Moving to Sweden

#1 Get a residency permit, or renew it, at the Migration Board

This is almost always step one for expats in Sweden. Sweden’s Migration Board is called Migrationsverket, and it handles issues relating to immigration, asylum, visas, permits, and citizenship.

Maybe you already secured the necessary residence permit required to legally reside and work in Sweden before arriving – through a job, family, or for study purposes. But all residence permits have expiration dates, so you may want to locate your nearest Migration Board field or head office in case you need to renew permits or have other visa related issues.

#2 Register with the Tax Agency and obtain a personal identification number

The most important requirement as a new resident is to get registered with the Swedish Tax Agency called Skatteverket. This registration process (folkbokföring) ensures you’re added into the system for tax collection, personal identification, marital status monitoring, mailing address information and insurance purposes.

By registering with the Tax Agency, you will be assigned a unique personal identification number called personnummer (similar to the British National Insurance number). Your legal identity in Sweden hinges on this key number and it is used for everyday official tasks such as opening up bank accounts and getting paid by your employer.

#3 Get insured

Once you’ve obtained your personal identity number, your next step should be to register with the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan). Every resident is entitled to certain benefits such as basic healthcare, parental benefits, child allowances, disability coverage and other insurance payments, so getting set up with the Social Insurance Agency will ensure that you are covered, should something unforeseen occur while you’re still settling in.

#4 Get a resident ID card

Once you’ve got your personal identity number and you’re registered with the Social Insurance Agency, obtaining a Swedish resident identification card (identitetskort) is a logical next step. A Swedish ID card is your primary form of identification around the country. It is used for opening bank accounts, using credit cards, picking up packages from the post office, and verifying your age before entering certain clubs or purchasing alcohol.

Please note: When you’re obtaining the Swedish ID card for the first time, you will need someone else who is already registered and has their own Swedish ID card to accompany you to the Tax Agency in person to verify your identity. For those relocating to Sweden without family, this means taking your work boss, a colleague or a friend with you.

#5 Open a bank account

This one is quite simple: First, take care of steps two and four! Opening a Swedish bank account usually requires a Swedish ID card, or at least a Swedish personal identity number plus a valid passport. Once you’re done with steps two and four, walk into your Swedish bank of choice and proceed.

Sweden’s four main banks are Swedbank, SEB, Nordea and Handelsbanken. Whichever bank you choose will help you obtain the necessary credit/debit cards and banking services you need. Setting up your own bank account in Sweden is recommended. Most bills and salaries are automatically paid online, and Sweden has an extensive network when it comes to internet banking.

#6 Find a job or start your own company

If your residence permit (stamped in your passport) also allows you to work in Sweden, you should consider registering with the Swedish Public Employment Agency called Arbetsförmedlingen. The agency can help you find jobs that match your existing skill sets, education level and work experience, and can also provide a free job coach to help guide you through the application and interview process. Workinginsweden.se is another helpful website.

If you’re interested in starting your own company (eget företag), you will need to register your company name through the Swedish Companies Registration Agency (Bolagsverket) and obtain an F-skatt status through the Tax Agency for tax purposes. The Companies Registration Agency provides a step-by-step guide to help you set up your own company.

Business-sweden.se and Verksamt.se are other useful websites if you want to start a business in Sweden.

#7 Find a flat

Perhaps you arranged temporary lodging or rented a room before arriving in Sweden and may want to move as temporary arrangements come to an end. Looking for your own place to stay can be a challenging task in larger cities such as Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, where available housing remains relatively scarce.

You can rent ‘first-hand’ or ‘second-hand’ in Sweden. First-hand (första hand) means you sign an agreement with the owner of the building, while second-hand (andra hand) means you sign an agreement with someone who owns the flat or has the first-hand contract on the flat.

To get a first-hand contract, you need to register to be put on the municipal waiting list (bostadskö) and it can take anywhere from a few days in some municipalities to up to ten years for central locations in cities like Stockholm for a first-hand contract to become available. Contact information for all municipalities can be found here.

As a new resident, you’ll probably be renting a flat from someone who sublets in a second-hand arrangement. It is extremely important to make sure that the tenant co-operation board of the building (bostadsrättsföreningen) or the landlord has signed off on second-hand leasing. If you rent a flat from a subletter who doesn’t have permission, you run the risk of being evicted (to make a long story short).

Useful websites for finding flats in cities around the country are Bostad Direkt, AndraHand.se (only in Swedish) and Blocket.se.

#8 Learn Swedish

Here you obviously don’t have to wait until the previous steps are completed. Begin today! Learning Swedish will not only make your integration into society a lot quicker, but can also open doors to other insider aspects of the culture that speaking Swedish affords you.

While many employers pay for Swedish classes for their foreign employees, there are also state-subsidised courses that can be taken for free or at minimal costs (usually for teaching materials). The most notable programme is called SFI – Swedish for immigrants (Svenska för invandrare).

SFI courses are offered through each local municipality’s adult continuing education programme (kommunal vuxenutbildning, or komvux) so you will need to contact your local municipality. There are four SFI levels – A,B, C and D – and each course usually spans 1.5–3 hours per day several days a week for a period of three to four months, so it’s a major time commitment, especially if you are working full-time.

#9 Pay taxes in Sweden

Sweden is well known for its developed social welfare system, and if you move here you will have to help finance it by paying taxes. The Swedish Tax Agency is responsible for collecting taxes, which vary upon income.

The system is quite straightforward if you’re employed by a company, with taxes automatically deducted from your salary every month. The Swedish Tax Agency has an overview in English.

For the self-employed, the tax structure is more complicated. If you plan on starting as a sole trader, you will need to register for F-skatt (the ‘F’ stands för företagare – entrepreneur). At present, the Swedish Tax Agency only has detailed info on F-skatt in Swedish on the web. But Sweden’s second-most trusted public body is generally happy to help out, and the average Swede speaks decent English. So do try their phone services (Monday through Friday).

It is also worth finding a good accountant to guide you through the process of identifying which taxes you’re responsible for, ensuring your taxes are paid and making sure your annual tax returns are filed properly.