The Land of The Domkyrkan Cathedral, The Vänern Lake,

Lapland & Abba

Information on Relocating to Sweden

• The capital city of Sweden is Stockholm with about 1.2 million people. The political centre is also in Stockholm where the King & Queen reside. Sweden is a constitutional monarchy.

• Language: The official language spoken is Swedish. Swedish. Lapp is spoken by the Sámi population in the north; there are also Finnish-speaking minorities. English is taught as the first foreign language from the age of nine. The TV programs are in the original language and are subtitled. There are about 6 different channels in Sweden, 3 Swedish, 2 Danish and 1 Norwegian. However satellite and cable TV are available.

• Population: The population is about 9 million people mainly Swedes but also foreign-born or 1st generation immigrants like Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks etc.

• Expat areas: The most popular area for the Expat community is Stockholm however there are also Göteborg, Jönköping and Malmö.

• Housing: There are three different forms of housing tenure in Sweden : ownership (owner-occupied), tenant-ownership and rental. Virtually all owner-occupied flats are in one and two-family dwellings. The bulk of households occupy rented accommodation, about 40 percent, while roughly 20 percent are owner-occupants and about 20 percent live in tenant-owner housing. Rental and tenant-owner accommodation is primarily found in blocks of flats but also in one and two-family homes. The majority of all rental accommodation is owned by municipal housing companies, the greatest number of which are non-profit corporations. Sweden has approximately 4.3 million dwellings (1998) of which 2.3 million are in multi-family dwellings and the balance, 2.0 million, are one or two-family homes. A consequence of the 1990 tax reform was an increase in housing expenses for rental and tenant-owner accommodation as a percentage of disposable income.

• Cost of housing: The average annual rent (including heating costs) for a flat with three rooms and a kitchen finished in 1998 was Euro 660 per month (SEK 72900 annual) and for a four rooms and kitchen flat Euro 850 per month (SEK 92600 annual).

• Schools: There are the British, International, French and Japanese schools and of course the local schools available. Depending on the age we can tell you about waiting lists etc. 

• Transportation: There is a good public transportation system Plains, trains, trams, busses, subway, taxi's, Ferries and boats.

• Banking: The banking hours are generally Monday - Friday 9.30 am until 3.00 pm. In some large cities banks close at 6.00 pm at least one day a week. The banks are closed during the weekend and the holidays.

• Shopping: Generally done from Monday - Friday 10.00 am until 6.00 pm. Saturday 10.00 am until 5.00 pm. Some larger stores also open Sunday noon until 4.00 pm. Most shops however are closed on Sunday and holidays.

• Climate: The Gulf Stream gives Sweden a mild climate, with hot summers and cold winters. This causes a large difference in the temperature between the Northern and Southern parts of Sweden. In the winter, the northern region experiences arctic winters, and a display of the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. In the summer, the sky is always bright, with only a brief period of darkness between sunset and sunrise. The sun never sets it stays above the horizon at midnight, before it starts to rise again. The temperatures vary from -50 Celsius (-58°F) in the winter to 35 Celsius (95°F) in the summer.

• Culture: Today cultural life in Sweden include a variety of different fields such as the theatre, films, music, painting, arts, crafts, folk-dancing and literature. Cultural life in Sweden is very varied and many Swedish artists have achieved international fame like Astrid Lindgren, Ingrid Bergman, Greta Garbo, Abba etc.

• Public holidays: Jan 1st - New Year’s Day, Jan 6th – Epiphany, Good Friday & Easter Sunday & Easter Monday (dates vary). May 1st - May-Day, Ascension Day (date varies), Jun 6th - Sweden 's National Day (not a holiday!), Whit Sunday & Whit Monday (dates vary), Jun 20th - Midsummer Eve (not a holiday!). Jun 21st - Midsummer Day. Nov 1st - All Saints Day, Dec 24th - Christmas Eve, Dec 25th - Christmas Day. Dec 26th - Boxing Day.