The Ultimate Guide to Living in Sweden
Living in Sweden
Six years of living in Sweden — first on a sponsored work visa from the Philippines, then through residency and the naturalization process. These guides cover the practicalities that took the most time to figure out: visa paperwork, finding housing without a local reference, the banking and healthcare systems, and what daily life actually looks like.
Moving to Sweden
For non-EU citizens, Sweden requires employer sponsorship for a work permit. Applications go through Migrationsverket (the Swedish Migration Agency). The timeline is slow — budget 3–6 months from job offer to arrival, and more if POEA clearance is required.
- Pros and Cons of Living in Sweden — Eight years of honest assessment — what's genuinely good and genuinely difficult
- 12 Reasons to Move to Sweden — The practical case, not the tourist brochure version
- Reasons Not to Move to Sweden — What the relocation guides leave out
- Work and Life in Sweden — What the job market, workplace culture, and work-life balance look like in practice
- Moving to Sweden: What to Expect — The first weeks — what to prioritize and what can wait
Getting Your Personnummer
The personnummer is Sweden's personal identity number — it unlocks banking, healthcare, housing contracts, and the tax system. You can't open a Swedish bank account or access most services without one. Getting it sorted in your first weeks makes everything else move faster.
- Swedish Personal Number (Personnummer) — What it is, how to apply, and what you can and can't do without it
Finding a Place to Live
Stockholm's public rental queue (Bostadsförmedlingen) has a 10+ year wait. Most new arrivals start with second-hand contracts through platforms like Samtrygg or Blocket. Buying is an option after you have a personnummer and stable income.
- How to Find an Apartment in Stockholm — Second-hand contracts, what landlords ask for, and what your rights are
- Getting Your First Apartment in Stockholm — What the process looked like for me as a non-EU newcomer
- Samtrygg: Finding an Apartment in Sweden — How the platform works and whether it's worth using
- Buying an Apartment in Stockholm — The bidding process, mortgage requirements, and what surprised me
Banking & Money
- How to Open a Swedish Bank Account — Which banks accept new residents and what you need to bring
- Cost of Living in Stockholm — Actual numbers for rent, food, transport, and everything else
- Getting a Loan in Sweden — How Swedish credit scoring works and what affects your application
Insurance & Healthcare
Sweden's public healthcare (landsting/region) is covered once you have a personnummer and are registered in the population register. Private insurance is useful during the gap period and for faster specialist access.
- Healthcare in Sweden — How the public system works for residents, including the 1177 service
- Insurance in Sweden — What types of insurance you actually need as a resident
- Home Insurance in Sweden — What hemförsäkring covers and what it doesn't
- Hedvig Home Insurance Review — The app-based insurer popular with expats — honest assessment
Swedish Language & Culture
Most Swedes speak English fluently, so you can function without Swedish. That said, learning the basics helps with daily admin — particularly anything involving government forms, healthcare, or reading your lease.
- Common Swedish Phrases — Greetings, transport, restaurants, and the admin words that come up constantly
- Happy Birthday in Swedish — Grattis, Grattis på födelsedagen, and when each is used
- Swedish Names — First and last name patterns, the most common names, and naming traditions
- Swedish Midsummer — What Midsommar actually involves — not just the aesthetic
Life Admin
- Supermarkets in Sweden — ICA, Coop, Lidl, Willys — what's different and where to shop
- How to Get Married in Sweden — The legal process for residents, including non-Swedish citizens
- Our Wedding in Sweden — What our Stockholm City Hall wedding actually looked like