Living in Sweden
as an expat
106+ practical English guides covering expat life in Sweden — from getting your Personnummer to navigating BankID, Skatteverket, and the Swedish housing market.
Start here — Personnummer & registration- 106+
- Guides
- 9
- Topics
- 10M+
- Population
- 2026
- Verified
Do these in order — skip none
Your first week checklist
- 1Register at Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency)
- 2Get your personnummer (personal identity number)
- 3Open a bank account or use Wise temporarily
- 4Set up BankID — your Swedish digital identity
- 5Register for Swedish healthcare (vårdcentral)
- 6Get a SIM card — Comviq or Lycamobile are cheapest
- 7Set up Swish — Sweden's mobile payment system
- 8Register your tax card at Skatteverket
First steps
Arriving
Personnummer, Skatteverket registration, BankID — do these first.
Money & tax
Banking & Money
Open a Swedish bank account, set up BankID, transfer money internationally.
A place to live
Housing
Find an apartment, understand the Swedish rental market and tenant rights.
Staying well
Healthcare
The Swedish healthcare system, how to find a GP, dental care, and Vårdguiden.
Work & career
Work & Career
Work permits, employment contracts, salary expectations in Sweden.
Everyday life
Daily Life
SIM cards, public transport, cultural norms for daily life.
Schools & study
Education
International schools, Swedish universities for international students, and childcare.
For your community
Country-Specific Guides
Tailored guides for Indian, international, and IT expats in Sweden.
Explore & escape
Travel & Trips
All Sweden guides are verified against official sources — Skatteverket, Migrationsverket, Försäkringskassan, and 1177 Vårdguiden — and updated for 2026.
Send money home without the bank markup
Most Swedish banks add a 3–5% hidden margin on the exchange rate when you send money abroad. Wise uses the real mid-market rate with a small, transparent fee shown upfront — so more of your money actually arrives.
- ✓ Hold SEK, EUR, GBP and 40+ currencies in one account
- ✓ Get a local EUR/GBP IBAN — useful before your Swedish bank is open
- ✓ Wise debit card works in Sweden and across the EU
Referral link — we may earn a reward if you sign up. It doesn't affect your fees.
Cover the gap before your personnummer comes through
Public healthcare in Sweden is tied to your personnummer and your registration with Försäkringskassan, neither of which is in place the day you land.SafetyWing covers that gap with affordable travel-medical insurance you can start before you arrive and cancel once you're in the system.
- ✓ Covers the gap before your personnummer-linked healthcare is active
- ✓ Monthly subscription — cancel anytime once you're covered
- ✓ Designed for remote workers and new arrivals abroad
Affiliate link — we earn a small commission if you sign up. It doesn't affect your price.