LIVING & WORKING IN SWEDEN

Sweden combines professionalism and friendly working environment, a good balance between work and personal life, stable salaries, and a great free education for your children. Learn more about living in Sweden here.

ABOUT SWEDEN

Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe with 10 million people. It is a member of the European Union but has its own currency, the krona, or Swedish crown.

Family friendly: It is a great place for families – it has 16 months of parental leave and free day care services
Innovative: The European Commission’s European Innovation Scoreboard 2016 places Sweden as one of the world’s most innovative nations, and it has been called the most digitally connected economy. Sweden leads in human resources – the availability of a high-skilled and educated workforce – and quality of academic research

Low Corruption: There is a low level of corruption and Sweden ranks 4th in Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in 186 countries
Low Gender Gap: Sweden is placed 4th on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2016, having closed more than 81% of its overall gender gap
Great place to grow old: It is a great place to grow old as Sweden ranks third overall in the Global AgeWatch Index 2015, which measures the quality of life for older people. Sweden also ranks high on the income security domain with 100% pension income coverage and an old age poverty rate that is 3% below the regional average

Sweden invests in green working and living, has favourable economic growth, is a safe country, has a transparent media landscape, and last, but by no means least – it’s a beautiful country.

Healthcare system in Sweden

The Swedish system is mainly government-funded and decentralised, although private healthcare also exists. Financing is primarily through taxes levied by county councils and municipalities. Worldwide, Sweden ranks in the top five countries with respect to low infant mortality and also ranks high in life expectancy (male, 78.7 years; female, 83.0 years) and in safe drinking water.

HOW IT WORKS

A person seeking care first contacts a clinic for a doctor’s appointment, and may then be referred on to a specialist by the clinic physician, who may, in turn, recommend either in-patient or out-patient treatment, or an elective care option. Health care is governed by the 21 ‘landsting’ of Sweden and is funded mostly by taxes with nominal fees for patients.

HOW MUCH IT COSTS

Costs for health and medical care amount to approximately 9% of Sweden’s gross domestic product (GDP), a figure that has remained fairly stable since the early 1980s. 71% of health care is funded through local taxation, and county councils have the right to collect income tax. The state finances the bulk of health care costs, with the patient paying a small nominal fee for examination. The state pays for approximately 97% of medical costs.

MORE INFORMATION

CLIMATE

Temperatures vary greatly from north to south Sweden. Southern and central parts of the country have warm summers and cold winters, with average high temperatures of 20 to 25°C and lows of 12 to 15°C in the summer, and average temperatures of -4 to 2°C in the winter. The northern part of Sweden has shorter, cooler summers, and longer, colder and snowier winters with temperatures that often drop below freezing from September through May.

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ECONOMY

Sweden is an export-oriented mixed economy. Timber, hydropower and iron ore are the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Telecommunications, the automotive and the pharmaceutical industries are also of great importance. Agriculture accounts for 1.7% of GDP and employment. The country ranks among the highest in telephone and internet access penetration. Income is relatively flatly and equally distributed. Some of the largest companies registered in Sweden are Volvo, Ericsson, H&M, Vattenfall, Skanska, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, Ikea and more.

EDUCATION

From the age of one, children can attend pre-school (förskola). During the year before children start compulsory school, all children are offered a place in a pre-school class (förskoleklass), which combines the pre-school methods with compulsory school. Between ages 6/7 and 15/16, children attend compulsory comprehensive school (grundskola), divided into three stages. The vast majority of schools in Sweden are municipally run, but there are also autonomous and publicly funded schools, known as “independent schools”. A handful of boarding schools, known as “private schools”, are funded by privately paid tuition.

CULTURE

Swedes can sometimes seem a bit reserved at first, but people are generally very friendly and are always happy to help. The working environment is generally relaxed and friendly, and this extends to their clothes. Jeans and other casual wear usually qualify as smart casual, with suits only being worn for important meetings. In the office and other social situations, people are generally referred to by their first name. Greet both your male and female Swedish colleagues with a handshake. Work-life balance, family and relaxation are very important to swedes.

CUISINE

Of the many culinary classics in Sweden, one of the most popular is meatballs served with potatoes and lingonberries – a staple meal that is served in many homes around the country. Another classic dish is pickled herring (sill), which is served at all festivities. Fresh, pickled and smoked seafood (particularly herring, crayfish, salmon and eel), game meats such as elk and reindeer as well as berries and currants (including lingonberry) are all typical ingredients used in Swedish cuisine.

SPORTS

The two main spectator sports are football and ice hockey. Second to football, horse sports have the highest number of practitioners, mostly women. The Swedish national football team has seen some success at the World Cup in the past, finishing second when they hosted the tournament in 1958, and third twice, in 1950 and 1994. Other big sport events held here include the 1992 UEFA European Football Championship, FIFA Women’s World Cup 1995, and several championships of ice hockey, curling, athletics, skiing, bandy, figure skating and swimming.

Cost of living

FOOD

A meal at an inexpensive restaurant: 9.91€
A three-course meal for two at a mid-ranged restaurant: 53.08€
1 liter of milk: 0.93€
Fresh white bread: 2.18€
1kg of chicken breasts: 8.77€
1kg of oranges: 2.07€
1kg of potatoes: 0.79€

TRANSPORT

A monthly pass for the local transport system: 70.71€
1 km with a taxi with a normal fare: 1.47€
1 liter of gasoline: 1.55€

UTILITIES

Monthly utilities: 122.65€
1 minute of pre-paid mobile rate: 0.09€
Internet access (6Mbps, Flat Rate, Cable/ADSL): 23.54€

LEISURE

The monthly fee for an adult at a fitness center: 36.47€
1 hour tennis court rent in the weekend: 19.44€
1 seat in the cinema for an international release: 11.88€

RENT

The rent for a 1 bedroom apartment ranges from 420 to 620€
The rent for a 3 bedroom apartment: 750 – 1000€

(This does not mean that you can’t find a cheaper apartment!)

TAXATION IN SWEDEN

Residence & taxation

Generally, an individual is considered a resident of Sweden for purposes of Swedish individual income taxation if they have a real home in Sweden. Тhe Swedish Tax Agency considers residents:

an individual who regularly stays overnight in Sweden in a consecutive six‐month period should be considered resident in Sweden.
a person that has previously been living in Sweden and keeps essential ties to Sweden, such as e.g. a house, family members, business and/or substantial investments after moving from Sweden is also considered a tax resident of Sweden.

Generally, the burden of proof is on the individual to substantiate their non-resident status for the next five years following departure.

Income & taxation

Swedish tax residents are liable for income tax on their employment income regardless of where it derives from. The cash principle applies which means that income is generally taxable upon receipt. Generally, all earnings, including benefits in kind, from an employer to an employee are reportable and taxable as income from employment. Taxable income is for example: salary, bonus payments, allowances, stock options and housing benefits. The tax rates range from 31% and up to approximately 56‐58% (depending on municipality).

VAT of 25% is added to many things bought by private citizens, with the exception of food (12% VAT), transportation, & books (6% VAT).

Have a look at our available job opportunities in Sweden, learn about the working conditions and how MediCarrera can assist you on your path to a career in Swedish public healthcare.

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