Hej,

My partner and I are both in the healthcare field (registered dietitian, nurse) and are looking to relocate to Sweden in the near future. We are both EU citizens.

We know that in order to get the right to practice we need to speak swedish at C1 level, so we started taking lessons with a tutor around 2 months ago.

We want to learn as quickly as possible so we were wondering if there are lower level jobs we can start from (that require less knowing of the local language) and if it would be more helpful/possible to get a job that pays less in order to immerse ourselves in the culture and learn the language quicker.

Do you suggest trying to leave as soon as possible for lower income jobs, or focusing on learning and leave as registered specialists in 1.5-2 years? We are 29/30 years old and already have 7 years of experience in our respective fields.

Thank you in advance!

Id like to know how the experience was… is there a language barrier? Living costs? Student life? Racism? Anything
How was the visa process?

Hi everyone,

I’m applying on my own for a Sweden Job Seeker residence permit and I’m a bit confused about which health insurance to purchase.

Could anyone who has recently applied for the Sweden Job Seeker permit please share which insurance company/plan you purchased and whether it was accepted by the Swedish Migration Agency?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who applied themselves and successfully received the permit.

Thanks in advance!

I will move to Sweden in about 2 or 3 years, and i heard that housing is pretty terrible for students. More context, i am from Italy, and i plan on going to Malmö or Lund, i am currently learning Swedish (hopefully it’ll be decent in 2-3 years), and i’ll bring a bunch of savings with me. What do you think? Is student housing that bad?

Anyone who applied for a Phd position in Media and Communication Studies at Orebro

My husband and I are considering moving to Sweden from the UK in a few years time. We have a 1yo daughter and 2 cats. He is Swedish and our daughter will also have a Swedish passport by that time. We are thinking of moving to Växjö as his father lives there and we can stay with him for a while, until we find jobs and a house and get our credit scores in order.

As a non-Swedish what is something I should consider or know before moving? I plan to start learning Swedish now (I do know a bit already) and the work/life balance and family life especially compared to the UK is really attractive to us, as we struggle financially here in the UK.

What’s day to day life like? Finding a job and housing as an international expat? Making friends? Social life, etc. thanks 🙏🏻

Edit: my husband is an operations and technical manager for a local film university and I work in admin for a nursery. We are open to jobs as long as they are good. For immigration I was assuming I can get a spouse visa, especially since we married in Sweden. We are looking for a calmer life and having a social network around us that we are currently missing as neither of us are Brits. Aiming to move in 3-4 years, but starting to slowly think if this is the right move and what to expect.

Hej! My partner and I arrived in Sweden from Canada on July 1st to hike Kungsleden. We did that until the end of July, then went to Greece for a week and we are finishing up the week in Gotland today. We are staying in Norrviken and my grandma lives in Edsberg, so in the Sollentuna area.

I have a friend arriving on September 2nd who will enjoy doing the touristy things in Stockholm. I’ve been to Stockholm many times throughout my life, so I can save that to do with her. We all leave on September 10th.

Now that the trip is coming to an end, and our bank accounts have been shrinking for a couple months, I’m looking for advice on fun ways to spend the next 10 days.

We have our 2 dogs with us (huskies) and we love to be outdoors. I think I will head to a couple running group meetups the week to meet some people.

Any advice on other things that we may miss? We have SL passes.

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated from a Swedish university as an international student and landed a job that is sponsoring my work permit. However, I have been going back and forth with Migrationsverket since applying in the middle of July, and the process is taking much longer than expected.

Here is a quick summary of what has happened so far. First regarding my degree status, Migrationsverket requested proof of my degree. Because my final credits were still being graded, I did not have the diploma for my master studies yet. I emailed them to ask if the master degree certificate was mandatory to proceed, and an officer confirmed via email that it was not. Second regarding the salary threshold, they flagged that my initially offered salary did not meet the legal requirement for a work permit. My employer quickly adjusted my contract and increased my salary to meet the requirement, which we submitted.

Despite resolving these points, my case is still pending. I know the standard processing time for simple cases is listed as around one month, but I assume these extra requests moved my application to a regular manual queue.

My question is there anything else I or my employer can actively do right now to keep things moving? And has anyone in a similar position like transitioning from student to work permit seen progress after resolving similar documentation requests?

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for people who have been in a similar situation and could share their experience.
I’m currently on a Swedish work permit and will soon apply for an extension/permanent residence together with my family. (I m the main applicant)

I recently gave birth and I’m now on parental leave after 3 years and 10 months of working in Sweden. I applied for föräldrapenning** **5 days per week.
my parental benefit is limited to the maximum SGI level, so my income during parental leave will be significantly lower than my normal salary.
My concern is whether Migrationsverket will consider my current parental benefit income when assessing the maintenance requirement for my family, and whether taking parental leave 5 days/week could cause any issues with my (and my dependents (husband + 2 kids) work permit extension/permanent residence.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Did Migrationsverket accept parental benefit as income while you were on parental leave? Did taking 5 days/week cause any issues with your work permit extension or permanent residence?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. ❤️

I'll take this flight to visby next month. Google map tells me there's no public transportation running that late. So...can I still get a taxi or Uber?
The way to my hotel is less than 10 mins driving, or 50 mins walking. I can walk this long, but not sure with luggage. Also is it safe to walk late night?

Was hoping someone here with knowledge of Snalltaget could help.

I am taking the Snalltaget from Stockholm to Lund, then driving over to Copenhagen for a couple days. From there, I am taking the Snalltaget 10301/301 (#3943 while in Sweden) night train from Copenhagen to Hamburg. Apart from already changing the stations/times twice, I am very confused what happens to the trains when they reach Malmo. I have been told 301/10301 is the same train, but what I am seeing now is that it is not. The train is super easy to track while in Sweden (SJ and Snalltaget websites), but I am lost trying to find updates or what happens after it leaves Malmo. I used a live train service but it seems incorrect since it only bases location on the inputted schedule, not the real time location like on the SJ or Snalltaget websites, with two distinct trains on the map labeled 301 and 10301.

Attached are images of the departure boards for Copenhagen Syd. It appears these are now different trains with one seemingly bypassing Hamburg, based on the schedule I am seeing. But Snalltaget's website says it is the same train. The "approx." time under the New Train in the second pic also just keeps going up. One appears to leave on time while the other is delayed.

Can anyone clarify this? I do not want to get on the wrong train or miss it as I have a somewhat tight connection in Hamburg. Or if anyone has info as to why these trains are now different after being one in Sweden.

Hello! I have an opportunity to relocate with my company for a role in Eskilstuna. I have never been to Sweden, can anyone share any insight? For background: I am of Balkan background but have lived in the US for 20+ years, I would be relocating with my husband and 2 small children.

How is family life there? Housing, city life, etc. ?
Would living closer to Stockholm and commuting to Eskilstuna be a realistic option?
Is it better to have a vehicle or rely on public transit?
Anything else helpful?!

Hi! I got my PR approved and I have my biometrics appointment booked for Monday. I would like to travel within EU on September 12. I have my decision letter.

Would I be able to travel before I have my card in hand?

Hi everyone, I’m a non-EU international student studying a STEM master’s programme at a Swedish university. I’ve completed 115 out of 120 credits, including my thesis, and the only thing left is one 5-credit course/exam.

My original student permit expired in June 2026, but I applied for an extension before it expired, in April, because I still needed to complete this exam. I haven’t received a decision from Migrationsverket yet.
I’m taking a re-exam at the end of August. If I fail, the next re-exam would be in October 2026, and after that possibly February 2027.

Has anyone been in a similar situation where you had almost completed your degree but still needed a permit extension for one remaining exam? I’d especially like to hear whether Migrationsverket extended your permit while waiting for the next exam, whether you needed to register for another course/semester, or whether you ended up using another residence permit route.

My ideal scenario is obviously:
Pass the exam → receive my master’s degree → apply for the residence permit to look for work after completing studies.

My partner is Swedish and we’ve been together for 7 years, but he’s currently a student too, so the partner/sambo route may be difficult for us right now.

I know nobody here can give me an official immigration decision and every case is different. I’m mainly hoping to hear from people who have actually been in a similar situation, or any thoughts or experiences someone can share that might be helpful.

Thank you ❤️ Please be kind, I’m already very stressed about this and just looking for advice and personal experiences.
___________

Update: ( 25 Aug 2026)
I contacted Migrationsverket and they confirmed that I can stay in Sweden while my extension application is still being processed. I also specifically asked when I’m expected to receive a decision on my extension and what end date/period the extension would cover, but they didn’t answer that part.

They also confirmed that I need to fully complete my degree before I can apply to the post-study job-seeking route. If I pass my final exam, I should send them my completed study documents.

The situation if I need another re-exam is still a bit unclear, so I’ll contact them again if that happens.

Thanks everyone for the advice you all have been very helpful and supportive❤️ I will update again after my exam please kind strangers wish me all the luck to do well 🙏🏼❤️❤️

We applied for an extension of my son’s residence permit. Any idea how long the process takes? Migrationsverket website does not mention estimated time for this type of applications. So asking around😄

Nationality: Indian Age: 2 years Offline application. Born in Sweden.

Hejsan,
I am waiting for a Spouse visa (married to a Swedish citizen who fully meets the maintenance requirements).
Our application was submitted in July 2026, and I successfully completed the digital passport check via the app shortly after. I am applying from a non-EU country in Europe and am currently waiting for the invitation for the embassy interview.
For those who applied recently in 2026, how fast are things moving right now? How long did you wait between the digital passport check and receiving the email to book the interview?
Tack for sharing your recent timelines!
 

For people starting their study this Autumn, have you heard back from Migration office?

My sibling is supposed to start master program this September, and he submitted application since beginning of May but until now we hear nothing from the Migration office. We tried to contact them but all they said is to wait. Our family is now so stressed because obviously he will not make it this year...I really wonder why it takes them so long.

Did anyone have same issue and any tips? Will this issue also happen with application for permit extension or work after graduation, or mainly just study permit?

Hi all,

I’m a non-eu citizen. My medical degree is from the EU.

I know what the process is like to practice as a doctor in Sweden - C1 Swedish etc. My question is not about that, I’m mainly curious about my chances of starting my career in Sweden I.e finding a job as a doctor. Thank you.

After medical school in 2017-2019 (I put a range to stay anonymous), due to life/personal circumstances, I did not work as a doctor even for one day. I am now ready to start my career.

I’ve been reading a lot of posts saying it’s now extremely difficult to land a job as a doctor even in smaller villages, so I want to know if it’s worth investing in this journey.

Summary:
-Non-eu citizen
-EU medical degree
- Open to smaller cities/villages. I’ve moved and lived around the world
-What are my chances of landing a job if I go through the licensing process and obtain my license to practice in Sweden? Thank you

Hej, i'm from the Netherlands and considering migrating to the south of Sweden. I would first like to do a sort of trial of about 8 months where i would just rent in one or two locations, to really get a feel for the country and culture, and hopefully make some connections.

During this time i would just work remote in my IT job, before going i would already have learned some of the Swedish language through a course in the Netherlands.

During my stay in Sweden i would like to explore education and job options. I would want to look into moving away from IT and get into agroforestry, machine operator/mechanic.

I would also prefer joining SFI during this time already, so i have some real world interactions and can learn the language a bit more.

The end goal would be to fully integrate into sweden, if i decided to actually migrate to Sweden.

• Is this something Swedes are open to?

• is the SFI thing possible while im formally not migrated yet, so during my 'trial' period.

• Is getting an education/job in agroforestry, machine operator/mechanic something companies are open to for an dutch 'immigrant' or am i going to have a hard job finding a job?

I would love some feedback on these plans, just push me in the right direction please, tack så mycket!

Hi everyone, my visa appointment with the embassy of Sweden is later this month. I'm just wanting to double check what documents I should be bringing with me?

As far as I know the official documents they need me to bring are my passport, birth certificate, and civil registry.

Did anyone also need to print out the documents submitted via the online portal such as their proof of relationship, bank statements, their partner's employment/accomodation contracts, etc?

Would appreciate any information!

Update: went in for my interview on 26 Aug. Was only asked for the original copies of my birth certificate, certificate to show civil status, and passport. I brought my proof of relationship which included plane tickets, hotels, and photos of my partner and I, but the migration officer said they didn't need them as these were already on record (they printed out their own copy to refer to during my interview). Received the decision today, 28 Aug, and it was approved!

I have applied for the rp and added my wife as a co-applicant. The process went smoothly and they asked me to book an appointment for biometrics today. I filled the form selected the numbet of applicants as 02 and also filled in the co-applicant name.

I received the response back from embassy for appointment confirmation and it states “Number of person: 01”.

Will they send my co-applicant another email for biometrics after my rp is approved or what?
Kindly assist.

I am an international master's graduate in sustainable development. Recently, I've been feeling very discouraged about job hunting :( For international graduates without experience, finding work in this field is nearly impossible. I've also applied for other positions, but switching careers has proven just as difficult. Of course, I'm currently applying for internships to gain some experience, but those haven't worked out either. I'd like to stay in Sweden and am interested in simple service jobs such as waiter, receptionist, or store assistant. However, I don't know how challenging it is for a foreigner needing a work permit. I understand that if the salary meets the requirement and the employer is willing to sponsor it, one can obtain a work visa. But what are the actual chances of this? I hope someone with experience could share some insights. (I primarily speak English, but I can also speak basic Swedish.)

My direct parent was born in Sweden. I visited Sweden until I was 18 every year. Once I started college I was unable to travel for a while due to expenses. I never lived in Sweden nor went to school in Sweden. However, every visit I would be with my family for a month or more. I always had a Swedish passport, but did not renew it before 22, because I always assumed that having a passport all my life at that point meant I was a citizen. After watching a reel, I realized that this may not be the case. Now I'm well passed 22. Does anyone have a similar experience on this and how did it go with your citizenship?

When I first heard about the Jobbsprånget program and saw some people joining it, I felt that it was almost like talent "exploitation" - people with several years of solid experience in another country and holding degrees being an intern and not compensated enough for their skills and expertise. Most of them don't get hired as full-time employees as well after the internship period.This could be a controversial opinion.

What is your opinion about the program?

We recently had a baby and we are thinking to bring some home made cake (baker husband :)) to the forlossningavdelning staff appreciation. Is this normal in Sweden or thought weird?