Moving to a new country is definitely an adventure. Moving halfway across the world to Sweden, trying to learn a new language and learn about a new culture can be a challenge.
Here are the Top 5 things to know about moving to Sweden...
* Your apartment insurance can cover things like your travel insurance and not just personal belongings like your mobile phone.
I have had to use the insurance when my phone got stolen. Yes, there is still theft in Sweden. It's not a paradise, free from crime, as some people seem to think. I feel like many people including myself tend to let their guard down here. We expect less incidents of crime like theft to happen but, it does unfortunately. Phone theft has actually happened to a couple of friends as well, and one of the incidents happened was in a gated playground. I was told they target moms or seniors - people otherwise busy and easy targets. Thanks... :/
* Taxes in Sweden are higher. It depends on your salary of course, but don't be surprised to see how much is taken off on your paystub.
* There's no need to tip at restaurants. You never see anyone tipping during lunch. During dinner, you can tip if you feel like you got some really great customer service.
.jpg "Restaurant Göteborg")
* Finding an apartment is not easy. This is the case in Gothenburg and in other cities in Sweden. The queue for renting an apartment is long. Many friends have had to move away when their rental contract was up because they couldnt find a place. We bought a place to avoid the stress of renting again and worrying about only being able to rent for a specific period of time.
* Finding a job can be tough! This is dependent on which industry you work in, of course and whether you can use English or need to learn Swedish first.
For parents, it's also good to know what the childcare situation is in Sweden. There are plenty of daycares and it's affordable. Daycare usually starts from when the child is 1 years old. For more info check out my blog on daycare in Sweden
If you're planning a move to Sweden, just like when visiting other countries it's nice to learn a few words/phrases in that language or take a free Government course, SFI. Most Swedes also speak good English and like to practice it with English-speakers.
Good luck and enjoy your adventure :)
Dont forget your snacks!
Check out some of my other blog posts on Sweden!
- Giving birth in Sweden
- What is Swedish fika?
- Dagenslunch
- Must try Swedish foods
- Crayfish season
- Semla in Stockholm
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