Things to do to settle in Sweden

I shall start this new post of 2018 to explain on what I have done to get myself sorted in Sweden. With photos too. I have been procrastinating way too long for this post. It is a good way for me to reflect back on what I have done, and I can just direct anyone to read my blog. 

I arrived in Sweden on 1 June 2017 with a partner visa. The list-to-do is as below. The website Newbie Guide to Sweden really helped me a lot. I am not sure though if the below is the same if you come with a job visa, or education visa.

1) Visit Migrationsverket
Date of visit - 2 June 2017
Matter completed - 13 June 2017

I went to Migrationsverket to apply for my resident permit. I have made an appointment for 12.30pm on 2 June 2017 (from the website) to get my finger print and photo taken. I registered myself and my number was called 30 minutes after my appointed time. I got my photo and thumb print taken. Then, I asked the officer if I am allowed to work. He said yes.

You can see my blog post - Resident Permit Application, on it. The above is just a summary.

I got the reply from Migrationsverket on 13 June 2017, about 11 days after my application. The reply I got was my Resident Permit Card - Uppehållstillstånd - the permission to stay and work.

2) Visit Skatteverket - Tax Office
Date of visit - 15 June 2017

Matter completed - 23 June 2017 (ID number), 25 July 2017 (ID card)

With my Resident Permit Card, I can now head on to any Tax Office to apply for a Identification Card and Identification Number. Without this number, you don't exist in Sweden. I guess it is the same in any countries. I went to the Tax Office at Lindhagensgatan 76 on 15 June 2017. There was a queue waiting outside the office because only a certain number of visitors can go in. Thankfully, it was summer and I did not feel too cold.

I took a queue ticket (wherever you go, find for a queue ticket machine and take a number. Swedes queue) and waited for my turn. I showed my Resident Permit card and Migrationsverket approval letter (for me to come to Sweden) and requested to apply for an ID card.

The staff told me to wait for my ID number to come in the mail. It will take about 2 weeks but I got mine in 8 days on 23 June. After I got the ID number, I have to pay the fee of SEK400 for application fee for the ID card. Once I have paid (it was he who paid, not me because I don't have a bank account), I have to show the receipt / bank-in slip to Skatteverket (I visited Skatteverket again on 29 June 2017 after the payment was made). I was informed that the letter to collect the ID card will arrive in 3 weeks.

My letter to collect the ID card arrived on 23 July 2017. I brought the letter to Skatteverket on 25 July 2017 and I got my ID card.

So, ID number takes 8 days to come in the mail. ID card takes about 1.5 months to arrive in my hands.

3) Visit Vuxenutbildingscentrum - Adult Education Centre

Date of visit - 3 July 2017
Matter completed - 7 July 2017
Swedish course (SFI) started - 7 August 2017
SFI completed - 23 January 2018

Once you have gotten your ID number, you can now register to study Swedish. I did not have my ID card yet when I registered for this. The staff in the Adult Education Centre said that it was fine without my ID card.

Of course, you can always opt to not study. You can survive with English and you don't need Swedish if you are working in IT or Science. Or if you choose to mingle with your own community. As for me, I think learning a country's language is very important. I felt more confident once I have a basic command of the language and I can understand what is happening around me (advertisements, newspapers, random conversations). 

The next thing is go to the nearest Adult Education Centre in your municipal to register to study Swedish. I visited the one on Rosenlundsgatan 52. Studying Swedish is free. The taxpayers pay for you.

I took a queue number. The Adult Education Centre offers a wide variety of courses. The officer registered me to study Swedish for Immigrations (SFI) - the basic level of Swedish for newcomers at Hermods School in Stockholm City. Since I had a tertiary education, I started my Swedish course at Level 3. A letter to confirm on my application arrived on 7 July 2017. I started school on 7 August 2017.

One of the staff that sits in the hall explained that I can register for SFEJ (Swedish for Economists and Jurists) because I will be able to learn Swedish terms for economists (my background is finance). The staff could not explained to me very well what was SFEJ. I thought it was a higher level than SFI, but it is actually the same. I applied for it and I got in (one's application will always be accepted by the school because the school will get its funds from the municipal you are staying in). The problem is you can only choose one school to learn Swedish. I went to the introductory talk on SFEJ on 16 August (and by then, I was already with Hermods). You learn Swedish too, but there is a day allocated every week to have someone with your background to talk about your profession. There is also a period allocated for each level of 9 weeks. Then, I was having trouble learning Swedish, and I did not want to be constrained by the time period. So, I continued on in Hermods and requested to be removed from SFEJ (by sending an email to the school administrator).

I completed my entire SFI course on 23 January 2018. My Beginner Level took me 5 weeks. I was in Intermediate (Level 3C) Level for 10 weeks. I was in Advanced Level (3D) for 10 weeks. There is a national test for 3C to advance to 3D and to complete 3D. My final result for 3D was B which allowed me to take a Level test in Vuxenutbildingscentrum (the same place where I registered for SFI) to determine my level for Swedish as a second language course (Svenska som andra språk - SAS). One is allowed to take a Level Test if you obtained A/B for your 3D national test or if it has been a long time since you last completed your SFI and you need to ascertain your level now. 

After SFI is completed, one can opt to continue to SAS. Between SFI and SAS, the course is call SAS Grund (Basic). There are 4 parts in SAS Grund which takes about 10 weeks each. If you obtained C and below in your 3D test, you start with SAS Grund 2. If there is a gap of about a year after your completed SFI, you start at SAS Grund 1 (which is equivalent to SFI 3D). If you obtained grade A or B, you start with SAS Grund 3 if you don't take the Level Test. If you take the Level Test, it will determine which level you can start. Once you are completed with SAS Grund, you can continue to SAS Course which has 3 levels (SAS 1, 2 and 3). SAS Course = Gymnasium level at school (16 - 18 years old). 

I took the Level Test and my results showed that I can start with SAS 1. I start on 19 March 2018. I am allowed to skip SAS Grund course. The Level Test is about an hour to 3 hours. There are 3 comprehensions, 3 hearing tests and 1 writing test. You don't need to register for the test. It is a drop-in test but check the times in the website. After you completed the test, you take a number lap and wait for 30 minutes for your results.  

Update as at 17 December 2018 - Today, I complete my SAS Course! I am done with my Swedish course. I am way better than I was when I first started. I am working in a Swedish environment now. I speak Swedish everyday with my partner. From 7 August 2017 to 17 December 2018 = 1 year 4 months. What a steep learning curve it has been for me!

I hope you are not lost. Haha!

4) Register Social Health Insurance at Försäkringskassan - Swedish Social Insurance Agency (located at Skatteverket building) 

Date of visit - 25 July 2017 (the same day I collected my ID card)

Matter completed - 25 July 2017 (register in the system), early February 2018 (get EU Insurance card)

I registered myself to be insured by the Swedish Social Insurance. This is a public insurance. You can get monies ...

- if you have a child (from the moment the mother gives birth, both parents will receive a monthly allowance until the child reaches 16 years old), 

- if you are sick (the Social Insurance pays 80% of your salary on the 15th day of your sick absence - prior to that, it will be paid by your employer but you won't be paid on your first day of sick leave - for a period of time which I am uncertain of). 

- if you are in a job employment program by the Government

- if you are physically challenged

The complete list can be found in the website. 

Since I just arrived in Sweden, I did not fulfill any of the requirements to be paid any compensation, but I just registered myself to be insured and to also obtain an EU insurance card so that I will be charged a local amount in that said EU country if I visit their doctor and will be reimbursed by Swedish Social Insurance Agency.

The form to be filled up can be found online too but I thought it will be better to do it in the office and submit physically. They stamped an acknowledgement date on the form. I was informed that I will get the EU card in 6 months. I went ... WHAT!? 6 MONTHS? But I was not travelling anyway. 

I did not get my letter for the EU card on 25 January 2018 (after 6 months), so I visited the office and enquired. The staff told me that my application has been approved in November and he did not know why I have not received the card. He informed me that my card will arrive in 2 weeks because the card needs to be manufactured. I got it in 10 days.

5) Apply for a Bank ATM Card - choose your preferred bank
Date of visit - 26 July 2017 
Matter completed - 27 July 2017 (sign the documents), 2 weeks later to get my bank cards

Since most transactions in Sweden are paid by card, it is naturally better to obtain a bank card in case I need to buy anything.

I went to the bank and to my surprise, there were no ATM machines in the bank and there was only one service counter. It was so different from the one in Malaysia. It turns out that everything can be done online and the only reason you will need to go to the bank is to register yourself to create a new account or if you have any problems that you prefer to speak to a face. Even if you need to create another account or lose your bank card, you can just call up the call center or do it from your bank application in the phone. I filled up the forms and the officer told me that I will be called for an interview within a week to approve my applications. 

I got the call the same day in the evening. The officer said that I can come in the next day. It was not an interview. It was more like an oral confirmation of the information I wrote in the forms and to witness them keying in the information in the laptop. On the same day, I got the card reader for the Bank ID card. 

I got 2 bank cards within 2 weeks in 2 separate mails, and another mail with the password for the bank card that pays for transactions. One bank card was to withdraw money or to pay any transactions. Another bank card (called "Bank ID") was used for the card reader (provided by the bank) if you would like to transfer any money via the laptop or log in to any official websites. I used the Bank ID card to log in to official websites and I found it troublesome to connect to my laptop because the cable and USB-port is sometimes unreadable. So, I downloaded the Mobile Bank ID app, got a bank officer to help me to register with my card, and voila, everything became easier with the app. Just key in my personal ID number in the official website, open Mobile Bank ID app, confirm my log-in the app with my password, and I am logged in to the website.

When I got my bank card (for payment transactions), I activated it which I realised was a mistake because I was charged a card fee SEK300 and an overdraft interest of SEK100 because my account was empty and I have an outstanding charge of SEK300. I was annoyed. But I had to pay. I should have activated it when I really needed to use it. I became a frequent user 2 months later. 

6) Register in Public Health System in Vårdcentral - Care Centre
Date of visit - 26 July 2017 
Matter completed - In 5 minutes

I visited the nearest Public Healthcare Centre (to my place of stay) and registered myself at the Vårdcentral Department. I was assigned to a doctor and if I needed any medical advice, I can just ring the doctor up and if it is urgent, I can make an appointment for a visit. The registration took less than 5 minutes and I was in the system.

The general line for the Healthcare Centre is 1177. In Sweden, you cannot walk-in the hospital or Healthcare Centre without an appointment unless it is emergency. A friend of mine went with her 4-year old who has a high fever to the hospital but was made to wait for 8 hours because it was not urgent enough. The definition of urgent is if you are dying / accident / have cancer. 

In Sweden, public healthcare is free once you have utilised SEK1100 in 12 months. Once you have reached the threshold of SEK1100 in 12 months, you get your medications and visits for free. The cycle continues again the next 12 months. It is mostly beneficial if you need continuous medical care.   

7) Register with Arbetsförmedlingen - Swedish Public Employment Service
Date of visit - 26 July 2017 
Matter completed - In 1 hour

As you can see, I went to the Bank, Public Healthcare Centre and the Public Employment Agency on the same day. 

I registered myself with Arbets because I was informed that this governmental agency helps jobseekers in looking for a job. If you ask a majority of Swedes, they don't think that this agency is helpful. For me, it is really helpful.

I visited the Public Employment Agency office that is the nearest to my place of stay. A staff helped me with creating an account in Arbets website and filling in the information. By the way, you can print documents in Arbets office. I got myself an appointment with an officer that was scheduled 2 weeks later. In the appointment, the officer recommended me a job employment program called Korta Vägen (The Short Way) which is co-organised by several universities in Stockholm as I had a tertiary education but I need to have a basic command of Swedish. She told me to come back again once I have completed SFI 3C (Refer to Task #3). 

Every month, I send to her a monthly activity report (Arbets needs to know that you are making an effort in finding jobs or else you don't qualified for any help) on the jobs that I have searched. I have never searched so many jobs in my life, and I get 40% rejection. Others did not respond. I soon found out that to get a job in Sweden, you need a network because employers don't know who you are (especially since if you are a foreigner from another continent) and they need to know someone who can recommend you. At the end of November, I completed SFI 3C and I contacted my officer again. I asked her if I could join Korta Vägen. She registered me for the program that is organised by Uppsala University, KTH and Academicum. This said program is also available in Stockholm University but I missed the deadline. All job employment programs that you would like to join need to be approved by Arbets.

I started the program on 4 December 2017. I changed my SFI 3D school lessons to evening classes as this program is a full-day class activity from 9am to 4pm. I was paid a monthly allowance by Försäkringskassan (Refer to Task #4). It was not a huge amount but sufficient to pay for lunch and my transport card. It is a 6-month program where in the first 3 months, I learned about the job market, employers, unions, writing a CV, and get a LinkedIn account. We also had Swedish writing lessons and bits of grammar, school excursions to museums and twice to Uppsala University where we listened to two lectures on cultural differences and social / gender equality (IT WAS AWESOME!), watched Swedish short films and discussed about it. There were 34 of us in the program. 

In the last 3 months, we get to do practical in a company of our choice. How this works - we list down the companies we are interested to work in with the contact person and their phone number (it is not easy to look for the contact number but can be searched from LinkedIn or company websites) and each one of us is assigned a job coach who will help us contact the said person and describe about us. The employers are usually supportive of job employment programs. We bypass the job recruitment process (hence, the name 'The Short Way') and immediately get an interview with the employer. I got an interview with 3 companies, and I started my practical on 5 March 2018. Most of my friends started their practical a month before me, and some even 2 months before. 

We were informed beforehand that this job employment program does not guarantee us a job by the same employer who offered us practical. It assists us to step into the job market and will be able to provide reference to anyone who requests. If one is lucky, one can be hired by the same employer. 

8) Download Meetup or go to the website

This is the best thing ever! It helped me to explore outside of Stockholm and experience so many activities in Stockholm with minimal fee. 

Download this app and you will know why. You can choose the groups you are interested to join based on your interest. The groups will organise activities and you can click to join. 

My choice of groups are outdoor, language, meeting new people, self-improvement and recently photography. I will blog about the places I have been and the activities I have done soon! 

9) Join Kompis Sverige - Friend Sweden (direct translation)

You get to join the activities for free BUT it depends on where you live. If you live in a municipal where this organisation don't have an agreement with, you can only join a certain number of activities for free as displayed on their website. Otherwise, you get to be a member, be introduced to a Swedish friend (if you wish to), get a periodic newsletter with lots of cool activities that you can join for free (because your municipal pays for you, hence, depends which municipal you live in).

The End. I think. Haha!

Have you survived reading to the end? Don't worry, it is a step-by-step process. I was frustrated a lot when I came to Sweden because I had no one to assist me, a real-life experience to share and I just did based on the advice by Newbie Guide to Sweden. My partner was not aware on most of the stuff as he, being a local, don't need to do all the above. 

By doing #1-#7, you have done all the necessary documentation to settle in Sweden. #8 and #9 helps you to get a social life and experience more of Sweden. 

I have been here for 9 months now. I have survived. And so will you too!