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ESSVEN

Living in Sweden

To understand everyday life before you arrive: where to look, what to ask and which facts change over time.

The year changes everyday life

Daylight is more than a postcard detail: it shapes schedules, energy and how people meet. These are approximate references for Stockholm.

  1. Dec–Febabout 6 hours of light

    Winter

    Layers, reflectors and indoor plans. Darkness arrives early, but the city keeps moving.

  2. Mar–Mayfrom 11 to 17 hours

    Spring

    Days lengthen quickly. Outdoor cafés, parks and bicycles return.

  3. Jun–Augover 18 hours in June

    Summer

    Vacations set the pace and many cities slow down. Farther north, the sun may not set.

  4. Sep–Novfrom 13 to 7 hours

    Autumn

    Daylight drops week by week. Routines, rain, forests and indoor life return.

If you are moving from Chile

Step-by-step orientation, not legal advice. Each step leads to the official source, which always has the final word.

  1. Before you travel

    • Work out which permit you need

      For short visits, Chilean passport holders do not need a visa for the Schengen area: up to 90 days in any 180-day period. To study, work or live in Sweden you apply for a residence permit from Migrationsverket, and as a rule it must be granted before you enter the country. The route differs for work and study; for study, you apply to university through University Admissions. Also check whether the ETIAS travel authorization is already required.

      Migrationsverket ETIAS University Admissions

    • Apostille your documents

      Chile and Sweden are both parties to the Apostille Convention. Birth and marriage certificates or diplomas are apostilled in Chile so Sweden accepts them as Chilean public documents; some also need a translation. Getting a degree recognized is a separate process.

      ChileAtiende

    • Start with the language

      Many people in Sweden speak English, but Swedish opens up work, paperwork and everyday life. Starting before you leave makes a difference.

      Learn Swedish

  2. When you arrive

    • Register as a resident (folkbokföring)

      If you will live in Sweden for a year or more, you must register with Skatteverket (folkbokföring). That gives you a personnummer, used for almost everything: banking, healthcare, contracts.

      Skatteverket

    • Get BankID

      With a personnummer, a bank account and an ID document the bank accepts (often Skatteverket’s ID card) you can get BankID, the digital ID used for most online services.

      BankID

    • Find your health center

      Healthcare is run by the regions. 1177 explains how to book and where to go.

      1177

    • Free Swedish: SFI

      Municipalities offer Svenska för invandrare (SFI), free Swedish courses for people aged 16 and over who are in the population register.

      Information Sverige

  3. Keeping the link with Chile

    • Consular services

      The Embassy of Chile in Sweden handles passports, powers of attorney and other services for Chileans living in Sweden.

      Embassy of Chile in Sweden

    • Voting from Sweden

      Since 2017, Chileans abroad can vote in presidential elections, presidential primaries and national plebiscites. To do so, you must register an address abroad with Servel.

      Servel

    • A community that is already there

      From the 1970s, Sweden took in thousands of Chileans, many of them in exile. Today the children and grandchildren of that story live across the country.

      Community

To be confirmed

  • Working holiday agreement between Chile and Sweden
  • Chile–Sweden social security agreement and pensions
  • Associations and contacts for Chileans in Sweden
  • Stories from Chileans who live or have lived in Sweden

Sweden’s 21 counties

Sweden is divided into 21 counties, or län. Each has a County Administrative Board, the state’s authority in the county, and a region responsible for healthcare. Knowing your county helps you find the right office.

Arctic Circle
Map: Natural Earth, public domain. Historic regions assigned by county, approximately.

Svealand

Stockholms län

County seat (residensstad): Stockholm

Services in your county:Länsstyrelsen 1177 (health)

Götaland

Svealand

Norrland

Official sources

Chile–Sweden directory

Official representations and services. Addresses and opening hours are always on their own websites.