IT Contracting in Sweden: Living & Working
Profile written by Matt Walters of Capital Consulting
(updated January 2016)
Languages
While the official language of Sweden is Swedish, English is widely spoken. For the English-speaking contractor, the employment opportunities in Sweden are many and varied, and the language barrier can be surmounted with some effort.
For purposes of local administration, it can be helpful to have a grasp of Swedish, and a foreigner making an effort is always welcome!.
Accommodation
Finding and renting apartments in Sweden varies greatly from region to region. In general, availability is significantly lower in urban areas, especially in large cities, and prices are well above the national average.
To find an apartment for rent you can advertise in the local/regional newspaper or, where they exist, contact municipal housing agencies. Alternatively, you can contact private housing companies, which can be found in the phone book under
"Bostadsföretag".
Prices for accommodation are very high and quoted on a daily rent basis, which can vary from 575 to 2,300 SEK per day in central Stockholm.
Travel
i. Air
Sweden's key airports, Stockholm Arlanda (ARN) and Gothenburg (GSE), provide speedy links to all key UK airports by Ryanair and British Airways amongst others. SAS is Scandinavia’s leading airline and operates international flights from Stockholm daily.
ii. Road
The drive from London to Stockholm is about 1,071 miles and, using the Eurotunnel, takes about 17 hours.
iii. Ferry
London-Stockholm via Denmark by ferry departing from Harwich to Esbjerg in Denmark, finishing your travel by train via Copenhagen and Malmö has a few departures per week.
Sweden is the third largest country in Western Europe and half of its landscape is covered by lakes and forests. About 85% of the population lives in the south, with just under 2 million in Stockholm alone.
Public holidays in Sweden include New Year's Day, Epiphany Day, Good Friday, Easter, Easter Monday, Labour Day (May 1), Ascension Day, Whit Sunday, the Swedish National Holiday (June 6), Midsummer's Day, All Saints' Day, Christmas Day
(December 25) and St. Stephen's Day.
| Official Languages: | Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities |
| Capital: | Stockholm |
| Timezone: | GMT +1 (+2 in summer) |
| Currency: | Swedish Kronor (SEK) |
| Emergency Numbers: | 112 (all) |
| Key Airports: | Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), Gothenburg (GSE) |
| Population: | 9,580,606 (December ‘15 estimate) |
| Elecricity: | 220v |
| Tax Year: | 1st January – 31st December |
| National holiday: | 6 June (National Day) |
| International dialing prefix: | +46 |
| Internet domain suffix: | .se |
| Cost of living: | Stockholm is ranked 106th on the Mercer worldwide cost of living survery. London is marked 12th. (2015) |
