Sweden has recently gained a large amount of international attention thanks to a certain US head of state, President Donald Trump. Well, his comments showed Sweden as suffering from and struggling with loose immigration policy, leading to social unrest and rampant crime. However, the statements have left Swedes perplexed. How come? Most people actually living in Sweden are seeing economic progress, increased general well-being and a continued high level of public service! There are, of course, some issues with large scale immigration but they are mostly bureaucratic, things like lengthening time it takes to process an application for residency, as the staff are dealing with a big pile of applications now. Let’s hope that all publicity is good publicity! In light of this, here are five steps you should take to make your move go well: 1. Apply for a course at a university or get a job – before arriving here Pretty much anyone can stay for 3 months in Sweden without much hassle. But¸ if you're going to secure residency you must apply for a residence permit. Finding work can be very difficult until you're actually settled in. Becoming a student is often an easy way to bridge the gap. Sweden has lots of universities, many of which offer free courses. This could be your best way to move to Sweden. 2. Secure a place to stay These days, there are lots of ways that you can find a home, be it permanent or temporary. The classic way has always been to register with the public housing queues. These can be found through the website of the municipality you want to live in. However, due to the recent housing shortage, the wait can be long. A quicker alternative might be to check the availability of sublet apartments through sites such as Blocket or Airbnb. Be aware that subletting rentals are formally not accepted and such a lease might not give you much security. A better option might be a cheap hostel. 3. Register yourself in the Swedish population register This is the key to receive your own personal identity number. Without a personal number (personnummer), it will be almost impossible to obtain a bank account, register with authorities and deal with every day life. Remember step one? Once you have your residency permit, all you need to do is bring your permit and your passport to Skatteverket. Getting registered will be a cinch! 4. Get yourself a bank account Having a Swedish bank account, preferably with an associated debit or credit card, is a must. It's the way to receive salary, benefits and deal with every day life. Also, many of the payment services that are in use in Sweden DO NOT accept cards that are associated with foreign bank accounts. This is something that many learn the hard way. So, do not put off dealing with this. 5. Enjoy yourself! The key to fitting in with Swedish society is to become part of it. Forget waiting until someone lets you in. You will have to forge your own way. Do not be shy about practicing your Swedish and dive into every activity that is offered. Joining us at New in Sweden is probably a good idea too... :)
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Here are some extra tips to help you get everything sorted out before you move: Websites for looking for a home in Sweden There is a shortage of rental housing in cities like Stockholm, Malmö and Gothenburg so allow time to find yourself somewhere to live. Buying property is relatively easier. Here are some websites for finding rental accommodation: bostaddirekt.se andrahand.se foretagsbostader.se hyrabostad.se hyralya.se blocket.se If you are concerned that an advert sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Watch out for fraudulent property ads and fake landlords. Check if your driving licence is valid in Sweden You can use a foreign driving licence in Sweden but you MUST have it with you when you drive. Your driving licence must have a photograph of yourself on it or you must, when driving, also have a valid ID document with you containing a photo. Licences not in English, German or French need a certified translation and an international driving licence counts as a certified translation. Longer term, licences from EEA countries are valid until they expire (although you can switch it for a Swedish one, which is useful as it has your personal number on it). Drivers from countries outside the EEA have a year once they are registered in Sweden to take the driving test in Sweden. For more information, check out this site (in English) Stock up on decent socks (seriously)
You are unlikely to see fitted carpet in homes in Sweden. Actually, we’ve never seen fitted carpet in a Swedish home! Swedes don’t wear shoes inside either so add wooden floors to much heavier use of socks and you’ll find your socks wear out much faster. So, take our advice and stock up on your favourite socks. Remember – they will be visible to everyone so choose ones you are happy being seen! This also applies to places like preschools and swimming pools – no shoes inside. If you haven’t already downloaded it, get more tips and our great checklist here: We are not really sure why...but baker Magnus Johansson has created a semla with a price tag of around 900kr. Around, because it has to be $101 to beat the price of one in New York. Watch food blogger Johan Hedberg taste-test it here and find out more on their Facebook page. Each winter, someone usually comes up with a new form of the Shrove Tuesday buns - semlor. Last year, it got turned into a drink! Here is a film about it (in Swedish but not rally necessary to understand the talking). Let us know if you've tried it! Folkuniversitet is one of our very favourite places for Swedish classes. We've done six courses there between us and they have all been very good. They now have conversation classes via Skype, so you can be anywhere in the world and take part. This spring term 2017, they have 20 Swedish courses running via Skype, including three conversation courses to help you get it grips with everyday chattering. The conversation classes are at three levels:
Click here for more information on the Skype courses run by Follkuniversitet:
Single tickets Apply for journeys where you have started the last part of the journey with 75 minutes of the start.
Single tickets to/from Arlanda
For more information, check out SL's website (mostly in English) here.
Should you be spending an evening in the company of Swedes and alcohol, they might suddenly demand you sing. This is especially likely if it is midsummer, Easter, new years eve etc. To make sure you are ready and in tune (well, at least know the words), here are the words to 'Helan går' and Will Ferrell not singing it terribly well. Important point number 1 - you are supposed to drink the whole glass full down in one go Important point number 2 - if you need to be able to speak and/or stand up at any point afterwards, don't drink the whole glass full down in one go Important point number 3 - aquavit is extremely strong so you will cough the first few times, even if you sip it. Cheers!
Using SWISH to pay from your mobile phone
Swish allows private individuals to quickly, simply and securely send money to other private individuals in real time, by connecting mobile phone numbers to bank accounts. To use the service, you need a smartphone, the mobile Bank ID which you get from your bank and the Swish app: https://www.getswish.se/ If you have a Swedish mobile and mobile Bank ID, Swish is well worth getting. You'd be amazed what you can use it for! |
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