Hello, me and 2 friends of mine are visiting Stockholm for a weekend in a few weeks.

We know more or less the touristy stuff we want to do, but I was hoping to get some advice on student night life (we are all between 19 and 21)

Any recommendation’s for bars / clubs would be appreciated!

Tack så mycket in advance :)

Hey everyone, I have been trying to get some clarity on the citizenship by descent question and have been seeing a lot of conflicting information. This sub had a lot of good content, so I wanted to pose my question here. Some quick additional context:

• My maternal grandmother was born in Sweden and has only ever held a Swedish citizenship / passport. She moved to the States and Canada when she married my grandfather (a non-Swedish citizen) on a green card / permanent residency, but never renounced her Swedish citizenship
  • My grandmother still owns property in Sweden and visited her family every summer up until COVID
• My mother was born in the States ~10 years prior to the automatic matrilineal citizenship allowance of 1979 and has only ever held an American citizenship / passport
  • Growing up, my mother visited Sweden every summer and still keeps in contact with our family over there

My question is two-fold: even though my mom was born prior to automatic matrilineal citizenship by descent, is there a possibility she would be eligible for citizenship now given that a. her mother is a Swedish citizen and b. She has substantial ties to the country throughout her childhood? We have all the documents including birth certificates, marriage licenses, old passports, etc. readily accessible.

If my mother is eligible for citizenship, I (mid-20s) would ultimately like to similarly apply for citizenship through my mother. I have a strong desire to get in touch with my family history (currently leaning the language) and would also benefit greatly from having an EU passport. I know there is the whole issue of registration of citizenship by age 22, but I am not sure if that only applies to folks who received citizenship automatically through their parents (i.e., not my mother’s case given she was born pre-1979 and theoretically also not my case given that my mother was not a citizen able to pass citizenship on to me prior to my 22nd birthday) or if that limit applies even to people retroactively applying for citizenship by descent.

I ultimately may consult with a specialist given this unique situation, but I wanted to post here as well in case anyone had relevant firsthand experience about the process. Thank you in advance!

MV has kept my PR with them as part of citizenship application. My current PR(PUT card) will be expired by end of 2025. I wonder with all this current political situation and citizenship delays continue.. how can I get my PR card renew ? would that be possible ?

Hi,

I'm hoping to be approved on a cohabit visa sometime next year (fingers crossed) and have just been asked additional questions by migrationsverket in regards to how/what I intend to do with by UK business and working in Sweden.

I currently run/own a UK ltd company with 5x employees. Our work and clients are global (primarily EU + USA) and would like to obviously continue doing this from Sweden.

From research and from speaking to Swedish friends, they have suggested setting up an AB and then drawing a salary from this personally. Can anyone see any holes/flaws in this? Any other suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

My older friends and relatives have repeatedly mentioned the importance of private pension accounts and how this has helped them plan for retirement. I am 24 years old, and I am thinking of opening one. I know it is quite a big thing in the Netherlands and the UK, but is it worth it in Sweden? Is the government encouraging such investments?

- My company has an agreement with SEB, so they sound like the most straightforward option if I open the account. But is there any website where you can compare the choices and see which has the lowest commission/admin fees?

Thank you all!

Hi,

I am on garden leave since August and my garden leave is ending in 31st of December. I have an offer from another company and they want me to join ASAP. I have no issues in joining them, however, they have a form in which they are asking about the last working day, technically it’s 31st of December however my garden leave was in effect since 5th of August. Has anyone else been in the same situation before? What should I put my last working day? Should I put 31 December and mention the garden leave?

Hello! I will be moving with my senior dog. She has an existing auto immune disease and I was wondering how it works with going to a vet in Sweden when I've never been to one before. Will they accept my documentation from my vet or will I have to test for her disease again to be able to get treatment? It's a very expensive test but it's not so much the cost I'm worried about. Her disease usually flares when she is very stressed (i.e. moving), so I will probably have to get her treatment quickly once I get there and having to wait for a test to come back will suck.

I plan on having my partner call and ask but I figured I would also ask and see if anyone here had any experience with this scenario. Thank you ahead of time!

Hi everyone,

4 weeks ago I sent my request to conclude a case to Migrationsverket.

I did get automated email reply that they got my email, but nothing else.

It's been exactly 4 weeks yesterday.

I was wondering when did you usually get your reply ? I totally understand that it will be a denial of course, I was just wondering if I should call them tomorrow or wait a few more weeks.

Im renting an apartment and my landlord said I should get insurance as it is recommended that both the tenant and landlord have insurance. I asked if it was mandatory to which she replied yes. However a quick google and it seems there is no law that says home insurance is mandatory. Is it different for renting? Do I need it? I’ll only be living here for about a year and I won’t have anything very valuable in my apartment.

TheLocal has been on fire past few days about the new understanding that the government has reached. But all these articles are pretty shallow in their content. They claim that they want to significantly slowdown the process. But no article actually explains how.

It just seems like they might have thrown in some new administrative steps but what exactly are those and what is the real impact on the process workload?

TLDR: Flickvän arbetar cirka 12 timmars pass 5 dagar i veckan, en dag 7 timmar med 30m rast. Hon blir frekvent mobbad av ägarna på stället genom hot om att hon ska bli tillbaka skickad hem, samt hot om fysiskt våld genom att slå henne i huvudet. Vet ej hur jag ska hjälpa henne då migrationsverket kräver att arbetsgivaren lämnar intyg samt att arbetsavtal som de inte har gett henne. Är rädd att situationen förvärras när hon ber om dessa.

Hej.

Jag har en flickvän som har nu varit i Sverige i ett år och arbetar som köksbiträde med arbetstillstånd. Hennes arbetstider är:

Måndag - Ledig

Tisdag - 09-20:30

Onsdag - 09-16:30

Torsdag - 09-20:30

Fredag - 09-20:30

Lördag - 09-20:30

Söndag - 09-20:30

Under hennes arbetspass har hon endast 30 minuters rast, något hon behövde fråga efter, tidigare var det 15 minuter. 09:00 är när hon SKA vara där, men hon är i princip alltid där från 08:30-08:40. Det är alltså tolv timmars arbetspass och en rast. Ägarna uppmanar att henne och andra att ta sådan liten rast som möjligt. Ger kommentarer att man är tjock och fet om man äter länge.

På arbetsplatsen blir hon mobbad av ägarna, och de utövar psykiskt våld genom att kränka henne, hota henne vid deras missnöjen att hon ska bli tillbaka skickad till sitt hemland. Senast i veckan hotade de om att de borde slå henne i huvudet med något så att hon förstår. Dessa saker uppstår i situationer där hon har blivit tillsagd av en ägarna att göra X och sedan säger en annan att hon ska göra Y, som att ägarna är inne på att jävlas med henne.

Jag vill ju få bort henne från denna arbetsplats, men jag vet inte riktigt hur jag ska gå tillväga för att hjälpa henne. Detta eftersom migrationsverket kräver intyg samt kopia på arbetskontraktet. Intyg har jag svårt att se att ägaren kommer att skriva utifrån hur de behandlar henne samt att hon har inte fått en kopia på sitt arbetskontrakt. Jag är ju rädd att hennes situation kommer att förvärras eller att hon blir sparkad när hon börjar be om dessa saker. Uppskattar all hjälp, tack.

Hi! Long-time reader, first-time poster.

I've read numerous posts on here detailing the challenges one encounters when applying for Swedish citizenship, and how they can be successfully navigated. I'm deeply grateful to the folks who've shared their stories in the past as the lessons and guidance were invaluable to me. I was born in the UK, moved to Sweden in 2017, and earlier this week became a citizen. (woohoo!)

Since the process is incredible stressful, and I think I fell into what I presume are a few edge-cases, I wanted to detail my experience here in case readers find it useful. I also want to emphasize that while the overall Migrationsverket system can be frustrating, every single employee I encountered was lovely. Kind, caring, and competent. Anyway:

In October 2023 I applied for citizenship, having arrived in Sweden pre-Brexit in 2017.

Since Brexit I've been living on an uppehållstillståndskort of type "Article 50", which is what they gave to Brits based here after Brexit, so they could keep living here. However this is an annoying type of permit, not documented on Skatteverket/Migrationsverket and it's been frankly unclear to me if it ever counted as a permanent residency status or not. It's confused many an airport border control agent too, generally puts you in a grey area all the time. I'm noting this in case fellow A-50 holders are similarly confused as to their eligibility for citizenship - but if you came before Brexit, A-50 grants you the same rights as you had when we were in the EU. Ergo, you follow the same application requirements as e.g. a French or German person.

With no update on my application as of early Aug 2024, and with a growing realization that I needed to lock this citizenship down, I sent a request to MV that they conclude my case within 4 weeks. Hearing nothing during those 4 weeks, I went down to the MV office (which is conveniently close to where I live in Stockholm) and asked them about it. They printed me a letter explaining that they had declined; this is common as you can read in other posts. Concerningly, I never received a response in the mail.

If you need some support or have questions about your case / the process, and can visit an MV office in person, I recommend doing so. The online mail-chat thing is good, especially for more nuanced issues, but face-to-face access is useful, and they can print stuff (e.g. slow, would-otherwise-be-mailed letters) for you too.

I appealed the decision the same day (early Sept 2024), writing and mailing a 1-page letter written in Swedish outlining my story, stating I met all the requirements, that MV should be able to make a decision, etc, and citing my case number and attaching a copy of my employment contract inc. start date and current salary. Ten days later the court upheld my appeal. (It went to Malmö, you can ask MV which court your appeal was forwarded to after you send it to them, and the court's decision came by email).

Two weeks after this (end of Sept), MV requested my UK passport and residence card. Interestingly, a friend of mine in Västra Götaland was instead asked for only their passport but with a written catalogue of all their foreign travel in the last five years. A totally different ask basically. In the letter I received, it was stated that while my passport would be returned, the residence card would be kept and destroyed - but when my passport was returned ~10 days later, my residence card came back with it. Yikes.

I went to the MV office who suggested I call my case officer; who I didn't know had been assigned until this point. I called them and they were unconcerned, and explained it was either an administrative error or something to do with my permit being the Article 50 type. They honestly didn't know why I'd got the card back, but weren't concerned, and explained my case was sitting with them and they were waiting for Skatteverket to respond with some income confirmation or something like that.

At this point my wonderful girlfriend decided we should go on vacation, especially as I once again had all necessary documents to travel. I was extremely apprehensive to travel under the circumstances, but one picks one's battles. About two weeks after leaving Sweden (late October) I received an email from my case officer, asking wtf I was doing when I would be returning to Sweden. I replied to say I was on vacation but could return immediately if needed. I was outside not just Sweden but also the EU/Schengen, and had taken a direct flight out from Stockholm.

Thankfully my case officer said it was fine for me to return when my planned vacation ended in mid-November, and when I did return home I pinged them to let them know. Three weeks later my citizenship came through - but if you're in this process; don't travel. It's so hard to get traction on your case, and you might have a less reasonable case officer. From application to decision I was just over 12 months and from request-to-decide to decision I was ~4 months. So don't send the RTD if you have travel planned 2-6 months out.

Also, as good as this forum is, I think it drives a lot of anxiety. Sitting waiting for an MV decision is horrible, especially when your "life" depends on it. Read the posts, gather info, make a plan, be organized; but don't obsessively read everyones story. There's tons of variance in how people experience MV and it I became extremely stressed and anxious Aug-Dec.

Hello everyone, I have a question regarding document uploads when applying for a master's degree. The master's program requires a certain number of ECTS in math, and I completed additional courses at a Swedish university to fulfill this requirement.

Is the information about completing the additional courses available to other universities via Ladok (as I understand it)? Or should I request a course certificate along with the national official transcript of records, and upload it while applying?

Thank you in advance.

Hello everybody! I am looking for a bachelor's degree, taught in English, in Sweden.

The only 3 I have come across are: KTH (it is actually Information and Tech out there), Goteborg and Karlstad.

For the first two I found info on Reddit, cant say the same for KUE tho.

That's why I am here asking you guys how Karlstad is for a CS Degree. Do you think it to be a good university? And how is the city? I've seen it is kinda small, especially for me (I come from Italy and here towns are even bigger). In addition, about the city, I'd like to know what services I can find there (like public transit, car sharing) etc. Karlstad seems interesting since it's safer than Stochkolm and Goteborg and, least but not last, it is way more cheaper than those two.

Many thanks to everybody who answers me!

Hi, I'm moving to Sweden as an expat Swede. During my time abroad I have accumulated a modest amount of financial assets (about $60k in savings) and I want advice on how to manage these. One of my savings accounts is in CAD, which I wouldn't consider a stable currency. I haven't invested assets in NVIDIA for conscious reasons, so please don't suggest that. NVIDIA is going to crash one day and I want my assets in cash so I can buy the dip instead of losing it all by buyig at the top. That is my decision, however stupid you may find it to be.

I would like to transfer the assets into SEK, but I don't want to pay excess tax on them. The assets were taxed in the origin countries (I have moved around a lot) and I know Sweden wants to tax these assets at the point they/I enter the country, but I want to limit the amount of tax that I'll have to pay -- not because I'm opposed to tax but because of the principle of the thing (taxing taxed assets). I used to have a successful career but life came in the way and these savings are what remain of my previously nice life and I would like to preserve them as best I can. I have a GBP savings and retirement account in addition to my SEK accounts that are being set up.

What is the best strategy for getting these assets out of CAD and into SEK with minimal cost?

My grandmother was diagnosed with a lethal disease. She might last a few years at most. To be honest I'm not very happy with the type of care she's getting and I wonder of she could come and live with me or near me (we would buy a place) untill her last days. sorry for the morbid post but... I'm not really sure what to do... don't want to leave her alone but I also don't want to leave my whole life here.

Hej!

I hope you’re all doing well. I submitted my residence permit application to join my wife in Sweden, and I’ve been asked to attend an interview at the Swedish Embassy in Addis Ababa. However, I have sent them an email requesting for an interview appointment but I haven’t received any updates besides the automated reply.

I was wondering if anyone here has experience with the embassy in Addis Ababa, specifically regarding residence permit interviews?

• What can I expect during the interview?
• Are there any specific questions or preparations I should focus on?
• How long did it take to receive updates after your interview?

I’d also appreciate any general advice or tips from those who have gone through a similar process. Thank you so much for your help, and I wish the best to everyone navigating this journey!

Tack på förhand
😊

Hej, everyone. I am slowly trying to bring my husband around to the idea of moving to Sweden. (We’re in the US and originally planned on ending up in Canada.) He is a geotechnical/civil engineer, specializing in dam safety, so I’ve been trying to search for jobs in his field, but have not been finding much. Does anyone know of some good companies (such as hydroelectric) or particular job search sites I could keep an eye on?

He also eventually wants to complete his doctorate and I’m wondering if Lund would be a good option?

I have some other questions, but will post separately.

Tack!

Hej

I was living with my ex on the same adress for two years. The apartment is in his name and he is likely to move back to our home country. I was wondering if its possible to switch the apartment in my name since I don't have any apartment in my own name and I was living there for two years as "inneboende". Any information is useful.

Hello everyone. As the title says I am tempted to come back and work in Sweden. I started my career as a truck driver last year for a couple months before receiving a better offer to go in Germany. I have to say that all dough the offer was better, it was a mistake. As of next year I decided to come back and start over. I want to cut every tie that includes Germany, including the current car registration. I have no idea how the process goes in both countries. Any tips are greatly appreciated.

Well, the recent post about stricter rules in citizenship application just triggered me so badly, I’ve been waiting for a case officer to be assigned to my case for 4 months but heard nothing yet. I know many have longer waiting time than me, I’m just very impatient… so the question is:

Has anyone applied for citizenship from sambo based PR in recent months, asked MV to conclude the case, and they did actually perform? (Or not?) I will request to conclude late January, just wondering how MV has been handling cases like this.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share some insights for fellow immigrants in Sweden who are job hunting, especially in competitive markets like tech. I work at a small sized tech company in Stockholm, and we recently posted an ad for an entry-level (non-technical) position. We received over 350 applications in just three days. While there were many strong applicants, I noticed there are small, easy improvements that could make some profiles stand out more.

If you’re applying for jobs and not getting results, here are a few pointers that might help:

1. Write a job-specific cover title and letter

When applying, your cover letter should be tailored to the specific job and company. Don’t ramble about your entire career history—focus on why your skills make you a fit for this role. Be concise and to the point.

One tip: You can use ChatGPT (or other Gen-AI tool of your choice) to help you craft a strong cover letter. Just input the job description, the company name, and your CV. It’s a great tool to refine your letter—but make sure it doesn’t sound too AI-generated. Edit it to sound natural to your tone of voice, and personable.

2. Polish your LinkedIn profile

Make sure your LinkedIn profile aligns with the job you’re applying for. Avoid scattered headers like “Admin/Sales/Full-Stack Developer.” It makes you look unfocused. Instead, highlight the experience and skills most relevant to the role.

3. Address being overqualified (if applicable)

If you’re mid-career and applying for an entry-level role (common for immigrants starting fresh), address it directly. For example: “Yes, I have extensive experience, but I am eager to learn this new business area and contribute to your team. I see this role as an opportunity to grow and start fresh in Sweden.” This can help you avoid being filtered out as “overqualified.”

4. Avoid photos on your CV

If your CV includes a photo (especially one that differs from your LinkedIn photo), it could create bias. Whether we like it or not, photos influence first impressions. Stick to a professional, updated LinkedIn photo instead.

5. Set realistic expectations

The Swedish job market is tough, especially for immigrants. You may need to start at a lower position and perhaps with lower compensation than you’re used to. It’s humbling (I’ve been there!), but keep your focus on the bigger picture: gaining Swedish work experience and growing your network.

Also, don’t forget to ask about benefits like equity (if it’s a startup), pension contributions, health insurance, and other perks.

6. Engage with the company’s content

Before applying, spend time engaging with the company’s content on social media. Reference something specific from their posts, media coverage, or even competitors in your cover letter. This shows you’re genuinely interested and clued in.

Yes, the job market is hard—harder if you’re an immigrant, and even harder if you’re mid-career competing for entry-level roles to get your foot in the door. But with a strategic approach, you can stand out.

Good luck out there, and feel free to share your own tips or challenges below.

Edit: I realize now the title is misleading and I can’t change it. I meant for Immigrants to Sweden, not Swedish immigrants 😅

Hi,

I have a case in MV with 2 applicants. Is it possible to request to conclude the case for only one of the applicants? Anybody had experience with this?

Thanks

The current government just announced an updated agreement between the ruling parties, including stricter requirements for citizenship. The updates rules are not expected to be in place until 2026, however they plan on making the process significantly more time consuming for the handlers at the migration agency starting already next year (2025). This will effectively increase the waiting times for a decision, in order to try and reduce the number of granted citizenships before the new rules are in place.

By the sounds of it it also seems like the migration agency will follow the legislation at the time of their decision, and not when the application was sent in. This would mean that you'd have to pass the new stricter requirements if your case is not handled before the new legislation is in place.

https://www.dn.se/debatt/det-ska-bli-svarare-att-bli-svensk-medborgare/

"5. Further measures to ensure that Swedish citizenship is not given to persons who threaten Swedish interests. The requirements for obtaining citizenship must be tightened.

Before the new requirements for citizenship are in place, there is reason to act against citizenship being issued under the current legislation. Citizenship that is granted without the applicant meeting the extended requirements constitutes a vulnerability for Sweden's security. As far as possible, measures must therefore be taken to prevent more Swedish citizenships being issued, until the new legislation comes into force."

I was wondering about applications to Swedish schools and was wondering which big-name unis provide or help with student housing for PhD students as it's a big issue and how much is the rent.

Hi everyone!

I’m an avid golfer and will be moving to Stockholm early next year for work. Since I play frequently, I’m considering signing up for an annual membership at a golf club. I’ve been recommended Ullna Golf Club and Kungliga Drottningholms Golfklubb, but I haven’t been able to find much information about their amenities, membership fees, or the overall environment at these clubs.

Is this a very normal thing to do and does anyone have experience with these clubs or recommendations for other courses around Stockholm? I’d really appreciate any advice or insights.

Thank you!

Hi all!

I am recently going through unemployment and am looking up on information regarding signing myself up at Arbetsförmedlingen.

Does anyone know if you have to physically be at their office on the first date of unemployment, or do you sign up a form or something online on that date? They say to inform them on the first date of unemployment but I cannot find information regarding HOW. The thing is I might be abroad exact on my first date of unemployment (I can change my ticket, just wonder if it is necessary), and that also happens to be a Saturday!!! How do I inform them then???

I already created a profile, adding all information about previous experience, the last step is to have a phone call with them. Does the phone call have to take place before or after my first date of unemployment, or does it not matter?

Thanks to those that can give me some insights!!

Hello,

I am soon applying for PR, and I was informed by a friend that he had to send migrationsverket a rental contract with their current landlord for their PR. Is this only required when applying with a sambo?

I currently live in an apartment, but I don't have a contract with my landlord, and I'm not sure if she notified BRF about me at all, I've been living here for 8 months without any problems, would this be an issue when its time to apply?

Background: Non-eu, Software engineer, 3y10m in Sweden, working for the same company that brought me here.

Hello! I would like to go to a university in Sweden next year, and I saw that I must submit a certified translation of my last 3 years of high school reports as a foreigner (I am Italian). But I don’t understand what certified means. Is it enough to have it translated by a certified translator, or must the document also have official legal value by having it approved by a court?

https://preview.redd.it/9y4dxc4rit3e1.png?width=346&format=png&auto=webp&s=cbc3a35ffe1586e5e732d4e01e61004f489d5129

Hi guys. Just wanted to share my happiness with you. After +5 years of hard work, today I woke up to great news. After a bit more than 2 months of application, I got my permanent residency granted.

Best of luck to all of you guys who are in the same situation! Do not give up!