6 Swedish Citizenship & Passport Process Tips

June 14, 2017 / Karl

After going into nearly all of the different processes without a very good idea what to do, I’ve gained some valuable insight as to how to optimize the process. In this case, I’ve compiled a few tips to ensure your citizenship and passport application is as streamlined as possible.

1.) Try to submit your application early in the year

I submitted as soon as I was eligible in January 2017, as it turned out I think this is the best time of year to submit an application. Everyone is settling in after Christmas break, and there are not many public holidays or breaks in the year. Submitting later in the year (say April-June) runs the risk of an additional few months waiting time due to public holidays and summer vacations.

2.) Compile all of your Swedish employment history before hand

One of the longer questions asks about your employment history in Sweden, including salary. Prior to starting the application it’s very helpful to review old tax returns, or make a quick list of any jobs held with their accompanying salary.

3.) Do not forget to print the application

The very last step (and the one I missed) is to download the application to print it out. If you do not download and print the completed application, you must wait up to another 10 days to receive a printed copy back from Migrationsverket.

4.) Wait about one month before requesting your passport back

I approached the citizenship application under the assumption I would be “grounded” and stay put in Stockholm until I heard back from Migrationsverket. While my plans changed and I ended up needing my passport back, I would generally plan on waiting at least one month before requesting it back. This way you can ensure you application is received and the processing has started.

5.) Book an early passport time and show up early

I booked the earliest time they had available at 9:30. I showed up 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time and checked in. A few minutes later I was out the door, prior to my scheduled time.

6.) “You can smile, but without showing any teeth”

When at the Police station to take the passport photo, the woman told me I could smile, as long as I didn’t show any teeth. I couldn’t help but laugh because the way it was said was so incredibly Swedish, reminded me of all the “toothless” family photos I see of friends, family, etc.

Getting a Swedish Passport

April 4, 2017 / Karl

Following the news of receiving Swedish citizenship, I immediately wanted to schedule a time to get my Swedish passport. As I’ve mentioned many times before, the process and general efficiency when dealing with the various immigration authorities has been very streamlined (at least in my case), and attaining a Swedish passport was no exception (in total it took 6 days).

The actual process of getting a passport is quite different from what I’m used to in the USA. There’s no formal application process, photos, or questionnaires to submit. All passports and national ID cards are handled through the Police, if you’re in Stockholm simply go to bokapassitstockholm.se, find the nearest location and create a new booking.

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If you’re not in Stockholm, here is the complete listing of places around Sweden to book a time. The obvious prerequisite being you are in fact a citizen, have a personnummer, etc. I think in general the times are fairly open and flexible, I managed to book a favorable time only one week after receiving Swedish citizenship.

Because this was my first Swedish passport I needed to bring my certificate of Swedish citizenship (sent by Migrationsverket), as well as a current for of identification. To be on the safe side I brought both my USA passport and my Swedish ID card. As it turns out only the certificate and a Swedish ID are required. While in previous interactions with authorities I was required to bring my residence or permanent residence card, once you become a Swedish citizen the card is no longer valid and it’s required to send the card to an address provided by Migrationsverket.

With regards to the actual experience at the Police station, everything was great. I arrived 10 minutes prior to my scheduled appointment. After taking a number and checking in, my number was called about one minute later. Within 8 minutes (and one minute prior to my scheduled time), I was finished. When I approached the desk I was first asked to pay for the passport. I wanted both the passport and the national ID card, costing 350 SEK and 400 SEK respectively (about $85 USD total). After payment was approved they scanned my Swedish citizenship document, took my photo, and scanned my fingerprints. I then confirmed all information was correct and added a signature. I was told when the passport and ID card are ready to pickup the Police send a text message.

As promised I received two text messages from the Police, one indicating the passport was ready and the second indicating the ID card was ready. The process of picking up the passport was identical, moments after checking in at the automated kiosk, my number was called. I presented identification and my receipt from the previous visit and received the passport and ID card.

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Below is a complete timeline of the process I went through to receive a Swedish passport:

March 23 – booked time online to take passport info at police station
March 30 – went to police station to take passport info, etc.
March 31 – received notice my ID card was ready
April 4 – received notice my passport was ready

Overall the process of receiving a Swedish passport was extremely efficient and straightforward. Feel free to get in touch with any questions.

-Karl

Applying for Swedish Citizenship

March 23, 2017April 4, 2017 / Karl

2016-12-06 12.52.09

Since I moved abroad, it was always in the back of mind that someday I would like to hold dual citizenship. As an American, it is allowed to hold dual citizenship with the USA and Sweden, because of this, earlier this year I applied for Swedish citizenship. As of today, I’m happy to report I now hold dual American and Swedish citizenship.

When looking into applying for Swedish citizenship I was first led to believe you must reside in Sweden for five years prior to ever applying. A further investigation revealed that dependent on your particular situation, the time prior to applying varies. In my case, I have lived with a Swedish citizen for three years (see the different Migrationsverket requirements here), so three years after receiving my first Swedish visa I submitted my application.

Prior to submitting my application I did a bit of reconnoissance work to see what I was up against. I knew of two American friends who had recently applied for their Swedish citizenship. Surprisingly their stories where extremely different. One friend had been here five years and fairly swiftly applied and was approved in only five months. The other friend applied after living in Sweden three years, nearly six months after applying this friend still had yet to hear any response, and indicated it was a wait time of up to 18 months.

In addition to speaking with friends, I logged into Migrationsverket and took a look at the actual Swedish citizenship application. Quite honestly I was surprised by the relative simplicity of the actual application. That being said, after applying for the initial visa and subsequently the permanent residence permit they already have a wealth of information on all applicants, so it sort of makes sense. The questions on the application are very straightforward, more or less, confirming your basic details like country of residence, address, existing citizenship, etc. The more detailed questions ask about work history in Sweden and how much money you’ve made at each particular job. The final question is simply an open text field where you have 1,000 characters to write something to Migrationsverket. A few side notes—it is required to send your current passport via certified mail, along with the signed citizenship application. The 1,500 SEK (around $170 USD) application fee is fairly affordable compared to some other citizenship applications. To check out the application on Migrationsverket, click here.

A couple of things to point out when applying for Swedish citizenship. First, the entire application is in Swedish. While this really wasn’t an issue for me, it could be helpful to have a Swede (or Google translate) nearby when applying. It’s worth noting when I applied I answered the only “long” question in English. Second, after submitting the application do not forget to print out the application. There is a small button that says “SKRIV UT,” in my excitement of applying I completely missed this small button. As you must sign the application and send it in to the Migrationsverket office, if you don’t print it, you can’t sign it. Because I figured out I neglected to print after it was too late, I added an extra step to my application process, which required sending an email, including my case number, to Migrationsverket to print and send me the completed form to sign (this email address utskrift@migrationsverket.se).

The Migrationsverket website helps manage expectations about application decisions, clearly indicating all non priority inquiries can from 12 to 18 months to process. Because of this, you can request your passport back at any time (this form). After waiting about a month for Migrationsverket to receive and register my application as received, I requested my passport back for some upcoming travel. After requesting the passport, I received it via certified mail two days later. Included with the passport was a form asking if I had traveled since applying for citizenship. I completed the form and sent it back immediately upon return from my trip abroad. During my time away I received another letter from Migrationsverket indicating I needed to send my passport back to them within 30 days so they could finish processing the application.

From submitting the citizenship application, to receiving notice I was approved, the process took 67 days. From applying for my first ever Swedish visa back in 2013, to receiving Swedish citizenship it took a total of 1,186 days (it was actually 39 months exactly Dec. 23, 2013-March 23, 2017). Below is a complete timeline of everything that happened with my citizenship application

January 15 – submitted application online
January 15 – neglected to export/ print, sent first email to Migrationsverket asking to send
January 24 – no documents emailed again asking to send
January 30 – received, and sent passport & citizenship documents to Migrationsverket
February 20 – requested passport back for upcoming trip
February 23 – received requested passport back for upcoming trip
March 1 – received notice from Migrationsverket requesting passport back within 30 days
March 13 – sent passport back to Migrationsverket
March 20 – a decision has been made by Migrationsverket
March 22 – online application updated to reflect “a decision has been made”
March 23 – received letter and certificate of citizenship from Migrationsverket

Bottom line about the Swedish citizenship process, while I think everyone has heard horror stories about wait times and queues, I cannot commend the work of Migrationsverket enough. Every interaction I have had has been very reasonable and timely. Well done.

Skål för Sverige!

-Karl

Work visas and wait times: How to get hired in Stockholm (part 2)

May 20, 2016May 20, 2016 / meredithgpopolo

The visa process

And now, for the not-so-fun part. Because of the refugee crisis in Europe, the Swedish Migration Agency is tight on resources, causing delays in all operations. So while the work visa used to be processed in as few as 2 weeks, estimated wait times were ranging from 2 to 5 months (which still pale in comparison to the 14-month wait time for a sambo visa!).

Knowing this, I negotiated a clause in my contract that said that if my visa took longer than 3 months to get approved, we would renegotiate the terms. This helped me feel confident that the company wouldn’t pull out the offer, and also gave me some flexibility. (Friends and family were skeptical that the company would be willing to wait so long for me to start, but remember that many Swedish employees have a 3-month notice period for resignation, so it really wasn’t much different than hiring someone already employed in Sweden.)

I can’t speak highly enough of the Recruitment Manager at my new company, who put up with all my questions and eased my nerves when it felt like the wait would go on forever. She clearly explained the visa process to me and kept me updated regularly.

After signing the contract, my company sent a copy to the Union, which had to approve the terms of our agreement. Basically they look at whether the offer meets the salary requirements and so forth. It took about 10 days to get approval from the Union, at which point my company could initiate the work visa application. They filled out an application on their end, and the next day I received my portion to complete. It called for pretty basic information like employment history and took maybe two hours to complete. I clicked submit and BOOM, I was on my way to getting a work visa.

The wait

The hardest part about waiting is you have no idea how long it could take. I wanted to take some time to travel, but didn’t want to be backpacking through the rainforest when my visa finally came through and have to scramble my way back home as quickly as possible. So I did some traveling here and there, but nothing farther than a 5-hour flight.

I started off calling MV every week or so for an update, but quickly learned that as the employee, I had little sway. When my employer called, however, they seemed to take it a bit more seriously. Still, each person we spoke with gave a different vague reply, mostly repeating what was written on the website. About 7 weeks in, the Recruiting Manager informed me that we had been assigned a case officer — finally!! — and I was thrilled. That didn’t last long, though, because we soon found out the case officer was on vacation for 4 weeks and on top of that, only worked one day per week! Ohhhh, Sweden… Still, having a direct contact at MV was helpful because we could target our pestering.

As part of a city-wide initiative to promote moving to Stockholm to join the tech scene, my company published a Q&A with me. I figured it couldn’t hurt to send the article to my case officer, and it might even lend some legitimacy to my case. After all, how bad would it look if Stockholm was trying to encourage people to move there, but the visa process took so long that we had to pull out?! While I can’t say for sure that sending the article helped my case, I magically received an email the next day confirming that my case had been settled.

Important: The email does not state whether my visa had been approved or denied, just that the case “has been settled.” My employer called MV and confirmed that indeed I had a visa! In total, I waited 11 weeks.

Things moved pretty fast from here. My company booked me on a flight to Stockholm that weekend and because I’m from a country that doesn’t require a visa to visit Sweden, I could fly over and visit MV to have my fingerprints/photo taken from there. (If you’re from a country that needs a visa to visit Sweden, I believe this must be done at the nearest embassy, prior to entering Sweden.)

I landed in Stockholm on March 1 and started work the next day.

Work visas and wait times: How to get hired in Stockholm (part 1)

May 18, 2016May 18, 2016 / meredithgpopolo

The job hunt

Stockholm is an exciting city to work in right now, especially if you’re interested in the tech scene. Some people have even gone as far as calling it the Unicorn Factory — a reference to the number of billion-dollar startups it produces.

With so many startups, there are ample employment opportunities. I had heard from other expats that it was nearly impossible to find a job in Sweden (especially if you don’t speak Swedish), but I think that entirely depends on your skill set and industry because I found quite the opposite to be true. Tech startups in particular are very English-friendly because in order to scale up in size, they likely have to expand internationally.

I had my eye on Stockholm for a while, so when I decided to seriously start job hunting here, I had a few ideas where to start. I hardly used any job sites to find openings, although The Local and Hyper Island job board both have a fair number of opportunities for English-only speakers. For the most part, I constantly checked the career pages of fast-growing companies I admired and did my best to network with people who worked there as well.

I found Twitter incredibly helpful when trying to network remotely. In one instance, I started up a Twitter conversation with a CMO at one of my target companies. (Note: a conversation does NOT mean asking about job opportunities.) A few weeks later, coincidentally or not, I was contacted by the company to interview. When we met on Skype, the interviewer mentioned that she heard I had spoken with the CMO. Ultimately, the job wasn’t a perfect match, but I was super impressed with the internal communication — a testament to the flat organizational structure that makes Swedish companies so appealing.

I had pretty good luck landing interviews, but it took a few months before I found a company and a role that was a fit: A content producer at FinTech growth company.

The original job posting required fluency in both English and Swedish, but a friend of mine (who happened to know a recruiter at the company!) encouraged me to apply anyway. I made it clear in my cover letter that while I don’t yet speak fluently, I thought I had other skills that would be very valuable in the meantime. I was contacted about a week later and began the interview process.

The interview process

The interview process was a bit more intense than I’ve experienced at New York companies. Perhaps that’s because in Sweden it’s much harder to fire someone, so the company needs to make sure you’re the best fit? Anyway, my first round interview consisted of a Skype call with the Head of Marketing, which I honestly thought went pretty poorly because he was calling from a noisy cafe in Barcelona where the wifi kept dropping, making it difficult to have an engaging conversation. But I guess it went well enough because he asked me to send over some writing samples and a week or so later, I was asked to take a few aptitude tests.

The testing — which consisted of a personality test and timed reasoning, creativity, and logical deductive tests — was the strangest part for me because I’ve never been asked to take more than an edit test in the U.S. But again, I made it through. As a next step, the company flew me out to Stockholm for face-to-face meetings. It was a long day of back-to-back interviews but I received a verbal offer before I left the offices. They sent through a formal offer letter the next day, which I was thrilled to accept. All in all, it took about 5 weeks from the day I applied to the day I accepted my offer.

Check back on Friday for more on the application process and the great wait.

Introducing a New Perspective

May 16, 2016 / Karl

Södermalm as seen from a rooftop.

In June 2014, just a few months after launching Moving to Stockholm, I received an email from Meredith who had stubbled across the blog while searching for better information about attaining residency in Sweden. Following her initial email, for the next several weeks we went back and forth discussing Sweden, Stockholm, residency, work, and everything in between.

Fast forward a few months and eventually she arrived in Stockholm (by way of New York City) on a tourist visa to see if it actually was a place worth moving across the Atlantic, ultimately deciding to stay and give the Nordics a go!

As we have become good friends over the past two years I invited Meredith to share her experience attaining a work visa in Sweden. While our experiences were vastly different, we were each still granted residency. I hope publishing additional perspectives will continue to add value to those interested in moving to Sweden.

In the coming weeks look forward to more frequently updated content from Meredith and I – ranging from our fun experiences as expatriates abroad, to stories from the Swedish office, to our favourite places in and around Stockholm.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for articles – feel free to contact me.

-Karl

The Permanent Residence Permit

February 24, 2016February 24, 2016 / Karl

Canvas_strandvagen_final

It is hard to believe over two years have passed since I initially applied for my residence permit and work visa. As the initial permit is valid for two years from the date of issue, January 16, 2016 was the expiration date.

After living and working in Sweden for two years with the sambo visa you are allowed to apply for a permanent residence. According to the Swedish rules regarding application of the permanent residence visa applicants are eligible to apply at the earliest 30 days before the visa is set to expire. Prior to submitting the application I had reviewed everything my girlfriend and I needed to do so when December 16, 2015 rolled around all I needed to do was pay the fee and submit the application.

The application to acquire the permanent residence permit is straightforward and easy to fill out (assuming you are still with your same sambo), requiring only three things:

Form to be completed online by the applicant
Completed and signed assurance of cohabitation form (filled out by your significant other)
Proof of identity

The actual application and assurance of cohabitation are only two pages long and ask the same simple questions regarding personal details, your relationship status, travel outside of Sweden, any other information you wish to submit, and a signed declaration the information is true. To prove my identity I submitted a copy of my passport, Swedish identification card, and my old visa card. With all three of the above documents completed I created an account using my email address, paid the 1500 SEK fee (around $175) and submitted the application.

I received this email after paying the fee and submitting the application.

As Migrationsverket is quite busy nowadays I wasn’t sure what to expect with regards to a wait time. Even if your visa expires while waiting for a decision to be made, you can still remain in Sweden, as well as move back and forth between other countries without a hassle, so long as you can prove you have initiated a new application process. While traveling back from a trip abroad at the immigration desk they simply asked to see my expired visa, as well as an email confirming my application.

After hearing nothing for over a month, on January 22, 2016 I received word from Migrationsverket they required more information about my case. In this instance I had been traveling quite frequently in and out of Sweden from 2014 – 2016, and they simply wanted a record of my travels and reentry in to the country, as well as if my girlfriend had accompanied me while travelling.

I received this email when Migrationsverket required additional information.

Fast forward a few days – on January 29, 2016 I found out a decision had been made and my case was now closed. I was quite excited to learn a decision had been made, however, Migrationsverket does not inform you of the decision via email. So, upon logging into my case account, it still merely stated a decision has been made, and I will receive a letter soon regarding the decision.

I received this email indicating my case was settled.

As frustrating as it was to have to wait all weekend wondering my case status, come Tuesday morning I received the letter indicating a permanent residence permit was granted (yay!). The letter indicated their decision was based on the fact my girlfriend and I are still together, we still live at the same address as originally provided, and I have a job and contribute taxes. After receiving the decision the only thing left for me to do was book an appointment at the Migrationsverket office (I went to Solna) to have my fingerprints and photograph taken for a new visa.

Booking an appointment online took no time at all, and having the fingerprints and photograph was very easy as well. Upon arrival at Migrationsverket I checked in using the confirmation number sent to me via email. Apparently I was one of a few with an appointment – as soon as I checked in, my name appeared on the screen to proceed to one of the stations. The woman assisting me was extremely kind and helpful, she needed to verify my passport, take my old visa card, took my photo and fingerprints, I verified the information was correct – and that was it! I was in and out in less than five minutes. Six days later I received the new visa card in the mail.

Overall, the process I experienced couldn’t have been more simple and streamlined. While others experiences may differ significantly, I have never had a single issue dealing with Migrationsverket. Total time to process and receive my permanent residence visa was 58 days. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to reference my other posts on attaining residency in Sweden, or send me an email.

-Karl

Other posts in this series:

Duolingo Releases Swedish in Beta!

January 5, 2015May 16, 2016 / Karl / Leave a comment

Duolingo, the free, popular language learning application for desktop and mobile has now released its Swedish for English speakers course in beta! I’ve spent the last few days working with the app on desktop (mobile is not released until it is out of beta), and I really enjoy the course. For those looking for a fun, simple, and actually useful learning solution, I definitely recommend Duolingo over any other course I have used – exceptionally useful for vocabulary expansion. If you are just starting out learning Swedish, or are well into your Swedish studies, Duolingo accommodates all levels of learning. Check it out today and sign up now (everything is completely free)! Learning Swedish has never been more easier.

Speaking Swedish: 10 Useful Swedish Phrases

October 27, 2014October 27, 2014 / Karl / 2 Comments

As a foreigner in Sweden, when I am back home, I’m often asked, “so, do you speak any Swedish now.” My short answer is always yes – in part because a lot of the Swedish-ness has worn off on me and I simply don’t want to talk more than I have to, but also in part because I have learned a fair amount of Swedish. Am I fluent….no, but I can carry on daily conversation, and I can order a beer.

In this post I wanted to compile a few of the most useful Swedish phrases/ words I have learned – I think as someone still trying to fit in with Swedes, language is very important, speaking the native tongue is a great step in trying to assimilate in a foreign land. Below I have included 10 bits of Swedish I think are important, as well as the English translation:

1.) “Jag heter…”

Swedes like to introduce themselves quickly, often times you just say your name with a handshake, but you can also say “Jag heter,” meaning, “I am called…” It can be entertaining to surprise an unsuspecting Swede with a very random introduction – sometimes to evoke a reaction I like to say, “Jag heter Kalle Anka Jul hus vagn.” Literally translated, “I am called Donald Duck Christmas House Wagon (motorhome).” Swedes usually think it’s dumb, but fun nonetheless. Primary take away – “Jag heter (insert something)” is a useful and fun way to surprise Swedes or introduce oneself.

Kalle Anka’s Jul husvagn

2.) “En grillad med bröd”

This is one of the most important phrases you will ever learn in Swedish – how to order a grill korv. Literally translated “A sausage with bread.” This is important stuff. A couple of notes when ordering a korv – Swedes talk extremely fast, I have discovered, the quicker, and more jumbled I say “en grilled med bröd” (so like this “engrilladmedbröd”), the better the service.

Here you can see grillkorv that will feed one Swede for 3 days.

3.) “Jag förstår inte svenska”

This is also very important. Translated we get “I understand not Swedish,” or “I don’t understand Swedish.” This is a powerful tool. Whenever I am in a situation in Sweden and I don’t know what to do, I simply shout, or reply “Jag förstår inte svenska” and everyone leaves me alone. Seriously. The best part, when you are elsewhere in the world, you can easily substitute “svenska” for the language wherever you are – in US, “Jag förstår inte engelska.”

Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden doesn’t understand.

4.) “Fem stora öl, tack”

Much like ordering a grillkorv, purchasing a beer at a club or bar is very important. Literally translated this means “Five large beers, (please or thanks).” In Sweden it is forbidden to order rounds of drinks for the group. You always only order drinks for yourself. In this particular example, “fem stora öl, tack,” you are ordering five beers for yourself, to last an hour, maybe longer. Take note of the strategy in this example – five beers all at once, from the same bar – avoid the queue, pay a lot of money up front, forget about the purchase by the end of the night. As a side note, fem stora öl, tack might run you upwards of 400-500 SEK depending on the bar, the beer, and the time.

A relatively inexpensive beer, Stockholm Festival

5.) “Glad Midsommar” or “Hade du en bra Midsommar”

Literally translated “happy Midsummer” or “did you have a good Midsummer?” There are few things held more sacred in Sweden than Midsommer. Celebrated in the middle of June, to Swedes Midsommer is like Christmas and every other holiday on steroids, and celebrated with more alcohol. While you can expect a post dedicated to Midsommer at a later date, the main point here – if you are lost in conversation with a Swede, don’t know what to say, or want to attempt Swedish small talk – bring up Midsommar – something along the lines of “hade du en bra Midsommer” is enough to hear several hours worth of stories from two nights of excessive alcohol consumption and fish eating. Instantly get on a Swedes good side when asking about Midsummer shenanigans.

Swedes enjoying Midsommar.

6.) “Var är närmaste Ikea?”

“Where is the nearest Ikea?” Another loved Swedish export is Ikea – Ikea is an institution here. You need to know how to ask where the nearest one is – with so many Ikea stores, it is important to always get to the nearest one to save petrol (gasoline). When you are at Ikea, waiting in the excessively long checkout lines, be sure to use tip #2 and order up a few grill korvs, or the controversial horse meatballs (häst köttbullar).

A typical Ikea found in every Swedish town.

7.) “Hej”

The word “hej” is the most common greeting you will hear in Sweden, and translates to “hi”. Depending on the vocal inflection and the number of times said it can take on many different meanings. For example, a spirited “hej hej!” is a much different greeting than plain “hej.” Being able to recognize the difference when you are greeted with friends, while shopping, etc. is very important, because it will determine which greeting you respond with. You cannot reply to “hej hej!” with just “hej,” and vice versa. Learn the proper usage of “hej” to avoid sending the wrong message to your new Swedish friends.

Hej or Hej Hej?

8.) “Aah”

Out of all the Swedish words, “aah,” (pronounced aww) is one of my favorites. In daily conversation Swedes love to say “aah” as a response to everything. “Aah” can mean yes, no, maybe, or just something to say. I can recall entire conversations with Swedes where we just say “aah” back and forth. Next time you are on the train, or walking the streets, listen to the Swedes around you, it’s like a nationwide chorus of “aah.”

Greg Poehler from Welcome to Sweden trying to figure out the best response to “Aah”

9.) “Vill du ta en fika”

Everyone knows Swedes love their coffee – translated this is simply, “will you have a coffee/ Swedish pastry.” Alternatively you can ask, “vill du fika” and it means the same thing. Fika is an important part of Swedish life, and it happens at least 2, sometimes 3 or 4 times daily. When practicing asking, be careful who is around, as you are sure to find at least one Swede interested in going for a fika.

Johan apparently likes to fika.

10.) “Eller hur!?”

I mentioned earlier Swedes like to speak very rapidly, and when learning it can be hard to understand. I always heard Swedes saying “eller hur” but when they spoke it sounded like “eller sju.” One day I finally asked why they are saying “or seven” – as it turns out, I was wrong – “eller hur,” meaning “or how,” is what was being said. This can be loosely compared to the English “as if,” or “ya right,” and can be used in conversation to indicate or expect agreement from someone, as well as used sarcastically.

Zlatan is the best Swedish futboler ever, eller hur?

By incorporating these 10 simple phrases/ words into your daily Swedish routine, you’ll be able to navigate the Swedish language with ease. Stay tuned for more great tips to survive in Sweden – coming up soon, which store in Sweden has the best godis (candy) aisle.

Cheers,

//Karl

Surviving Sweden: 10 tips to fit in as a foreigner

October 24, 2014October 24, 2014 / Karl / 2 Comments

So you’ve made the decision to visit Sweden, you’re thinking about moving to Sweden, or you have already arrived – now what? How does a foreigner with little to no knowledge of Sweden fit in – from my experiences and observations over the last year I have compiled a short list to help foreigners act/ look more Swedish.

1.) Acquire a Taste for korv

Korv, known to the rest of the world as a hot dog, is for some reason one of the most popular foods in Sweden. In grocery stores, korv has an entire aisle, and nearly every restaurant serves a form of korv. On average, Swedes consume at least one korv daily, so it is a great idea to acquire a taste. The good news – there is a korv for nearly every occasion – to name a few popular korvs – grill korv, falukorv, prinskorv, Jul korv, Tunnbrödsrulle (korv in a tortilla with potatoes), Potatiskorv, French korv, the list goes on and on. Korv is an institution in Sweden, there might even be a korv minister? Enjoy a few images of korv below.

A grillkorv

A French Korv

A Tunnbrdsrulle

2.) Start using walking poles

In Sweden it is almost impossible to get around without walking poles. I suggest after arriving in Sweden, go and purchase a high quality set of walking poles. While the public transportation within the city is quite good, using walking poles is a much better option for travel. No one really knows the point of using walking poles, but they are essential to have. I recommend watching this sweet video and learn how to properly walk with BungyPump.

A Swedish person using BungyPump walking poles on a morning commute to work.

3.) Dust off your Chuck Taylor All Stars

Even though the rest of the world stopped wearing Converse shoes in the 1970’s, there are many sort of antiquated/ “old school” things people still do in Sweden. One of these things is wearing Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars. My recommendation – this is year round shoe, and Converse has found a great market and markup in Sweden – buy a couple of pairs before you arrive in Sweden. If you manage to get the hi-tops and low-tops in white, you are sure to be the envy of every Swede.

A Chuck Taylor All Star Hi-Top

4.) Prepare to queue up everywhere

Swedes have an odd obsession with queues. Every single place you go there is a queue. You must never disrespect the queue. Take a number and prepare to wait, patiently. Extremely patiently. No one is ever in a hurry in Sweden. From the bank, to the club, to government buildings, to the grocery store, to the post office, to restaurants, there will be a queue. Learning to wait patiently and quietly until your number is called is an absolute essential in Sweden.

The Swedish Lunchtime Queue

5.) If you don’t drink coffee, start now. If you drink coffee, start drinking more

Swedes love their coffee. More specifically they love to take a fika. Taking a fika typically means interrupting your work or leisure day several times to drink a coffee and eat Swedish pastries. A few notes about the fika – it is something that cannot be avoided, ever. The Swedish coffee is also 10x stronger than coffee everywhere else. A fika is best with ultra strong coffee and cinnamon buns.

A morning office Fika

6.) Purchase a tanning bed and a sleeping blindfold

In the spring, fall, and winter it is very rare to see the sun in Sweden. In order to combat the lack of sun I would recommend purchasing a tanning bed for your home or apartment. If a tanning bed is out of the question because your apartment is 23 meters squared, perhaps a large bottle of vitamin D pills will suffice. On the other hand, in the summer, the sun doesn’t go down. While this has certain advantages when at the club, etc. it also proves problematic when trying to maintain a normal sleeping routine. A sleep blindfold or mask of some sort is highly recommended.

Stockholm at noon during the winter months.

A Swedish tanning bed

A sleeping blindfold

7.) Avoid eye contact

Swedes are generally very introverted and keep to themselves. If you meet a Swede on the street (driving, walking, etc.) you are not supposed to look at them, and never are you allowed to say hello. When you are waiting for the train, bus, etc. you are supposed to respect the individual “bubble” and keep your distance. Typically between 3 and 5 meters. On the bus and train, you are not allowed to sit next to anyone, the side-by-side seat configuration is only to enforce the personal space rule in rather confined quarters. This is important so I will reiterate the main points – no eye contact, no talking, wear headphones, look at your phone.

Waiting for the buss, like a Swede.

8.) Open a special savings account specifically for alcohol consumption

It’s no secret, Swedes like alcohol. To most Swedish people, paying 5-10 SEK for a beer in the store is normal, and paying 50-70 SEK for a beer at a bar is a deal – for others (like myself) at home I can purchase a round of beers for the bar for less than 100 SEK. Keep in mind alcohol sales are highly regulated by the government, and the only place to purchase alcohol is from the government controlled monopoly, Systembolaget. I recommend to start saving now so you can have an alcoholic beverage when you are in Sweden.

A Systembolaget store in Sweden

Perfectly organized beer in Systembolaget, most likely waiting in a queue

9.) Download Spotify, now.

If you don’t already have Spotify on your iPhone, iPad, and Macbook, you should probably just go home. The same goes for Candy Crush. It is hard to fit in with Swedes if you do not have a Spotify playlist to follow, or a Candy Crush level to compare. Swedes love their world exports, Spotify and King happen to be two notable institutions within the country. Furthermore, if you live in Sweden and you have Spotify and Candy Crush on your phone, you have some activities to engage in while you are avoiding eye contact on the daily commute. As I write this I am listening to Avicii, Tove-Lo, Alesso, and Zara Larsson, simultaneously – that’s how Swedish I have become.

Time to download Spotify

10.) You need a lot of coats

Contrary to popular belief, Sweden only has two seasons (white winter & green winter), just kidding, but you get the point. It’s cold here a lot. It rains here a lot. Swedes have this obsession with owning ridiculous amounts of coats – there is some saying someone once told me about “having a coat for whatever you are doing” or something like that. I would recommend bringing every coat you own, the weather often changes quickly and it is best to be prepared no matter what. 10-15 coats seems adequate.

A fairly typical day in Sweden, about an hour later the Swedes had the summer coats on.

If you follow these 10 simple tips, no one will know you are a foreigner. Check back to view some of the upcoming Surviving Sweden posts covering in more depth – how to properly cook a grillkorv, the correct meaning in Swedish of words like “slut,” “fart,” etc., as well as additional tips, and how to navigate the extensive candy (godis) aisle at the supermarket.

Cheers,

//Karl