Emigrating to Sweden

Sweden attracts above all with its beautiful landscape and the wonderful sense of community that prevails in the country. Many people feel so at home in Sweden that they want to emigrate there. Do you also want to emigrate to Sweden? Then we have some information and tips to make your adventure in Sweden a success.

People are happier in Sweden – this is also proven by studies in which Sweden regularly ranks top when it comes to a high quality of life. Sweden offers very good social security and an excellent education and health-care system. However, the high level of satisfaction is certainly also due to the strong sense of community that you will find in Sweden. People help each other and are there for one another.  

Swedes find peace and quiet in nature. Sweden has a lot to offer: vast forests, many lakes and a lot of snow in winter. It is the perfect place to ground yourself and find inner peace to start everyday life with a sense of rejuvenation.

A good work-life balance is particularly important in Sweden. Private life is in the foreground and overtime is rather unusual. The core working hours also often end at 2 p.m. And all this without having to have a guilty conscience.

Virtually all Swedes speak English very well. This means that, when you emigrate, you will get by if you can speak English and should be able to find a job at the start. However, it is recommended that you learn Swedish later on.

Sweden has won you over and you want to emigrate there? As an EU citizen, the process is relatively easy. Since Sweden is a member of the European Union, you as an EU citizen are allowed to emigrate to Sweden without further ado due to the EU freedom of movement. You will not need a visa. After three months at the latest, you should register with the Swedish Tax Office (Skatteverket). They will give you your personal number. You will need this for many things in daily life, such as mobile phone contracts, bank accounts, etc.

Sweden is located on the Scandinavian peninsula and is the largest Scandinavian country with an area of 450,295 square kilometres. Large parts of the country are covered by lakes and forest. Around 10.5 million people live in Sweden.  

If you want to live in Sweden, you should think about how it would be to live in a more rural area. This is because rents there are the lowest, even lower than in Germany. In cities like Stockholm, rents are relatively high. However, the ancillary costs are much cheaper than in Germany. If you want to buy a property, rural areas are more attractive, as real estate prices are significantly lower here. EU citizens should not have any problems buying property either. However, in order to get a loan, you must live in Sweden, have a personal number and have a permanent job.

Stockholm is also top of the table in terms of the cost of living. Gothenburg and Malmö are cheaper. Cheapest is the countryside and smaller towns. As a single person, you should expect to pay about 900 euros per month, not including the costs of rent.

Sweden also has an excellent health-care system, which is mainly financed by taxes and organised decentrally. Emergency care, primary care, outpatient and inpatient treatment, for example, are free of charge, as are dental treatments for children and young adults up to 23 years of age. You will pay up to an annual maximum of 2,250 Swedish kronor (approx. 205 euros) for medication in Sweden. If you need to see a doctor in Sweden, you will go to a health centre rather than a GP’s practice. It is best to call 1177 in advance to get advice by phone. Health centres in Sweden are home to both GPs and specialists.

The education system in Sweden is also very good. It is free of charge for all children. Compulsory schooling is from six to 16 years. Children in Sweden can attend a preschool class, the förskoleklass, before primary school. This is not mandatory, but the offer is still taken up by most parents. After that, the children go to primary school (grundskola) from the first to the ninth grade. Following that, students can attend grammar school (gymnasieskola) or undertake vocational training but the majority of students in Sweden do continue on to grammar school.

More information on living in Sweden.

A good work-life balance is very important to the Swedes. This means that overtime is not actually the order of the day. The average weekly working time in Sweden is about 37 hours full-time, but the core working hours are usually only until 2 p.m. Flexible working hours and working from home are also common. The law stipulates 25 days of vacation. The Swedish work culture features flat hierarchies and cooperation on a level playing field. So-called "fika culture" is intended to promote team cohesion. Fika culture means that you use the (coffee) breaks to get into an informal exchange away from work topics and thus bring the team closer together.

Healthcare professions, mechanics, craftsmen, teachers and IT specialists are particularly in demand in Sweden right now. The average salary is 43,000 euros, which is below the German average. However, salaries vary greatly depending on the industry and profession.

You can also search for jobs in Sweden while still in Germany. For this purpose, you can easily search for suitable job advertisements on the following job portals. The Swedish employment agency is called the arbetsförmedlingen.

• LinkedIn
• arbetsformedlingen.se
• jobportal.se
• Indeed

Once you have found a vacancy in Sweden, you will need the following documents for your application: 

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• References

In Sweden, it is not customary to attach a photo, nor do you need to submit your certificates in the first step of the application. On the other hand, references are essential in Sweden. At the end of your CV, you should list two contact persons or former employers who may be contacted.

More information on working in Sweden.

Are you now ready to emigrate to Sweden? We have a checklist for you:

Job search in Germany: Ideally, you will already look for a job in Sweden before you leave Germany. This makes it easier for you to get started in the Sweden and you get to know new people right away. It also means that you will be able to immediately support yourself.

• Looking for accommodation: You should also look for at least temporary accommodation in Sweden before leaving Germany. This can also be an Airbnb for the first while.
• Prepare for the move: Next, you should organise your move. You can also hire a company to transport your belongings to Sweden.
• Deregister in Germany: Shortly before you leave Germany, you must deregister your residence here so that you can register your new residence in Sweden.
• Registering in the Folkbokföring central population register: If you emigrate to Sweden and stay there for a longer period of time, you have to register in the central population register. You can do this easily at the Skatteverket with your passport or an identity card and proof of a secure income. This registration is also the prerequisite for getting your all-important personal number in Sweden.
• Get your personal number: You will apply for your personal number at the same time as registering in the Folkbokföring. However, it can take two to three months before you receive them by post.  
• Apply for an ID-kort: Once you have your personal number, you can then also apply for a Swedish identity card, the ID-kort. This can be very helpful in daily life in Sweden but it is not absolutely essential. You can apply for the ID-kort at the Skatteverket with your EU passport or your EU identity card.
• Open a bank account: With the personal number and the ID-kort, you can now also open a bank account in Sweden. You will need the following documents: passport or identity card, personal number, employment contract, proof of address, ID-kort.
• Learn Swedish: Last but not least, you should learn Swedish. You will be able to get by with English, but it will help you a lot in interpersonal relationships if you learn Swedish.