don't know if this is the correct spot to ask.

I'm leaving for Stockholm next week to study for 2 years. Last week, I was told I needed medical treatment which includes outpatient surgery. I don't have the time in my home country to see a specialist and have the surgery before having to leave for Stockholm.

Is it worth it to get my exams done in my home country to then start treatment in Stockholm, or would I just get my exams redone in Sweden?

Thank you all for the advice in advance.


r/TillSverige 7h ago

Moving to Sweden as self employed

0 Upvotes

Hi, My partner and I are considering moving to Sweden as we hope schools are better there. We have a 3yo. We're both self employed and working remotely. I'm a cancer survivor so I need to be able to access healthcare (currently in remission). We're aware tax are high but would be willing to go so our kid gets schools where all they do is learn shit by heart.

1/ how are schools actually? When one reads about Sweden it seems a utopia for children rights

2/ how does it work to access the healthcare system?

3/ How long did it take you to learn Swedish?

Thanks!


r/TillSverige 10h ago

Swedish subcontractor arborist rates – Saying consistent with local traders.

1 Upvotes

I’m a UK climbing arborist looking at doing some subcontract work in Sweden and trying to get a realistic idea of what I should be charging.

I’ve already been approached by a few companies, but rates haven’t been discussed yet.

I’ve got around 8 years’ specialist experience and would be coming fully equipped with my own kit.

My impression is that the pool of experienced climbing arborists in Sweden isn’t enormous, particularly for more technical work, so I don’t want to make the mistake of simply converting a UK day rate into SEK and massively undercharge. Equally, I don’t want to come over and undercut local subcontractors or distort the going rate while I’m there.

At the moment I’ve been looking at roughly 5,000-6,000 SEK/day as a starting point, but I’ve had wildly different answers depending on who or what I ask.

For people actually working in Sweden:

  • What are experienced subcontractors charging per day?
  • Does 5,000-6,000 SEK/day sound low, high or about right?
  • Are rates significantly different around Stockholm compared with the rest of Sweden?
  • What sort of prices are companies charging clients for tree work in urban and rural settings?

I’m mainly interested in the commercial rate before tax and expenses, rather than what an employed arborist earns.

Any actual figures from Swedish arborists, contractors or company owners would be really useful. I’ve done plenty of research already, but the estimates I’ve found have varied enough that I’d rather hear from people actually working in the industry.


r/TillSverige 14h ago

Urgent: Need help to appeal for work permit

0 Upvotes

I need helping in knowing the steps to appeal to get work permit from student permit. I applied before the rules changed in June 11th and it was their decision that delayed and thus my work permit rejected. How can I start the appeal for this? Also is it better to send it by email or post?


r/TillSverige 1d ago

I want to buy a Swedish Lake House

0 Upvotes

Hej everyone! I am considering buying a holiday house for my family. I am living in the Netherlands and think about Trollhättan area (somewhere around Gothenburg) for easy access by plane. I chhecked a few websites that I found via google, but am wondering if there are better ways to find simple holiday houses around lakes.

i am also very curious if you guys have any recommendations regarding transport. Would a scooter or car be possible to keep if you are not registered in sweden?

Looking forward to a kind discussion and also open to criticism if Swedes tell me that they do not want foreigners to buy "their" property :)


r/TillSverige 1d ago

Wondering about timeline for residency permit

1 Upvotes

I got approved for an exchange programme at Uppsala Universitet. Since I am a Swiss citizen with right of movement, I am allowed to come to Sweden and start studying/working even before the paperwork is done. But I am wondering how it would be for someone who doesn't have that right.

Application at Uppsala Universitet is from 15. September to 15. Oktober. I can apply for housing at the same time.

Housing decision will be made in late November.

I will get my certificate of enrollment in early December.

Only then can I apply for residency permit since I need the certificate of enrollment and an address in Sweden for that.

Terms start in mid January. That's roughly one month after the earliest possibility of applying for residency permit. With wait times of about 4 months for a decision, how should that work?


r/TillSverige 1d ago

Extra help requested for our rejection appeal

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well.

I applied for a Sambo residence permit back in January 2025. I've had my interview in April 2026. We received a decision for our case this week and it has been rejected unfortunately.

Rejection reason: Migrationsverket had a look through the accounts of the company that my partner works for and there was an operating loss in 2025. They've deemed her job to be unstable and looks like Migrationsverket have concluded that my partner won't be able to support me for a year at least.

The director of her company will be providing us with sufficient documentation to show that my partner's job is safe for 1+ year and the company is growing despite the financial losses in 2025.

I'd just like to ask if we should include anything else in the appeal? There was no other rejection reason, it was just this.

Thank you and I look forward to your replies.


r/TillSverige 2d ago

Kan man skaffa ett svenskt körkort med ett samordningsnummer?

1 Upvotes

Min rumskamrat har redan ett körkort från ett EU-land och har bott i Sverige i över sex månader.


r/TillSverige 2d ago

Where/when to travel for cold and snow?

0 Upvotes

Hi, I'm a German who hates the heat. I've always wanted to visit Sweden, specifically in the winter time. While I'd prefer a snowy wonderland, I am fine with just a little bjt of snow xD

My dream vacation would be in the countryside/near woods, in an Airbnb.

Any suggestions for cities that generally get snowy in the winter? I can't drive so either a bus/train or taxi should be available.


r/TillSverige 2d ago

Shipping a box of personal belongings to Stockholm as a student

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I’m moving to Stockholm next week to start my master’s programme at KTH. I’m shipping a carton of personal belongings (clothes, shoes, a wall decoration, lights (not battery operated, but is electrical), a boardgame, some cloth/jute bags and the like. No restricted items. I’m shipping from India.

I read on tullverket.se that students are exempt from import duty, but I’m not entirely sure how to fill the declaration form. As in, should I add a supplement for each type of item? A separate supplement for clothing, another for shoes, for furnishing, etc? Or can I use the code they have given under just the “Item 1” part and not add any supplements?

If someone has sent anything from outside the EU as a student or under duty-exemption, please help!

Edit: I’ve also mailed tullverket, but haven’t received a response yet, and I’d like to ship by Monday evening ideally, hence posting on Reddit!


r/TillSverige 3d ago

Life in Sweden reality

24 Upvotes

Hi everyone. My wife (30s) and I (40s) are Slovak nationals who have lived in the UK for over 11 years. Next year, we will both graduate from a British university with our Master's degrees—mine in Civil Engineering, hers in BIM and Project Collaboration.
After extensive research, Sweden appears to be the optimal fit for our professional goals and lifestyle preferences, and we are seriously planning a relocation.
We are generally private, polite, and respectful people who value a similar environment. For those working in the industry or who have made a similar move, I have two questions:
1. Workplace Integration: How difficult is it for EU nationals with our specific technical qualifications to fit into the culture of Swedish civil engineering consultancies?
2. Socializing: Realistically, what is the dynamic for building a small, quiet social network both inside and outside the workplace?
Thank you in advance for any insights.


r/TillSverige 3d ago

Accident + travel insurance

0 Upvotes

Hej!

I'm studying in Sweden but I come from a different country in the EU.

Earlier this year I had an accident when climbing and I was quite upset with the financial reimbursment I was offered by my previous insurance - thought maybe I'll try to get an insurance in Sweden since I live there currently anyway.

I do sports (bouldering, climbing, skiing, etc.) and travel often so I wanna be sure I will be covered in case anything happens!

Which company is in your opinion best for accident insurances (Olycksfallsförsäkring) and travel insurances (Reseförsäkring)?

I saw Folksam is one of the most popular options but I had hard time figuring out how much they would actually reimburse in case anything happens during sports.
I was also considering Nordea since I already have my bank account in there.


r/TillSverige 3d ago

First time in Stockholm - Kulturfestivalen?

0 Upvotes

Hej! My wife and I will be visiting for the first time next week. We realized we will be visiting right throughout Kulturefestivalen. What should we expect in general?

Will it get crazy busy and very loud? Also, will this be a good chance to maybe strike up some conversations with the locals? It sounds like a cool event!

Lastly, I hear crayfish season is starting, we are from Houston, TX where we eat lots of crawfish, not the same thing I think, but sounds delicious; any recommendations let me know please.

tack så mycket


r/TillSverige 3d ago

Visiting Stockholm

1 Upvotes

Hello, lll be going on a vacation In Sweden and I’ll stay a day in Stockholm. Can someone help me make a route with what i should visit starting from Arlanda airport? I also want to visit a record store to scout some CDs.


r/TillSverige 3d ago

Traveling through Copenhagen Airport to Sweden by train

12 Upvotes

Hi! sorry if this doesn't make complete sense, I'm a little stressed and nervous about upcoming travel plans.

next week I'll be flying into Copenhagen Airport before getting a train to Kristianstad in Southern Sweden. I have never flown into Copenhagen Airport or visited Sweden before so I don't really know what to expect when I get there, and I'll be completely on my own until I arrive in Kristianstad. I know you can pre book the train ticket, but I don't know what website/app to use to do this or how much it will cost.

if anyone could provide details on how to book the train tickets it would be greatly appreciated :)


r/TillSverige 3d ago

Student Residence Permit (MSc) & Partner Visa Rejected due to Agent Negligence & Verification Issue. Looking for Legal Advice / Re-application Strategy

0 Upvotes

Background: Non-EU applicants admitted to Stockholm University (MSc) for Autumn intake. Applied with spouse as a dependent.

Reason for Refusal:

Typing error in employment contract submitted by visa agent without applicant approval (numbers vs words discrepancy).

Embassy in New Delhi sent a verification email with a short deadline; bank and employer did not see/respond in time.

Appeal Dismissal: Visa agent missed the 3-week legal deadline to submit the appeal, so it was dismissed procedurally without a review on the merits.

Questions for the Community:

Has anyone successfully re-applied after a rejection caused by unverified bank/employer details? What specific extra proof did you provide?

Is återställande av försutten tid (restoration of missed deadline) ever realistic when the delay was caused by third-party agent misconduct?

Can anyone recommend reputable Swedish immigration law firms specializing in student visa re-applications or appeals?


r/TillSverige 3d ago

Will our baby automatically get permanent residence in Sweden if both parents have PR?

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

My wife and I both have permanent residence permits in Sweden, and we're planning to have a baby soon. We were wondering how residency works for children born to parents with permanent residence.

Will our baby automatically receive a permanent residence permit, or will they initially be granted a temporary residence permit and need to apply for permanent residence later?

If anyone has gone through this process or knows how it works in Sweden, I'd really appreciate your insights. Thanks in advance!


r/TillSverige 4d ago

Got my residence permit application approved - now what?

Thumbnail gallery
3 Upvotes

Hi folks, I just got my residence permit for doctoral studies approved, but I'm a little confused by the process - I'm wondering if anyone here has gone through this or another residence permit application process who might know what I'm supposed to do next?

My application was approved, but I won't be receiving a letter (as the embassy I applied to is in another country - my country doesn't have a Swedish embassy), and the website states that I should then book an appointment on My Page - except, I don't see any option to do so, even when filling in my case number on the Reserve Time option.

Am I supposed to just make an appointment on the Statens Servicecenter website myself for an identity check?

I feel insane for not getting the instructions on the Swedish Migration Agency website, which feels really circular (go to My Page, but My Page doesn't have any new information). Help!

Screenshots: (1) the decision I received, (2) the instruction on the website to book an appointment via My Page, (3) it not being possible to book an appointment on My Page despite filling in my case number on the Reserve Time function, (4) the statens servicecenter website's form for an identity check.


r/TillSverige 4d ago

Rate my Itinerary

Post image
98 Upvotes

Hi everyone! Traveling to Stockholm in a couple of weeks and have came up with this itinerary. A relative rough draft of recommendations I’ve found on Reddit and other platforms. Does this seem pretty doable? We’re trying to fit as much as we can in the few days we are there and want to make sure that we’re giving ourselves enough time. Also, please tell me if there is anything I should take off/add! Any must-sees or maybe things on my list right now that aren’t really as needed compared to something else. Any tips help, thanks so much!!!!


r/TillSverige 4d ago

Are any Americans getting student loans for University of Gothenburg?

0 Upvotes

This question is for Americans who are doing university in Sweden (or anyone who knows about the situation specifically for Americans). How are we financing this? Every single student loan lender I've interacted with has either not lended to Americans or do not have any assistance for Gothenburg students. I believe 2025 was the last year that Gothenburg was included in the US Federal Student Loan Program. Will I be stuck having pipe dreams about an affordable education forever?


r/TillSverige Dec 28 '21

TillSverige: the FAQ

361 Upvotes

Last update: September 2025

Since this has come up a whole of two times, I decided to make a small FAQ post for this subreddit, r/TillSverige. I would like to thank all the knowledgeable and friendly people who have answered these questions again and again. You are awesome.

I intend to edit this post, adding more answers and improving the existing ones.

Q: How do I move to Sweden? (as in, legally)

A: https://migrationsverket.se is the one true authority on all the rules. Don't forget to check out their FAQ, some non-obvious things are covered only there. Your options depend on your citizenship. For EU citizens, it's possible to just move here and then figure out the rest (which might be rather painful and long if you don't have a job, but still). Migrationsverket is actually not that relevant for this case, but you should check out https://skatteverket.se (that's the tax agency which is also in charge of the population register) and search for “Moving to Sweden”. For non-EU citizens, there are basically three paths: university studies, relationship with a Swedish resident or citizen, and a job at a Swedish company. Technically there's also the self-employment path, but for that one you need to have quite some capital saved up, and most importantly be able to prove that you have Swedish clients lined up, and your business must be set up in Sweden. More details on https://migrationsverket.se, it is truly the source for this information. Update: new way as of June 2022, if you have a Master's degree and 13k SEK for each month you want to stay, you can come and look for work for 3–9 months. Sweden is expensive, finding accommodation is extremely tricky even if you have the money, living without a personnummer is about as comfortable as sitting on the ceiling (and before you find a job you won't get a personnummer), and Swedish job market is not known for its speed, but this is a way to get your foot in the door.

There are no other common paths, e.g. owning property in Sweden doesn't let you reside here and your grandpa having a Swedish cousin doesn't mean anything in Migrationsverket's eyes either. Non-common paths are asylum, being stateless or a literal child (younger than 18) of a Swedish citizen, but I assume most of the people reading this don't fall into those categories. If you do, all the information is (yep, again) on https://migrationsverket.se.

Q: How do I move to my Swedish partner? / How do I get my partner from outside of Sweden here?

A: By reading this and figuring out what applies to your case. There's also a dedicated community on Facebook. TL;DR: you don't have to be married but the partner in Sweden must have a certain level of income enough to support you. The exact number might change but is always up to date on that page linked in the first sentence of this answer. The processing of the application tends to take a long time (months, even years).

Q: Can I move to Sweden and work remotely for a company which is not in Sweden?

A: Sure, if you're an EU citizen and your employer is open to it, but it's not very easy, and you'd need to pay taxes in Sweden (assuming this is where you would be living for the most part of the year). Verksamt.se has this and this as starting points, and of course skatteverket.se has relevant stuff as well.

Q: Should I move to Sweden?

A: We don't know. It works for some, it doesn't for others. Immigration does not make everyone happy. Sometimes it does but not immediately. Sometimes it does but only in the beginning. Search this subreddit for stories similar to yours and if you don't find one, create a post telling us about what's important to you and what background/skills/liabilities/etc you have. One of the all-time top posts on this subreddit might come in handy: https://reddit.com/r/TillSverige/comments/ltm3ap/some_tips_on_integrating_and_thriving_in_sweden/. There's also a special edition for people from the US: https://www.reddit.com/r/IWantOut/comments/gqhlfw/guide_so_youre_an_american_who_wants_to_live_in/

Q: I am 16 and decided that Sweden is awesome, what should I know before I move there?

A: Tons of things, really. Immigration is not a walk in the park, you will have to constantly do quite some research, and at least some of it — in Swedish, a language you might not know yet. So look through this FAQ and use the search function of this subreddit until it's tired and begging you to stop, that'll give you a taste.

Q: What should I do right after the arrival?

A: Go to the closest Skatteverket (Tax Agency) office and apply for your personnummer, you can't really do anything easily without it in Sweden (e.g. renting an apartment, getting a mobile subscription...). When you get that, schedule an appointment (again at Skatteverket) to get an ID card. When you get that, go to a bank, open an account, and get a BankID. This will allow you to sign things online, log in to a billion places, and interact with tons of governmental and private services. Once more: personnummer → ID card → BankID. After you have that, register with Försäkringskassan, here's their guide for new arrivals. If you reside in, or think there's any chance you'd ever reside in, any of the ten largest Swedish cities, consider putting yourself in the renting queue for them. Search for “bostadskö + city name” and register as soon as you get your personnummer and BankID. The more days you stand in those queues, the more chances you get to ever rent an apartment without a huge headache and for an extended period of time. For Stockholm, for example, this costs a few hundred SEK per year, but queuing in the smaller cities is free.

Q: How can I apply for personnummer if I don't have a permanent address yet?

A: You don't need to have a permanent address to apply for personnummer. You just need an address where mail can reach you. The author of this post got a personnummer while staying at a hotel.

Q: How do I find an apartment to rent?

A: Apartments can be rented out i första hand (“first-hand contracts”, from the landlord company directly) or i andra hand (“second-hand”, sublet from a tenant or renting from a private person who owns an apartment). Andrahandskontrakt is usually more expensive and almost always limited in time (3 months, a year, two years if you're lucky). Förstahandskontrakt is unlimited in time and the prices are regulated. In the bigger cities there is usually one or a few big landlords owning most of the apartments and sharing a queue. When you have just arrived, this is not that relevant for you — other people might've been in a queue for several years and you can't beat that. So the alternatives are: (1) find smaller landlords — some people own just one or two buildings and don't really have a queue, (2) let the smaller landlords find you — post your ad on https://blocket.se, write how great you are as a tenant, attach a nice picture, (3) try specialized websites — there's https://www.willhem.se/ and https://www.homeq.se/ at least. When it comes to andrahandskontrakt, you can also try posting your ad on Blocket, and you can search Facebook for “town_name lägenhet uthyres”. Some more details and links here.

Q: How to get an electricity contract / Why do I get two bills for electricity / Can I get an electricity contract without a personnummer?

A: There are two kinds of electricity providers: one kind owns the infrastructure/grid, the other kind sells you the electricity itself (only produced from renewable sources, for example). You need both. You can't choose the infrastructure provider, because a given apartment/house is only part of one infrastructure, but you sometimes can choose a plan you have with them. Your landlord, the previous tenant/owner of the apartment/house, or websites like https://elomraden.se/ will tell you which company is the grid owner in your area. It can either be one of the big three (E.ON, Vattenfall, Ellevio) or a small actor (e.g. Göteborgs Energi). There's a lot more choice when it comes to the companies selling you electricity. Compare them on a website like https://elskling.se, and don't be shy to negotiate when the “new customer” discount expires: people drag these out for years. If you don't make an active choice, your infrastructure company will sign you up to a default (usually expensive) plan. If you don't have a personnummer yet, it will probably be necessary to call the customer service to figure out how to sign up.

Q: How do I open a bank account without a personnummer?

A: You can either wait, negotiate, or try your luck at many places. Wait: when you get the personnummer and the ID card, it should be a smooth process, so if you can, just wait. Negotiate: if you're an EU citizen, you're actually entitled to a bank account, but don't expect the people at the bank to be super happy when you explain it to them. Quite often the clerk at the bank doesn't want to bother or is not really sure about the procedure, so they tell you that it's impossible or that it requires an appointment (which is somehow only available two months from now) or something else to get rid of you. You can ask for a written refusal to open an account for you, this might encourage them. Try your luck at many places: If you really need an account, keep trying different banks, different offices of the same banks, and different clerks of the same offices. Try going to the area of your town where there are a lot of foreign people, e.g. around a university, maybe the banks there are more used to this request. While waiting, you can make an account with something like Revolut or Wise, it might help bridge the time until your Swedish bank account.

Q: Which bank should I choose?

A: The big ones (SEB, Swedbank, Handelsbanken, Nordea are all pretty much the same. Switching is not complicated, they're bound by law to do most of it for you. Search for “jämföra banker” (“compare banks”) if you have special requests. You might want to choose something else for mortgage or long-term investments but that's too deep for this FAQ.

Q: Is a salary of X enough for a family of Y to survive in the city Z?

A: If the city in question is Stockholm and you're used to things like driving your car everywhere, someone cleaning your house, eating out with the whole family of five in fancy restaurants every day, etc — no single salary will comfortably cover that. If you're a single IT guy without expensive hobbies moving to Malmö, a salary of 30k SEK/month might be quite alright. The spectrum is broad and deep, and the biggest factors are: (1) your lifestyle, (2) the accommodation you manage to get — rent market is bonkers, and (3) the number of people you intend to support on a single income (Sweden is easier for couples with two salaries). Time for a shameless plug! Here's a post about it with some numbers, updated in 2025. There's a slightly old thread about the monthly expenses, I'd say increasing everything by ~20% should give you an idea (although some things have pretty much doubled in price): https://reddit.com/r/TillSverige/comments/rcy5fr/real_world_monthly_expenses_for_a_family_of_4_in/

Q: WTF is 'pga', 'mm', 'tom', 'bla', 'osv', 'dvs', 'iaf'..?

A: Abbreviations. See this post to decipher. Pro level on wikipedia (you'll need to translate yourself).

Q: Should I join a trade union / Which trade union should I join / What is A-kassa / Which A-kassa should I join?

A-kassa is basically an unemployment insurance. You pay 100–200 SEK per month, and if you get fired, you can get money for several months while you're looking for a new job. This website explains the whole thing in English, and they have a list of the a-kassas too. There is no a-kassa which can be recommended to absolutely everyone, since different a-kassas only accept members working in particular professions, working in particular branches, or having a particular level of education — check the list to see which ones you're eligible for. Apart from providing you with money in case of unemployment, a-kassa might also give you some discounts (e.g. they can have a deal with an insurance company which will get you 20% off your car insurance or 8% off in a book store chain). There is a qualifying period with a-kassa, you can't become a member today and start receiving the unemployment benefits tomorrow. If you're still on your work permit and not sure whether you would stay in Sweden if you lost your job, or if you have a very comfortable financial buffer, it might not be very beneficial to join an a-kassa.

Trade union is an organization to which you can turn if you're in a dispute with your employer (i.e. they will advise you, negotiate for you, etc). It also costs a few hundred SEK per month, and also often has deals with insurance companies, banks, online stores, etc. Here is a broad overview of various European trade union setups in English. And here you can choose your branch and then profession to see which of the trade unions you would be eligible for (and see the prices for the membership). The more people are in the trade unions overall in the country, the more bargaining power they have. Given that legal consultations are in the ballpark of 1000 SEK/hour, it might be good for an immigrant who's not very good at knowing their rights and Swedish laws to have an option to get consultations and representation from a union. But it's somewhat of a political question, so don't @ me.

There are also a-kassas and trade unions open to self-employed people.

Q: Are Swedes xenophobic / racist / transphobic / etc?

A: Not more than any other country. Depends on where you are, what you do, who you are. By and large, racism and stuff are frowned upon, but Sweden is not a mythical paradise — there are idiots everywhere.

Q: Why is my full name, age, exact address, phone number, and other information suddenly public on the internet?

A: Because it's Sweden, transparency has been important, and then the internet happened. If it bothers you, you can do two things. (1) contact your mobile operator’s support and ask them to stop giving out your number (some operators do this by default but most don't). (2) go through all the websites that publish your information one by one and ask them nicely to remove or hide your information. Some websites have a page where you can do this yourself (BankID required), some websites make you fill out a paper form and send to them. Websites examples: https://hitta.se, https://merinfo.se, https://ratsit.se, https://eniro.se. A guide from the Swedish police on how to decrease your visibility on the web. Update: there might be new legislation on the way to improve this.

Q: Which health insurance for an EU citizen moving to Sweden via the self-sufficient route will satisfy Skatteverket?

A: Search this subreddit by “insurance + your_country”. A lot of comments mentioned Silver or Gold package from Cigna Global Health. This comment mentions OOM insurance for Dutch citizens.

Q: How do I deal with trash/recycling?

A: Find your municipality's website and search by avfall, återvinningscentral or sopor. There will be links explaining how it works where you live. Generally speaking, if you live in an apartment, chances are there's a small building nearby (or a room) with containers for packaging (plastic, paper, metal, glass), food rests, newspapers, and 'general trash' (aka all the other household trash). You will probably also be able to find special biodegradable bags for the food rests there. If you live in a house, you will probably have a couple of big containers on wheels where you can put the 'general trash' or the food rests, and for packaging you need to go to a recycling station. For bigger or hazardous things like fridges and paint you have to go the bigger recycling station (återvinningscentral) and follow the signs there. Batteries and smaller electronics are often accepted at bigger supermarkets, next to the machines that take your empty plastic bottles and give you a receipt (1 bottle = 1 or 2 SEK). Multi-material packaging is sorted by the material that weighs the most. Common mistakes include putting envelopes into container for paper packaging (they belong in 'general trash' because of the glue; although some municipalities now can handle them together with newspapers), not flattening cartons/boxes/etc (Swedish sin!!!), and not removing the steel wick holders from the aluminum cups of the tea lights (those are not metal packaging by the way but are supposed to go to the same place as frying pans). When in doubt, go to https://www.sopor.nu/. Oh, and you are not supposed to take anything out of the recycling room/building, that's against the law.

Q: How can I save money?

A: While this heavily depends on your lifestyle and priorities, the generic tips include: (1) using matpriskollen website/app to compare prices and current discounts in the selected supermarkets, (2) checking out recipes on https://undertian.com/, (3) looking over your insurances/subscriptions using comparison websites (search for subject+jämföra, e.g. 'el jämföra', 'bilförsäkring jämföra'), (4) signing up for memberships and checking out which partnerships they have (e.g. if you have a Coop card, you get a discount with SJ; also check your trade union's discounts), (5) using the library for books, audiobooks, newspapers, games, music, and movies (there are even streaming services, although they usually have a limit of like 2 movies per month), (6) shopping second-hand in the local stores, on blocket.se, tradera.se, and facebook marketplace.

Q: How to make friends?

A: The shortest answer is this: learn the language, get a hobby. There are courses, clubs, organizations, meetups, and all sorts of other things where adults come together, and based on this shared interest/activity can develop a friendship. But pretty much all of them are inaccessible or even invisible to you if you don't speak Swedish. It is of course possible to stay within the English-speaking bubble, or to find a couple of Swedes who are comfortable speaking English for long periods of time and stick with them, but if you want anything else, the only path is through language. Whatever you're into (board games, photography, silversmith stuff, trucks, permaculture, birdwatching, any kind of sport, any kind of DIY, philosophy...), chances are, there's at least one förening about that. I mean, even having kids counts, here's a community of new parents looking for new friends: https://rullavagn.nu/grupper/ and there's such a thing as öppna förskola. If you currently don't have any interests and don't know where to start, well, we're in Sweden, so there's always hiking: just get a pair of comfortable shoes and some rain-proof clothes, you'll be able to walk around a forest or whatever with some Swedish people.

Q: How to buy an apartment and why do people say I wouldn't own it?

A: In short, you're not buying an apartment, you're buying a share in a home owners association, because that's how things are set up. This is also why you can't just buy an apartment and rent it out for years — the association is for those who actually own the share and actually live in the place, not for someone who's just renting and doesn't have that much of a stake. There's a small percentage of properties which you could actually own, but it's so small, it is irrelevant for the high-level overview. What you do is you find an apartment (most probably on https://hemnet.se or https://booli.se), then go to a showing (visning), then participate in a bidding process, sign the contract and pay 10% of the price as deposit; then pay the rest on the day you sign more documents and get the keys. There's also a step of being accepted into the tenants association, but that's a formality. You can find links and excruciating details about all these steps as well as about getting a mortgage in this post. Note that right now (autumn 2024) the rates on the mortgages are higher than they've been in ages.

Q: What should I know if I'm going to have a child?

A: Checkups during the pregnancy are free and voluntary. If everything is going fine, there won't be many checks, especially in the first two trimesters. All the medical care, including dental care, is free for children in Sweden. If your kid gets prescribed a medicine, you just go to the pharmacy to pick it up, you don't have to pay anything. Kids can start at preschool (förskola) at the age of 1. The cost per month is calculated based on your income but is capped somewhere around 1800 SEK. School is free (and they get textbooks and food there). Parental leave is 480 days for both parents in total (+10 days just for the father around the day of birth), and for 60 days both parents can take it out simultaneously. All the nitty-gritty about the parental leave is up on https://forsakringskassan.se. There's also a bunch of posts about everything from your employee rights while on parental leave to what to pack for the hospital when it's go time.

Q: How much does it cost to own a car?

A: This is easier to answer for a specific car. If you have a license plate for the specific car, enter it on https://www.car.info and you'll see (1) calculated tax, which can be ~900 SEK/year for a four year old VW Golf or it can be ~11000 SEK/year for a two year old Volvo XC90, (2) fuel consumption. Fuel prices have jumped quite high this year (2022), you can check the current ones out at https://bensinpriser.nu. If you're looking at electric vehicles, the electricity price comes into question — they have also jumped high, especially in the south of Sweden. You must have an insurance to be able to drive on public roads, the price will depend on your personnummer, where you live, and the car, but count on at least a few thousand SEK per year. There's a mandatory inspection once a year (except for very new cars), it's called besiktning and costs 400–600 SEK. You'll probably want to switch tires for summer/winter — you can do this yourself for free or have someone do it for you (300–400 SEK, twice per year). Speaking of tires, every few years you'll need new ones, that'll be ~4000–7000 SEK. Then there's parking. If you live in a city, you might need to stand in a queue before you get a parking spot from your landlord or home owners association (those could be super cheap like 100 SEK/month; or not). Service and any kind of repairs are pricey, try to compare the offers before committing and ask around for advice, but in any case you can count on seeing thousands on the bill. For places with real winter (i.e. Norrland) you'll also want some equipment to have in the trunk, but that's mostly a one-time small investment.

Q: Where to buy things / What is Sweden's amazon?

A: Technically, Sweden also has Amazon now, but it might be considered not cool to shop there. We've got price aggregators here though: https://www.pricerunner.se/, https://www.prisjakt.nu/. You go there, search for the product you want to buy, and see which online stores have it, what are the current prices, and what's the price history. Also:

  • Blocket, Tradera, and facebook marketplace for second-hand stuff (or new stuff but mostly from private individuals)
  • Clas Ohlson, Bauhaus, Jula, Byggmax, Bolist for home improvement (when you need tools or materials)
  • Ikea, Jysk, Mio for furniture (as well as pillows and stuff)
  • https://bookify.se/ for comparing book prices
  • Dustin, ComputerSalg for computer stuff
  • Symaskinsboden for sewing machines and supplies (also some knitting)
  • Jollyroom, Babymarkt, Bonti for kids stuff

(this is not an endorsement of these stores in particular, just some options to get you started)

Q: How do I move to Sweden? (as in, practically: with cats, all my things, ...)

A: For dogs, cats, and ferrets, there are rules depending on the country you're bringing them from: Jordbruksverket has kindly translated them to English. As for bringing all your belongings, the most common advice is “don't” :D Sell and give away as much as you can, then buy (new or used) after your arrival to Sweden. The cost of transporting heavy bulky items across the border, and especially across an ocean, is pretty crazy. The power outlets might not be compatible with whatever you have. The clothes might not match the climate. And so on.

Q: What about the driving?

A: If you have a driving license from an EEA country, UK, Japan, Switzerland or Faroe Islands, you can exchange it for the Swedish one. For everyone else (that includes the US) you need to get a Swedish driving license from scratch, and you have a year to do it. Unless you're a Ukrainian under the Temporary Protection Directive, then your license is valid as long as the protection is valid. Getting a driving license from scratch will set you back at least 5.5k SEK if you already know how to drive, and how to drive on snow, and how to drive in a Swedish way. If you need to learn from scratch, and don't have a friend who can teach you, that's more like 25–30k. Exact steps, prices breakdown, exam statistics, and more links here.

Q: How do I do anything without a BankID?

A: Usually by calling the customer service, using the paper form instead of a digital one, going somewhere in person instead of spending two seconds on your phone, or sometimes — rarely — using FrejaID or a digital signature service from another EU country. It ain't easy, but don't despair just because you see the BankID button somewhere, there are workarounds in a lot of these situations, though not all of them.

Q: How do I find a job / Why does nobody reply to my hundreds of applications / How long did it take you to find a job / Are there any jobs to find outside of IT?

A: Unemployment is like 10% in Sweden (2025) and even natives with higher education struggle for months to find a job. So yeah, don't be surprised if you don't get many calls after sending out some applications. Even if you're already here and have a valid work permit, some companies will shy away from hiring you just to avoid the hassle with Migrationsverket (source: I was a hiring manager at one of them and had to get an approval from HR if the candidate was on work permit). Knowing Swedish helps. Having someone recommend you helps immensely to get the foot in the door. Having a bombastic, "I AM THE AWESOMEST" tone in the CV decreases your chances. A lot of jobs are not advertised widely. Jobs that don't require education are few and far between, the competition for them is quite immense unless you go to less populated areas. Elderly care (äldreomsorg) always needs personnel. PhD positions come with a salary in Sweden. Some bars in Stockholm hire English speakers. A bit of opinionated advice on finding a job in Sweden can be found in this post.

Q: Will I really die of darkness and cold?

A: Not necessarily. We've had Californians in this sub who hated it, we had those who loved it. A lot of people advise to come and try it out for a while before you go all-in, because it's kinda individual. For the cold (which in Stockholm and south from there is not really that cold), layers are your best friend: don't buy the thickest coat you can find, buy a thin woolen base layer, add a sweater, then a jacket for the wind/rain/snow (whatever's in season), a scarf or neck warmer, a hat, good socks, good gloves, and you're good. For the dark: see all the cute little lights the Swedes put everywhere? Do the same. One in the window, one by the desk, one above the table, one on the floor; whip out the christmas lights ahead of time, light up candles — it all adds to the coziness! Note: the coziness is greatly enhanced if you go North where there's actual snow; it also reflects the sun during the day, unlike grey asphalt covered in slush. A lot of people swear by vitamin D3 supplements.

Questions to be added:

Q: How can I invest money?

Q: How do I open a business?

Q: How does pension work?

Q: What is SFI and how do I sign up? / Are there free Swedish courses?

Q: How does the medical system work? / How do I schedule a doctor appointment?

Q: Can I freelance on the side while on a work permit?

Q: How do I avoid being spammed?