18 things to know before moving to Sweden
Moving to Sweden? Then these 18 pointers will come in handy.
1. Swedes love their coffee
Few people drink more coffee than the Swedes and their Nordic neighbours.
In fact, coffee is something of a social institution in Sweden. Ever heard of fika? That’s the practice of gathering together over coffee or tea, often with something sweet on the side. It can involve anyone – friends, family, or colleagues, fika can even serve as a first date.
A fika a day keeps the doctor away? The doctor part is questionable, but we do know that for many Swedes, having coffee is an opportunity to connect and strengthen relationships.
Check out the recipe for chocolate balls, one of the Swedes' fika favourites, below.
2. Physical queues – and digital solutions
At a pharmacy or your local grocery store’s meat counter, you’ll be forced to exercise patience as you wait to be served in a numbered queue. Many businesses have a ticketing system, where you grab a ticket and then wait until your number shows up on a screen before you can proceed to the counter.
But let it also be known that Sweden is a highly digital country, with plenty of online solutions. Many errands at the Swedish Tax Agency, for instance, can be done electronically. In 2024, some 7 million Swedes submitted their tax returns online. How's that for saving the paper in paperwork?
3. Do learn Swedish
Swedes are widely rated as one of the best at English as a second language. Therefore it might take you longer to learn Swedish, and the Catch-22 is that fluency in the language is crucial to full integration. Knowing some Swedish will also help you in your contacts with the authorities, the Tax Agency for example.
For many, a first step to learning Swedish – both spoken and written – is SFI courses ('Swedish for immigrants'). SFI courses are offered through each local municipality’s adult continuing education programme (kommunal vuxenutbildning, or komvux) so you will need to contact your local municipality. Here’s a contact list of Sweden’s 290 municipalities.
Even if the Swedish language may not be among the top things to know before moving to Sweden, feel free to start practising. There are plenty of apps to help you get started!
4. You will see fathers pushing prams
When it comes to equality between the sexes, Sweden is one of the leaders, and the men definitely pull their own weight in staying home and raising infant children.
In Sweden, couples are entitled to 480 days of paid parental leave, and this time can be shared between parents. Parents can also choose to transfer up to 45 days of their parental leave to grandparents or family friends.
5. Swedes are informal with names
Your doctor, your university professor, your economic advisor – they will all address you by first name and expect you to do the same in conversation. That’s pretty much standard in Sweden, regardless of job titles – which are also dropped.
There are of course a few important exceptions to the rule. Should you be inside a courtroom, or face a political minister or someone from the Swedish royal family, you'd better get the titles right.
6. Lagom – the word aiming for perfect calibration
It might not be the first word of Swedish you learn, but you are bound to come across the word lagom at some point if you settle down in Sweden.
Lagom really has no direct translation, but loosely translated, the word means ‘just enough’, ‘in moderation’, ‘appropriate’ and a few other synonyms you can pull out of the dictionary.
A shower is best taken at lagom temperature, your morning coffee should be lagom strong, and in the land of work-life balance that is Sweden, many strive for a lagom workload.
You may find, however, that Swedes are less lagom when it comes to upholding principles of equality and their firm belief in waste management.
The right of public access
Allemansrätten – the right of public access – allows the public to roam freely, even on private land to some extent, to camp overnight and to pick mushrooms and berries.
The right also brings responsibilities – to treat flora and fauna and other people’s property with care. It can be summed up in the phrase ‘don’t disturb, don’t destroy’.
7. The Swedes are an outdoorsy bunch
Okay, maybe not everyone. But many. In Sweden, all year round there’s at least one activity that can be enjoyed, come rain, shine, or winter blizzard. And the government has made it easy to enjoy Sweden’s nature by giving people the right of public access, allemansrätten.
8. Take off your shoes!
You’ll quickly notice that people take their shoes off when entering private homes in Sweden. Some explain it with the simple fact that Swedes spend a lot of time outdoors during winter and are prone to dragging in dirt. Others say it’s a sign of respect for the home.
Either way, you might want to think twice before wearing full lace-up boots when visiting folks.
9. July is a holiday month
Full-time employees in Sweden are entitled to at least 25 days of paid holiday per year, and many take out a large chunk of these during July – statistically the country's warmest month. So generally speaking, service will be slower. Many small businesses shut down the entire month.
Northern lights can brighten up the dark winter nights in northern Sweden. Photo: Asaf Kliger/imagebank.sweden.se
Swedes can come across as lagom sociable. Photo: Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se
Be warned – cinnamon buns might be addictive! Photo: Tina Stafrén/imagebank.sweden.se
This is Sweden in a bag. Photo: Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se
Northern lights can brighten up the dark winter nights in northern Sweden. Photo: Asaf Kliger/imagebank.sweden.se
Swedes can come across as lagom sociable. Photo: Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se
Be warned – cinnamon buns might be addictive! Photo: Tina Stafrén/imagebank.sweden.se
This is Sweden in a bag. Photo: Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se
Northern lights can brighten up the dark winter nights in northern Sweden. Photo: Asaf Kliger/imagebank.sweden.se
Swedes can come across as lagom sociable. Photo: Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se
Be warned – cinnamon buns might be addictive! Photo: Tina Stafrén/imagebank.sweden.se
This is Sweden in a bag. Photo: Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se
10. Winters are cold – and an opportunity
It’s no secret that Sweden’s geographical location makes it prone to cold, dark winters – especially in the northern parts of the country.
However, these long winters have a way of bringing people closer together. It’s the perfect time for fika! Swedish winter also sparks creativity and innovation. Many use this time to explore hobbies and develop new ideas. Whether it’s crafting, cooking, or brainstorming new solutions, winter fosters innovation.
For the restless, Sweden also comes with countless winter outdoor activities.
11. Be on time
It is common knowledge here that ‘time’ should be respected at all times, regardless of whether you’re going for an interview or a friendly fika. Meetings will start on time with or without you. The train leaves on time with or without you. Swedes value punctuality.
12. The state-owned alcohol monopoly
While you can purchase alcoholic drinks in restaurants and bars, if you’d like to take a sip from the bottle in the privacy of your own home, you’ve got only one legal option of buying stronger alcohol, and that’s from one of the roughly 400 state-run liquor stores (Systembolaget).
Study in Sweden?
Want to study in Sweden? Visit Study in Sweden for more info.
13. Not all education and healthcare is free
The Swedish healthcare system is largely taxpayer-funded. For routine doctor’s office visits, the maximum amount you may have to pay during the course of 12 months is SEK 1,450 (EUR 133, USD 151).
Universities in Sweden are free for citizens of the EU/EEA or Switzerland. Since 2011, students from other countries are charged for studying at Swedish universities. The universities set their own fees, which vary between SEK 80,000 and 295,000 per academic year.
14. The calendar of sweet delights
Swedes can almost always find a good excuse to tuck into something sweet. List below can be made longer:
There's Shrove Tuesday (Fettisdagen), falling some time in February–March, dedicated to the semla, a bun filled with cream and almond paste.
There's 'First Thursday in March' (Fössta tossdan i mass), a tradition from the province of Småland, where people devote the day to gorging on Princess cake – a marzipan-covered cake filled with layers of sponge cake, custard, whipped cream and jam.
Waffle Day (Våffeldagen) is on 25 March, Cinnamon Bun Day (Kanelbullens dag) is on 4 October. And for the connoisseur, there's 6 November, the day for Gustav Adolfs-bakelse, a creamy sponge cake decorated with chocolate or marzipan silhouettes of King Gustav II Adolf.
15. Cosy Fridays
Fredagsmys is a Swedish tradition widely translated as ‘Cosy Friday’, referring to the ritual of winding down at the end of the work or school week by gathering with family or friends on Friday evenings to relax, recharge and enjoy each other's company before the weekend begins.
It typically features simple, easy-to-prepare comfort foods like tacos, pizza, crisps, sweets and soft drinks, often enjoyed while watching TV, playing games or simply lounging on the sofa under blankets.
16. Cash is not king in Sweden
Sweden has long been a country leading the way for cashless payments. This cashless revolution has led to only 1 in 10 purchases being made with cash in 2024. Card is the most common form of payment, followed by mobile payment system Swish and other smartphone payment services.
Beware – there are quite a few shops, restaurants and cafés that don’t accept cash at all!
Sweden is highly digitalised in general and Swedes use their smartphones for bank errands, authentication, public transport and – as mentioned – even tax returns. So, if you want to live like a Swede: ditch the cash and charge your smartphone.
It should be noted, however, that in the light of digital vulnerabilities, Sweden is also looking into how to best protect its payment systems.
17. Circular living
As of 2024, Swedish law declares that everyone must separate their food waste, households and businesses alike. It's also mandatory for all of Sweden’s local authorities to provide separate collection of food waste. And as of 2025, people also have to separate textile waste. No holey socks in the general rubbish, please!
While there is no practical way to monitor or control each individual's compliance, this is a responsibility that most Swedes gladly assume. It reflects the widespread commitment to environmental care and circular living.
18. Sweden is bike-friendly – and safety-oriented
Many Swedes use bikes for daily commutes, errands or just getting around. And lots of children cycle to school.
Most urban areas have dedicated bike lanes, and it’s not uncommon to see cyclists even in winter, equipped with studded tires.
If you’re planning to cycle somewhere in Sweden, there’s a couple of things you should remember: follow traffic rules and wear a bike helmet. Children under the age of 15 are required to wear them by law, but it’s common practice among adults as well. Stay safe!
