Sweden - very practical

Aktualisiert – March 4, 2026

Sweden - very practical? Yes, reported from practical experience for practical use, to give those who are considering Sweden as their adopted country a realistic idea of the surprises that Sweden has in store for everyday life, which can make life a little confusing for someone who is not familiar with it.

For a good start in Sweden, here are some very practical tips on how to get off to a good start in your new adopted country.

... and this is what it looks like at 14:50 on the shortest day of the year:

How do I find an apartment or house?

If you want to settle down in Sweden, you will want to find an apartment or house to rent or buy.

Rental properties

Rental properties are rare unless you intend to make the big city your home. One portal that specializes in rental properties throughout Sweden, for example, is Samtryggwhich currently (as of 01.07.2025) offers 691 rental apartments.

Objects for sale

Purchase objects are e.g. on hemnet.se to find, this in extremely abundant numbers (as of 01.07.2025) apartments (bostäder) 24,893, vacation homes (Fritidshus) 4,224, houses (Villor) 16,284, agricultural buildings and forests (Gårdar / Skogar) 1,368 and land (Tomter) 3.708.

Other sources include Facebook marketplaces and groups, booli.se and also on German real estate portals, such as in magazines.
It can be just as rewarding to make direct inquiries with estate agents, banks or in the neighborhood of a property that may be of interest.

Property tax

Also the Property tax is based on the unit value (taxeringsvärd), which is usually 75% of the market value. However, it is limited to SEK 9,525 (as at 11.2025 - the above link leads to the official website of the Skatteverkets, on which the current amount is indicated) and always refers to ONE object.

The value is determined every two years using a questionnaire that the Skatteverket to each owner and requests value-enhancing measures.

German brokers / Offers

The crux of the matter with German offers is that they usually require a high degree of self-management and may also be overpriced. In addition, German brokers can also demand commission from the buyer, whereas Swedish brokers only receive commission from the seller.
In addition, Swedish regulations / legal bases are often unknown and are therefore not taken into account, which in turn can be disadvantageous for the buyer.
Without the help of a Swedish legal advisor, the purchase is often a risky business.

House types / Prices

In the countryside, there are usually seasonal so-called "summer camps" in the summer months. Stugas or Fritidshus small, non-winterproof houses that are rented out for vacation purposes.

Houses for permanent occupancy (permanent) are available in all price ranges from around SEK 150,000 to around SEK 20 million.

Building standard

The frequently made comment that houses in Sweden are comparatively cheap is very wrong. A wooden house is not comparable to a stone house, nor is the usual "German" standard.

It is simply "Swedish" construction. Anyone using domestic statics as a yardstick will quickly realize that these are hardly to be found in Sweden either. Nevertheless, even wooden houses that are over a hundred years old still stand rigidly and firmly in their original position.
And anyone who thinks that you have to use much thicker beams and boards for "these" snow loads will also be quite surprised and rub their eyes when they see the "thin" parts, which were obviously not only erected after the winter, but have apparently already survived many a snowy winter with three quarters of a meter of snow.

Swedish differently ...

Many things are different in Sweden. For example, no 230 V systems, i.e. lamps and sockets, may be installed in the bathroom, a socket outlet can accommodate two Schuko sockets and switches can consist of three individual switches in one.
Conventional junction boxes are usually not found on walls close to the ceiling because they are integrated into the lamp connection "boxes".
WAGO clamps have only recently been used. Instead, several, sometimes coarse-stranded cables, as well as the rigid installation cable, are combined in an insulation displacement connector, which "bites" into the twisted cable ends when tightened.
The functional separation of sockets, lamps and other loads in terms of distribution across several fuses is often a pious wish, but rarely a reality: it may well be that sockets and lights in the next room happily share a single fuse with the kitchen lighting, the extractor fan and the central ventilation system. This has the inevitable effect that all these consumers fail when the fuse blows.
Oh yes, and these are usually 10A fuse-links, so you should keep a pack of ten in reserve. To be on the safe side, you should also have some of the 20A fuses used for the stove connection in stock.
Circuit breakers are also available, but mainly in new buildings, rarely in old buildings.

Also interesting: kerosene lamps are usually found in the rooms of a house. They are not only used for decoration or to create a romantic atmosphere, but are also a reliable source of light in the event of a power failure in the evening or at night, provided that, like the biblical virgins, you have not(!) neglected to fill them with oil!

The aforementioned ventilation system, usually equipped with heat recovery in newer installations, is used for (forced) air exchange, especially as there are usually no windows that can be opened. Only a narrow, window-high flap allows additional "ventilation". An integrated fly screen prevents the unwanted entry of various pests such as bugs, mosquitoes, etc.

Buildings without basements are constructed above ground level, with a "crawl space". On the one hand, this is to keep moisture away from the supporting structure and, on the other hand, to be able to lay insulated supply and disposal lines. Attention should also be paid to this area during house inspections. The 'boiler suit' and wellies should therefore be in your luggage.
The sealing of this area should also be undamaged all round so that, for example, animals cannot find shelter and soil cannot be washed under the house when it rains.

Broker

The estate agent in Sweden is not only responsible for the brokerage, but also for all documentary activities, thus also fulfilling the function of a notary. The costs are borne by the seller.

Some brokers support their profit maximization with corresponding general terms and conditions that stipulate fees for this and that.

Others refuse to accept money from banks outside Sweden or insist on a Swedish bank account, which the buyer usually does not yet have.

Fortunately, there are also brokers who are extremely agile, very prudent, customer-oriented and cooperative. You should give preference to them.

Incidentally, the estate agent is not obliged to check statements made by the seller regarding the condition or defects of the property. The seller fills out a questionnaire which indicates the current condition, as well as renovation work, etc. Answers such as "I don't know" must therefore always be checked during the viewing by visual inspection.

Likewise, he is not obliged to check property boundaries or the existence of building permits, etc.. He is also not the contact person for "hidden" defects discovered after the purchase, but the seller.

However, brokers are liable if they intentionally or negligently disregard their duties, or knowingly withhold information or provide incorrect information on conditions that were important at the time of purchase. This exposes the estate agent to recourse claims from the buyer.

Buying privately without an estate agent is also possible. However, this requires the presence of two independent witnesses who also confirm the signing of the purchase contract by the buyer and seller.

Incidentally, the seller is liable for hidden defects for ten years, unless, as is often the case, this liability has been contractually excluded!

The so-called köpebrev is issued by the estate agent and signed by both parties. The estate agent then sends this to the Landmäteriet so that the land register entry can take place. The köpebrev serves as a deed of conveyance.

Obligations of the buyer

The familiar apartment/house inspection is just a hint of what you should do as a buyer in Sweden. It makes perfect sense to take a pair of work overalls with you to inspect the houses that don't have a basement from below. From below means that you slip under the floor of the house through a hatch in the house and thus have access to the crawl "basement", in which water, sewage and heating pipes are laid, but also possibly traces or nests of unpleasant subtenants can be found.

It is also a good idea to use a moisture meter (capacitive, not e.g. wood moisture meters) to detect any hidden moisture in wooden houses.

Freshly painted or wallpapered walls should always be given special attention, in the same way that a spick and span steam-blasted engine of a used car makes possible oil leaks invisible.

The best time to visit is possibly, even in winter, crispy cold outside and cozy and warm inside? In other words: is the heating (not the wood-burning stove, but rather the heat pump) also designed for such outside temperatures?

However, the chimney should also have a very good draught, be intact and the last chimney sweeps(Sotare) invoices serve as proof of proper inspections.

The energy performance certificate must be presented and is payable by the seller. It provides information in the usual way and offers the possibility of checking the estate agent's statements regarding heating costs. Invoices from the electricity supplier support this.

Costs of the buyer

The buyer pays 10% of the purchase price when the contract is concluded, and the remaining 90% when the keys are handed over.

The entry in the land register for the transfer of ownership (lagfart) will be prepared by the surveying office (Lantmäteriet) is calculated at 1.5 % of the purchase price, for legal entities 4.5 %. If the house is encumbered with a mortgage, an additional 2 % of the amount of the mortgage is due.

• Provided that the purchase price meets the requirements of the tax office (skatteverket) in the previous year, the calculation is carried out on the basis of the higher unit value.
• If no official valuation is available, this is prepared by an expert.
• If the purchase price is higher than the assessed value, the higher amount is used as a basis.

The latest information on this can be found on the website of the Lantmäteriet.

In addition, a processing fee of around SEK 825 (as of 2025) is charged for the administrative act of registering the land register, as well as SEK 375 (as of 2025) for a mortgage.

The invoice will be sent by post shortly after the estate agent has informed you that the purchase price has been paid in full, the transfer of ownership, and is generally due for payment within four weeks.

Experts - Anticimex

If you want to play it safe and avoid unpleasant surprises, you have two options for having the object of your desire inspected by an expert. They can commission a surveyor themselves, contact the company Anticimex or take out insurance for the house, if it has already been purchased.

Anticimex® was founded in Sweden in 1934 and initially specialized in pest control. Today it operates worldwide and has expanded its portfolio of services, including real estate appraisals.

Insurers also use the services of Anticimex®, e.g. when applying for home insurance. In this case, the use of these services is free of charge for the policyholder. For economic reasons, the insurer wants to be sure that the risk to be insured is comprehensible and verified before the contract is concluded. A wise decision ...

If you would like an expert opinion on the property in question before buying, you can either ask the seller to commission Anticimex®.
The costs are agreed - in writing - in such a way that the seller assumes half of the costs if the purchase is concluded, i.e. if no significant value-reducing circumstances become known.
However, if the expert opinion is so bad that you feel compelled to refrain from buying, the seller should pay the costs in full.
So if the seller has no 'skeletons in the closet', this agreement should not be a problem for him.

The reports are very detailed, with photo documentation and a detailed description of any defects identified, and are therefore a solid basis for estimating the costs of rectifying the defects. In addition, you are 99.9 % safe from unpleasant surprises after the appraisal.
Depending on the size of the property, the costs amount to around 500 . 2,500 euros.

Rent or buy?

If you want to get an overview of the country and its people first, a rental property (usually temporary anyway, possibly for less than a year!) is a good option. You have time to find out whether you can cope with the Swedish mentality, whether the climate is suitable and whether there are work opportunities, kindergartens, schools, etc. in the desired way.

If you are sure about the main features and prefer a certain area, you will tend to buy and look around accordingly.

As house prices seem unbeatably cheap compared to those at home, buying is often preferred.
To be honest, of course, it has to be acknowledged that house prices seem cheap because a timber house is naturally cheaper to build than a brick house.
Likewise, the standard in Sweden is not necessarily identical to what we are used to. Anyone who simply wants to rearrange a Swedish kitchen and realizes that the cabinets have been nailed to the plinth with proper carpenter's nails will quickly guess what is meant.

Maintenance and tax aspects

If you don't carry out repairs or installations on your home yourself, but instead commission this work, you may be faced with the question of whether this is cheaper than hiring a specialist company.

As is generally the case, this not only puts you on a slippery slope in terms of warranty, but also on legally unsecured terrain, apart from tax aspects.
Insurance policies usually only provide cover if the work that caused an insured loss was carried out by approved specialist companies.

From a tax point of view, it is definitely worth having such work carried out „officially“ in Sweden, especially if you are subject to income tax in Sweden: the state subsidizes maintenance, repair (including e.g. energy efficiency measures), such as conversion or extension costs with up to 50% of the gross work costs (valid until 12.2025, from 01.2026 only 30 %), even for vacation homes suitable for residential purposes, up to a maximum limit of SEK 50,000 p.a.. This tax relief is called RED-avdrag.

The RUT-avdrag refers to household-related services (e.g. cleaning, maintenance or babysitting services) and also amounts to SEK 50,000 per annum.

Both benefits do not relate to the property, but to its owner. If two owners are registered, each owner has this entitlement, i.e. SEK 100,000 p.a. for each owner. RED- and RUT-avdrag.

Also from 01.2026, the entire RED- and RUT-avdrag to SEK 75,000 p.a. instead of the previous SEK 100,000 p.a. per person.

To be able to claim the tax relief, the company must have the F-skatt certificate and the labor costs must be shown separately on the invoice.
The VAT identification number of the customer, such as the company, must, in addition to the reference to the reversal of tax liability (omvänd betalningsskyldighet) must be noted on the invoice.
The ROT-avdrag is paid by the tax office directly to the company carrying out the work, so that the customer does not have to pay this amount.

Electricity and water

Unless you have your own electricity and water supply, you will have to rely on public supplies.

Anyone who has not previously had a close personal relationship with Sweden will rarely have the essential requirements that make life in Sweden possible in the first place, according to the personal number (PN) (entry in the people's book), ID card (ID Kort - proof of identity for non-Swedes) and Bank ID (bank account).

This makes it impossible to conclude contracts for e.g. telephone / DSL connections, electricity contracts, bank accounts, even online purchase contracts, because the latter often require a Swedish cell phone number ...

However, as electricity and water are essential for the apartment or house, it is helpful here to ask the seller to transfer the registration to the new owner at the local authority (water, waste disposal) and the electricity provider for you.

As the electricity provider is unable to check the creditworthiness of the new customer due to the lack of a Swedish bank account, it will request a deposit, usually amounting to around SEK 10,000.

Statements such as "electricity is dirt cheap" are often circulated. No, unfortunately not. Electricity itself costs around -5 to +8 öre/kwh. Now 1 Öre is roughly equivalent to a tenth of a cent. i.e. we are talking about tenths(!) of a cent.
What drives the price up to the equivalent of around 25 cents/kWh are the "ancillary" costs, state levies and electricity transportation costs, which are lower in the north than in the south of the country. Electricity generation in the north is powered by hydropower, e.g. by the SkelefteälvenThe river, which has its source in the far north of Sweden, western Lapland, is 410 km long and feeds turbines from a total of 14 hydropower plants (the oldest went into operation in 1908, the newest in 1970) with a total output of over 1,000 MW via barrages.

The municipality sends the invoice for water and waste disposal (by the way, this is based on the weight of the waste to be disposed of) by post, also due to a lack of bank details. The payment period is usually four weeks.

The municipal fees are structured differently depending on the municipality. As a rule, the fees are billed on a quarterly basis. The following dates can be used as examples:

• Basic fee for water supply approx. 59 SEK
• Water per cbm approx.17 SEK
• Unit value EFH approx. 87 SEK
• Property tax approx. 111 SEK
  based on a taxable value of SEK 434,000
• Basic waste disposal fee approx. 54 SEK
  based on a 240 liter 2-compartment garbage can with 14-day emptying
• Organic waste / kg approx. SEK 2.30
• Residual waste / kg approx. SEK 4.30
• Sludge disposal septic tank (annually) approx. SEK 1,300

Muck out

Once you have finally found the property of your dreams (this can take a good three years online), it's time to start planning your move.

A good time to think about whether everything you own really needs to be moved.

Anyone who has moved with 120 boxes and furniture, of which around 20 boxes have been stored unopened in the cellar for years, will agree that no matter what is packed in them, they can be disposed of unopened.

Those who sold their house and then spent a few years living in a motorhome will confirm that you can get by with VERY much less. You might miss the oven, the spacious sofa or the hobby room, but the essentials were still on board, possibly even including a fully equipped office.

The remaining 100 boxes can easily be reduced by 70%, which will probably still be too much.

What should you take with you?

What you should definitely take with you are all kitchen appliances, ovens, induction stoves, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. Some of the appliances available in Sweden are not at the usual technological level of development and are also considerably more expensive.

It is therefore quite possible that ordering a device in Germany, including freight, is cheaper than buying it directly in Sweden - if the model is available for purchase in Sweden at all.

Entry routes

There are various routes that lead to Rome, er ..., Sweden! There are the bridges, for example, as well as the ferries. Both routes have their charms, times and costs. For the sake of simplicity, let's assume that the journey starts from Hamburg.

From Hamburg to Sweden - over the bridges

The approximately 520 km long route first leads via the A7 towards Flensburg to Padborg / Kruså, Denmark. Now take the E45 towards Kolding, then change to the E20 towards the Storebælt Bridge, also known as the Great Belt Bridge. The toll for a car is around 35 euros.

We continue on the E20 through Copenhagen in the direction of the Öresund Bridge, which costs around 65 euros - and we are already in Malmö, Sweden.

Without taking breaks, this route takes about 7 hours.

From Hamburg to Sweden - via ferries

The approximately 320 km long route starts with the section from Hamburg to Puttgarden, taking about 1.5 hours, to cross over to Rødby on the Scandlines ferry within 45 minutes, costing around 70 ... 100 euros. From Rødby it takes about 2 hours to Helsingør. The ferry (ForSea) departs from there and takes 20 minutes to Helsingborg, Sweden, with a ticket costing around 40 euros.

Advantages / disadvantages of the routes

The ferry route is significantly shorter, both in terms of time and the distance traveled by car.

In terms of costs, the ferry route is also likely to come out on top, as the savings in fuel costs make up for the small additional ferry costs compared to the bridge toll.

Equally advantageous: you can enjoy the rest periods during the ferry trip(s), although the last twenty-minute crossing is hardly enough time to get out of the vehicle. Incidentally, the ferries all run every 30 minutes, which takes away the time pressure of arriving at the ferry on time on other routes.

A disadvantage of the bridge route can be possible traffic jams, which are hardly to be expected on the ferry route.

Rest areas

Along the European roads there are designated Rest areaswhich are usually located in idyllic tourist locations close to the route.

This lake is located just a few meters behind the toilet house pictured below on the right. To the left is an information board showing the nearby POIs.

The parking lanes are long enough for a large(!) truck with an equally long trailer.

In contrast to the rest areas we are used to in Germany, which are usually overcrowded, noisy, dirty and therefore uninviting, the Swedes here have to be given a straight "A". Not only because of the tidy, beautifully situated sites, but above all because of the exemplary cleanliness of the sanitary facilities, which are heated in winter and of course have hot and cold water available.

The rest areas are often frequented by trucks in the evening, which is why it makes sense to arrive at the rest area around 17:00 in order to secure the best spot.

Relocation

You should avoid moving portals where you get the "cheapest" surcharge, at least if you are concerned about the safe arrival of the removal goods.

Good experiences are consistently this Moving company to report. Friendly owner, who also lends a hand himself, staff who work just as courteously and carefully.
As in all sectors, staff shortages are the limiting factor in terms of capacity. It's not for nothing that the boss takes matters into his own hands. Availability is - unhealthily - guaranteed at all times, by phone or email, and an answer is usually not far away.

Competitively priced but still good. No, stinginess is not cool and if you buy cheap, you buy twice. And many a good item has intangible values that you don't want to do without just because the company employs cheap temporary workers who are neither motivated nor trained and deliver the good item in a possibly damaged or even unrepairable condition.

Deadlines are met, additional loads are also possible, even larger goods that are purchased in Germany and would be too uneconomical to ship with normal freight are transported inexpensively as part of an additional load, provided they do not "bite" (live animals excluded ;-)) and the destination just fits into a tour.

Customs clearance / tax exemption

Removal goods, including vehicles that have been left with a family member for at least six months, can be imported duty and tax-free with the removal goods. However, vehicles may not be sold, loaned or given away before one year has passed since importation.

Special rules apply to alcohol, tobacco, weapons, etc. Regulations.

Items declared as removal goods can be imported duty and tax-free 12 months after first entry.

Import of (domestic) animals

Pets imported from the EU must be microchipped or tattooed (before 03.07.2011) and a pet passport must be presented.

You must be able to provide proof of a valid rabies vaccination dated at least 21 days prior to entry.

The import must be completed online in advance. Form be registered.

Perfect timing

Now it's time to schedule the arrival of the removal goods so that they can be placed in the right places in the apartment or house.

In other words, renovation and installation work should be completed, floors laid, walls designed, etc..

Arrival is announced by telephone and also perfectly timed.

The unloading of, for example, around 24 cubic meters by two removal specialists and two clients took about two hours, went hand in hand and therefore very quickly.

Personal number - ID card - BankID ...

Before you head straight for the tax office (Skatteverket) is the printout, including filling in and signing, this form to notify the move to Sweden is required if you do not want to fill this out on site. Your passport is also required, as well as financial documents (e.g. certificate of income, bank statement, pension statement).

There are now two ways to book an appointment with the tax office, on-line or - by taking a number - on site. The latter option is also very practical and does not require a particularly long waiting time.

However, as soon as the number appears on one of the monitors, one of the employees will move towards the people waiting. This is the person responsible for requesting the personal number.

The ID card is issued online requested and costs SEK 400, which should be transferred immediately after application. The receipt or the proof of transfer (screenshot) must be brought to the (photo) appointment, also to be arranged online, for the "passport" photo, which is incidentally made in grayscale, as proof of payment.
It is essential to present your passport, as an identity card will not be accepted.
After around two weeks, a text message is sent to a Swedish(!) cell phone number as soon as the ID card is ready for collection.

After receiving the PN by post and collecting the ID card from the Skatteverket, the next step is to go to the bank. It is best to limit yourself to branches in smaller communities. There are only a few employees there and a personal relationship is quickly established. You explain why and where you have moved to, what your plans are (preferably in terms of incoming money, of course) and, in addition to the priority of learning Swedish, you want to open a bank account.
Although almost all Swedes speak English very well, but also understand German(!), the exchange in English or German is a pleasant interim solution, but the explicit desire to learn Swedish quickly is always a good bridge builder at the mutual goodwill level.

Once the bank account has been opened and the bank card (MasterCard) has been received by post about a week later, you will appear at the branch again to receive your BankID and SWISH. In preparation, you should already have the app from both the bank and SWISH, one of the most frequently used payment service providers, even in small markets, etc..
The activation of the BankID with the bank card and the subsequent activation for SWISCH takes place within minutes.
Now you are not yet a Swede, but at least you are able to overcome all contractual hurdles in combination with PN, ID Kort and BankID.

According to current case law, it takes five years until naturalization and receipt of the Swedish identity card including citizenship, and eight years until 27 June 2024. The five-year period can be shortened to three years if, for example, the C1 language level has been reached.

SWISH

What is SWISH? A payment service that uses an app on a cell phone and scans a code to transfer any amount of money to the recipient's account, which can be a friend or acquaintance, a stranger, a merchant or a trader, for example.

SWISH is a service set up by six Swedish banks to enable instant transfers. Danske Bank, Handelsbanken, Länsförsäkringar Bank, Nordea, SEB, Skandia and Swedbank operate SWISH together. Over time, other banks such as ICA Banken, Marginalen, Sparbanken Syd, Svea, Åland Bank and the Savings Banks have joined.

Use is free of charge for the payer, but the payee will be charged SEK 2 plus 0.6% of the payment amount plus EUR 0.11 in fees.

SIWSH is mainly used in Sweden at markets, events and youth hostels, etc. as a form of payment. However, tourists who do not have SWISH (personal number and BankID required) can pay in cash. Incidentally, cash payments are also used by Swedes, who naturally meet the requirements for SWISH use. The trend is moving back towards cash. This is partly due to possible technical failures in the Internet infrastructure, but also because the Swedish government is promoting the use and storage of cash in the event of a crisis.

Set up direct debit

Now it's also time to log in to your electricity supplier's website using the BankID app in order to use the direct debit procedure (Anmäl autogiro). This saves you having to ensure that payments are made in good time before SVEA debt collection becomes costly.

Incidentally, you will not be asked for the IBAN / BIC as usual, but only the account number. However, this is not(!) the "account number" stated on the account opening confirmation (for commercial banks), but the "contract number". It is also derived from the last 17 digits of the IBAN without leading zeros.

If the login to the electricity supplier's website fails, contact the supplier's support team and ask them to enter the PN into their system.

Registering a vehicle in Sweden

It is usually necessary to register your vehicle in Sweden sooner or later (within a year of entering the country). This is not only because taxes and insurance are usually cheaper, but also because in Sweden you have the option of not having several vehicles permanently registered, but also to help the Swedish state to finance the maintenance and construction of the roads.

The transport authority is responsible for registration Transportstyrelsen in Örebro.

First you fill in their website the Application form from. The explanations are easy to understand and the form is self-explanatory. In addition to the usual information, such as address, personal number and vehicle type, manufacturer, year of construction and chassis number, the reason for the application is also requested, usually the move (flyttsaksfordon).
If a vehicle is registered to one spouse but is registered to the other in Sweden, the vehicle must be transferred informally by means of a transfer certificate (överlåtelsehandling) to the person registering in Sweden.
This letter must contain all specific vehicle data, such as manufacturer, type, chassis number, year of construction, registration number - corresponding to the data listed in the associated insurance certificate - as well as the personal data of the person registering, including personal number, and must be signed by the registration holder.

Enclose the vehicle registration certificate, registration document, purchase contract and the last insurance invoice with the application. The documents should be sent by registered mail (REK) to:

Transportstyrelsen, Tunnlandsgatan 5, 701 96 Örebro

About two weeks later you will receive an invoice for payment and a few days after receipt of payment you will receive the notification. After making an appointment, the vehicle can now be taken to the nearest municipality for a TÜV inspection (bilprovning) are presented. For each vehicle, regardless of type, the registrerings besiktning around 420 euros. This registration inspection of the vehicle is not carried out by every „TÜV“, but only by certified TÜV companies.
Most branches are also limited to a tonnage of 3.5 tons. For heavier vehicles, you have to go to suitable TÜV offices.

After successful „registration“, the Swedish license plates, together with the new vehicle „letter“, arrive in your mailbox three days, at the latest about a week later.

TÜV company

The most frequently encountered TÜV companies are - the extremely clean ones - among Besikta and currently represented by 78 branches, as well as the partially outdated Opus Bilprovning companies. In terms of price, there is little difference between the two. Bookings are usually made online via the website, but this requires a Swedish license plate number.
The first TÜV visit to the registrerings besiktning is best arranged by e-mail to the relevant customer service or in person on site. If you don't speak Swedish on the phone, you will usually fail because of the Swedish language menu ...

Other service providers are Bilprovningen with around 110 branches (cooperation with TÜV Rheinland) and Carspect with around 120 stations.
The consistently rather poor ratings (1.6 .. 2.3 out of 5) of the four companies testify, among other things, to the finding of unnecessary „errors“ in order to generate additional audits and thus increase sales, while Besikta is praised for its lower prices and friendly staff.
It therefore seems advisable to check the regional ratings before booking.

TÜV approval

By the way: the TÜV stickers familiar from Germany do not exist in Sweden. Also, the license plate is not related to the person, but to the vehicle. So if you sell your car, the license plate goes with it.

At the same time, you usually receive a notification of a driving ban if the „German TÜV“ is due or overdue - except for the nearest Bilprovning-station, which you then have to visit within one month.
The usual tolerances in Germany with regard to exceeding the TÜV deadline do not exist in Sweden: the vehicle is then immediately immobilized from 00:00 on the following day!

TÜV inspection

The examination is unspectacular:

• lighting
• Brakes
• Wheel suspension
• Tires
• Safety devices

A matter of about 15 minutes, including the electronic message to Transportstyrelsen, on their portal under „Mina sidan“ that the TÜV has been successfully completed.

The vehicle is considered „abandoned“ until insurance is taken out and the vehicle is then activated in the portal.

Take out car insurance

Once the vehicle has successfully passed the MOT, you can now insure it online with a vehicle insurance company by entering the assigned license plate number.
An insurance comparison of the different providers is only possible with a Swedish driving license, as this also makes the previous accident history accessible to the insurer, which ultimately determines the premium.

If you have a German driver's license, you must write to the insurer and enclose proof of the no-claims classes, together with a request to inform them of the premium, taking into account the years without claims.

By taking out at least one liability insurance policy (Trafikförsäkring) the vehicle may be used on public roads.

Taking out partial casco (Halvförsäkring) or fully comprehensive (Helförsäkring) is only possible with successful TÜV approval, as until then a driving ban (körförbud), which only permits liability insurance.

Insurance premiums are usually calculated on a monthly basis. An annual payment method results in a relatively small saving of around 0.3 %, which means that monthly billing is usually chosen.

Temporarily immobilize vehicle - „avställt“

Sweden offers the following services from the Swedish Road Administration (Transportstyrelsen) on „My pages“ (Mina sidor) after registration, the option to „park“ the vehicle not currently in use (avställt) i.e. to temporarily deregister and re-register as required. This saves tax and insurance costs.

If you want to use the vehicle at a certain time, you can cancel this status online after you have taken out liability insurance online as a minimum requirement, if you have not already done so.

If you later decide to declare the vehicle as „accidental“ again, the current tax and insurance period stops from this point onwards.

Deregistration of the vehicle in Germany

When the vehicle is registered in Sweden, the Federal Motor Transport Authority in Flensburg is informed, which in turn informs the German insurance company that the vehicle has been exported and the insurance cover is to be canceled. Any unused periods are then calculated and reimbursed on a pro rata basis with regard to remaining tax and insurance periods.

Some federal states simply refund the overpaid tax, while others first demand that the license plates be presented to the registration office in Germany for validation ...
In this case, you send the registration office a signed deregistration confirmation with the file number and license plate number, declare that the vehicle with the German license plates will no longer participate in road traffic with effect from the deregistration, and finally ask for the license plates to be formally cancelled and the corresponding deregistration confirmation to be sent.

Insurance - Revocation of direct debit authorization

It does not hurt to explicitly inform the insurance company about the registration by e-mail and, at the same time, to revoke the direct debit authorization previously issued.

Exchange of the German driving license for the Swedish „körkort“

Here, too, the on-line available Application downloads, which is usually processed and approved within three to four weeks.

Auf „Mina sidor“ von traffikverket.se findet man die Zahlungsaufforderung von etwa 35 Euro und die Benachrichtigung, dass man sich in einem der nächstgelegenen Zweigstelle des Traffikverkets einfinden möchte, um dort Foto und Unterschrift zu hinterlegen.
Foto und Unterschrift werden self-service-like am Automaten erledigt.

Auf Mina sidor des Traffikverkets findet sich dann auch der Eintrag, dass der Führerschein ausgestellt wurde und gültig ist bis …

Der Führerschein wird zwar nominell binnen 5 Tagen verschickt, allerdings ist es realistischer von 10 Tagen auszugehen, denn er landet per Einschreibebrief (REK) an irgendeiner der nächsten „Sammelstelle“ und wird per Brief zur Abholung dort angekündigt.

Rechtlich darf man ohne Führerschein kein Fahrzeug führen, womit sich natürlich die Frage ergibt: wie soll man den Führerschein abholen, ohne Auto?! Nun weiß die Polizei auch von dieser Regelungslücke: Sie können auf die Ihnalte beim Traffikverket zugreifen und im Zweifel also sehen, dass die Fahrerlaubnis vorliegt ;-)!

communication

Especially at the beginning, when you are not yet proficient in Swedish, communication by e-mail (e-Post) in cooperation with online translators is an effective way of elegantly circumventing the language barrier. However, this should not(!) encourage you to rest on your laurels, but rather to turn to the Swedish language in order to learn it and speak it - without shying away from a lack of perfection.

Regardless of whether it's government offices, local authorities or electricity suppliers, support via e-Mail is usually answered very quickly, sometimes within minutes or hours, and it rarely takes longer than two days for a reply.

In addition, the tone is very accommodating and friendly, not just because you "do it that way", but because you see people and want to help them.
This was emphasized by an employee at Besikta (TÜV) with the words (in English): „We Swedes are not square, we are round“, pointing to his stomach with a laugh and continuing „we want to help, that's what we are here for!“
Although there may be inglorious exceptions, this reflects the Swedes' natural attitude towards their fellow human beings.

This is exactly why written communication should always be in Swedish, not in English or even German. In real life, communicating in English is perfectly ok. For the sake of politeness, you should start with „Please excuse me for speaking English, we have just moved here and need to learn Swenska as quickly as possible!“. It doesn't hurt to know some well-known Swedish words (here Swenska) in an English sentence. A benevolent smile is guaranteed!

But you shouldn't underestimate the Swedes' knowledge of the language and talk in German without thinking: Many Swedes understand German, and the younger ones have often already studied German at school. The majority of Swedes also speak excellent English. Again, this should not be taken as an excuse to take your time learning Swedish!
If you simply cannot find the vocabulary you need in English, it often helps to simply use the German expression: Many words sound similar in Swedish, so there is a good chance that they will be understood, such as „dog“ in Swedish :-).

A good idea might be, for example, to ask for the Swedish word or, before entering the store, office, etc., to borrow a sentence in Swedish from the translator to ask a question and then mention in English that you have only recently arrived in Sweden.
This usually brings a smile to the other person's face and opens the way to helpful and friendly support in the matter in question.

Pronunciation: "k", "sk", "sj", "skj", "stj", "sion", "tjon" are pronounced as "sch", the "å / Å" is pronounced like the English "aw" in e.g. "awful", "dj", "gj", "hj", "lj" like "j", "2kj" and "tj" like a mix of "ch" and "sch", "u" like a mix of "ö" and "ü".

Example: „köpa“ (to buy) in Swedish „schöpa“, „the town of Skelfteå“ in Swedish „Schellefteo“, shortened to „Schellefte“, or „diskbänk“ (washbasin) in Swedish „dischbänk“ or the town of „Umeå“ is pronounced „Ümeo“ ... The Swedish language is very creative ...

Ärztliche Versorgung

Das schwedische Zahnarztsystem im Überblick

Schweden hat eine Besonderheit: Während die allgemeine medizinische Versorgung stark subventioniert ist, müssen Patienten beim Zahnarzt vergleichsweise tief in die Tasche greifen. Es gibt zwei Arten von Praxen: etwa 830 öffentlich getragene Folktandvård-Kliniken sowie rund 1.700 private Anbieter. Die Preise können sich durchaus unterscheiden, interessant: Folktandvård ist nicht automatisch günstiger als privat.

Touristen

Aus einem EU/EWR-Land kommend und über eine Europäische Krankenversicherungskarte (EKVK/EHIC) verfügend, gelten die selben Bedingungen und Gebühren wie für Versicherte in Schweden mit Anspruch auf akute und notwendige zahnärztliche Behandlung. Der Hochpreisschutz gilt auch für EHIC-Inhaber. Die deutsche gesetzliche Krankenversicherung erstattet nur, was in Schweden üblich wäre.

Liegt keine Europäische KVK vor, sind alle Kosten selbst zu tragen,

Inhaber der Personnummer (folkbokförd)

Wer über eine Pesonennummer verfügt genießt den vollumfänglichen schwedischen Krankenversicherungsschutz. Der schwedische Staat deckelt die jährlich selbst zu tragenden Kosten (Hochpreisschutz Tandvårdsskydd)

Behandlungskosten bis 3.000 SEK sind vollständig selbst zu tragen. Von 3.001 bis 15.000 SEK verbleiben 50 %, und ab 15.001 SEK nur noch 15 % Selbstbehalt.

A Jährlicher Zuschuss (Tandvårdsbidrag) zwischen 300 und 600 SEK wird auf die Behandlungskosten angerechnet. Dieser Betrag kann bei Nicht-Nutzung einmalig ins Folgejahr übertragen werden.

Der Staat legt für Behandlungen sog. Referenzpreise fest. Die schwedische Sozialversicherungsbehörde (Försäkringskassan) erstattet ihren Anteil direkt an den Zahnarzt, während der Patient nur seinen Eigenanteil entrichtet.
Für eine Extraktion gilt z. B. ein Referenzpreis von 1.200 SEK. Die Krankenversicherung zahlt nur bis zu dieser Grenze.
In bestimmten Fällen, bei körperlichen Behinderungen oder wenn Zahnbehandlung Teil einer medizinischen Behandlung ist, greift der allgemeine Hochpreisschutz beeits bei 1.400 SEK.

Kinder & Jugendliche: Zahnärztliche Leistungen sind für Kinder und junge Menschen bis zum Alter von 23 Jahren, in privaten wie öffentlichen Praxen gleichermaßen, kostenfrei.

Termin vereinbaren

Regulärer Termin: Das nationale Gesundheitsportal 1177.se und die Telefon-Hotline 1177 ermöglichen die Vereinbarung medizinischer Termine online oder telefonisch Für Zahnarzttermine wendet man sich direkt an eine Folktandvård-Klinik oder eine private Praxis, online über deren Websites oder telefonisch.

Notfalltermin: Bei Zahnschmerzen oder akutem Bedarf gilt:

• 1177 anrufen – Beratung auf Schwedisch oder Englisch, Weiterleitung zum nächsten Notfalldienst
• The Folktandvård hält in größeren Städten oft Notfallsprechstunden (akuttider) vor
• In Großstädten (Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö) gibt es spezialisierte Notfallzahnkliniken, die auch abends und am Wochenende geöffnet sind
• Außerhalb der regulären Öffnungszeiten kann bei einem echten Notfall auch die Notaufnahme (Akutmottagningen) eines Krankenhauses aufgesucht werden.

Arztbesuch in Schweden (nicht-zahnärztlich)

Touristen

Mit EHIC (gesetzlich Versicherte): Wer in einem EU-Land, Liechtenstein oder der Schweiz versichert ist, zahlt für medizinische Leistungen genauso viel wie in Schweden Versicherte gegen Vorlage der KVK, auch Kinder.

Je Arztbesuch wird eine Pauschale von regional abweichenden ca. 15–35 Euro, die im Voraus entrichtet werden muss fällig. Diese Zuzahlungen können deutlich höher ausfallen als in Deutschland und werden von der deutschen Krankenkasse in der Regel not erstattet.

Mit privater Krankenversicherung (PKV): Für privat Versicherte gelten in Schweden die gleichen Regelungen wie in Deutschland, die Behandlungskosten sind direkt vor Ort zu bezahlen.

Inhaber der Personnummer

Patientengebühren (patientavgift): Es wird eine Patientengebühr von ca. 200 SEK pro Behandlungstermin beim Gesundheitszentrum (vårdcentral) fällig. Ein Besuch beim Facharzt kann mehr kosten. Wird der Termin nicht wahrgenommen bleibt die Zahlungsverpflichtung dennoch bestehen.

Jahresobergrenze (Hochkostenschutz): Die Obergrenze für ambulante Gebühren liegt bei 1.150 SEK (ca. 100 €) pro Jahr, weitere Besuche sind kostenfrei. Pro Krankenhaustag wird eine Patientengebühr von 100 SEK erhoben.

Alternativ formuliert: Sobald man innerhalb von 12 Monaten je nach Region abweichend ca. 1.300 SEK an Arztgebühren gezahlt hat, sind weitere Besuche für den Rest des Jahres kostenlos.

Medikamente: Der maximale jährliche Eigenanteil für verschreibungspflichtige Medikamente beträgt 3.800 SEK (seit Juli 2025), darüber hinausgehende Verordnungen sind kostenfrei.

Kinder: Kinder unter 18 Jahren sind in der Regel von Patientengebühren befreit.

Terminvereinbarung

Regulärer Arztbesuch: In Schweden ersetzen Gesundheitszentren (vårdcentral) den Hausarzt. Normalerweise sucht man bei Krankheitssymptomen eines dieser Zentren auf, unter deren Dach sich Ärzte aus mehreren medizinischen Fachrichtungen vereinen. Termine bucht man direkt über die Website der jeweiligen vårdcentral oder über 1177.se.

Per Telefon: Es ist in Schweden üblich, sich zuerst telefonisch beraten und diagnostizieren zu lassen. Dazu gibt es die landesweite Telefonnummer 1177. Dieses System spart Aufwand und Zeit und reduziert die Häufigkeit der Arztbesuche deutlich, ohne dass hierbei die Gesundheit des Patienten leidet. Die Hotline ist rund um die Uhr erreichbar, auf Schwedisch und Englisch.

Notfall:

• 112 – Lebensgefahr, Krankenwagen
• 1177 – dringende, aber nicht lebensbedrohliche Symptome; Einschätzung durch Pflegepersonal, Weiterleitung
• Bei akuten Erkrankungen oder Unfällen stehen die Unfallambulanzen der Krankenhäuser (akutmottagningen) zur Verfügung.

Post / Parcel delivery

Online order, ordered today, delivered tomorrow - that used to be the case. Firstly, everything in Sweden takes "slightly" longer, secondly, the notified delivery does not actually have to take place on the date and thirdly, larger "parcels" are usually delivered to a parcel store (this can be a petrol station, grocery store, etc.) where you can then pick them up.

Delivery to the front door (hemleverans) can be selected from the online shippers and also works for small and medium-sized parcels, while larger consignments are deposited in the store for collection.

Pick-up takes place on presentation of the delivery e-mail (via cell phone) and ID (ID card is also accepted as long as you do not have a Swedish ID card or bank ID).

Alternatively, you can download the app PostNorth on his cell phone, registers with his phone number and finally with his e-mail address. From then on, all deliveries made under this e-mail address can be found in the app and can be checked by showing the QR code at the Ombud-point, e.g. at ICA, COOP, etc.

Cost of living

First of all: overall, the cost of living is comparable to Germany. Overall, costs in Sweden are more predictable, as many cost items are limited in amount and some are completely eliminated, as they are already financed through income tax. This means that the financial burden in Sweden may be lower.

Food

Goods are more expensive in Sweden simply due to the fact that VAT is 6% higher at 25%. However, there are three other reduced rates: 12 % on food, non-alcoholic drinks, hotel accommodation and restaurant services, 6 % on books, newspapers, magazines, tickets for cultural events such as concerts, theater and cinema, sports and leisure facilities and passenger transport such as cabs, buses, air and rail travel.

More expensive is, of course, relative. Foodstuffs such as meat, vegetables, etc. are all "organic" in Sweden thanks to legal regulations. Whereby "organic" simply means natural, untreated, whereas the organic label in Germany is more of a marketing tool than a seal of quality.

Some foods are comparatively - extremely - cheap. If you're used to shrimp salad and are happy about the 28g of fish in 222g of mayonnaise, you'll rub your eyes in amazement when you get 250g of shrimp for the same price.

Other foods are roughly the same price, while others are more expensive. Ultimately, it still doesn't come out to the same average, unless you change your diet to be significantly more fish-heavy, which wouldn't necessarily contradict a healthier diet ...

When it comes to health, the third, additional sentence with 0% should not go unmentioned: It applies to prescription medicines, charitable and cultural services, exports of goods and services related to international transportation.

Refuel

Fuels are comparable, but it is more pleasant that prices are (more) stable and only fluctuate in the öre range. You won't find the kind of price jumps you were used to here. So you can fill up wherever you like, whether on the highway, the country road, in the city or in the village, at more or less the same price.

Interesting: People generally think that fuel is cheaper in the city than in the countryside. However, it is often the other way around. It is therefore more worthwhile filling up at a rural filling station than at one in the city.

In addition, refueling here at 99% is done with the card at the pump, just like at night fuel terminals in Germany. What is slightly disconcerting at first proves to be helpful in practice: there is no need to take opening hours into account.
If the technology should ever fail, you can of course also pay with cash as long as the filling station is staffed, i.e. during normal business hours.

Nursing / geriatric care

With a capped personal contribution for basic care of around EUR 250 per month, this is around a tenth of what is payable in Germany. This is because these services are tax-financed.

Water supply

The municipal water supply charges around SEK 20 per cubic meter (corresponding to around EUR 1.80), SEK 1,800 per year basic fee (approx. EUR 164).
Drinking water is therefore just below the lowest end of the price range in Germany, which extends to over EUR 8/cbm.

Card vs. cash

Sweden only passed a law this year (2025) that not only stipulates cash as a legal tender, but also requires the population to keep cash at home to cover at least two weeks' shopping, precisely because of the technical uncertainties.

Road traffic

The well-known stress factor in road traffic is eliminated in Sweden, underlined by a non-existent "forest" of signs and a comfortable cruising speed of mostly 90 km/h.
The wildlife crossing signs have been supplemented with meterage information, namely when the wildlife fence separating the road from the forest ends. Whereas a (maximum) speed of 100 km/h was previously permitted, 90 km/h is now the norm.
It's also nice that speed camera "falls" in Sweden always have to be announced(!). If you get flashed here, it's literally your own fault.

STOP signs should be recognized as such: It is not uncommon for a police car to stop you somewhere unnoticed if you have ignored the STOP sign with a gentle rollover ...
Speed limits are used sensibly here. 70 km/h before busy junctions, 80 km/h at one-way junctions or junctions with little traffic. 50 km/h, as known, in built-up areas. 40 km/h at unclear or frequent junctions, 30 km/h in residential areas with children, kindergartens, hospitals or retirement/nursing homes.

Fines in Sweden are usually in the three-digit range, so they are definitely noticeable. In Finland, by the way, the amount of the fine is based on income. This means that an offense can easily be in the five-figure (euro) range!

Blue speed limit signs are often erected at roadworks. They are not punishable if they are exceeded, but are a friendly appeal to common sense to choose a speed adapted to the situation and not to exceed the maximum speed indicated.

Radar „traps“ in the form of usually highly visible police officers with signal vests and „binoculars“, i.e. LASER distance and speed measuring devices, can also be found in Sweden. Even on main roads at times when it is not rush hour and it is therefore hardly considered worth the effort.

Here, too, it must be acknowledged that the aim is not to collect money, as we know it from other countries, but to reinforce respect for sensibly measured speed limits for our own safety.

Game change

The moose is a well-known road sign as a wildlife crossing sign, but is somewhat more important in Sweden than in Germany. Wildlife crossings are mainly contained by game fences, but for moose they are not really an insurmountable obstacle, they simply climb over them if necessary.

The end of a game fence is indicated by an additional sign "Viltstängsel upphör", if necessary also together with a distance specification indicating the distance to the end of the game fence in meters.

Another traffic sign merely indicates an interruption of a wildlife fence, e.g. due to a merging road, an intersection or other circumstances. Two meter indications can be found here, e.g. "200 - 600 m": The game fence ends after 200 m and begins again after 600 m.

Reindeer and elk alike take advantage of this welcome opportunity to enjoy the supposedly greener grass to the side of the highways and freeways. Not always alone, sometimes in herds. While reindeer only waste a glance when approached by a car, but otherwise do not allow themselves to be prevented from eating, the moose seem to be more interested in asserting their territory: they may stand demonstratively on the road shortly before the vehicle approaches, as if to say "YOU stop first, and then I'll think about whether I let you pass or let my family cross the road first!".

Incidentally, moose in southern Sweden cannot keep up with their counterparts in the north in terms of weight: The moose in the north weigh 50 % more, - 600 kg to just 400 kg live weight.
Nevertheless, it is important to avoid accidents with moose, such as reindeer, which are often privately owned and marked (trackers), especially as you always lose out, even in the car, and hospital stays lasting several weeks are not uncommon.

And when it comes to the proverbial cosiness of the Swedes, it's no wonder that this can also be found in the animal world - even in the middle of the highway:

If a vehicle comes towards you and repeatedly flashes its headlights, you are well advised to take your foot off the gas pedal and watch the road and verge very carefully: There are often four-legged friends on the road that will not be disturbed by anything and will not even look at a vehicle passing at almost 70 km/h, even if it is only one meter away!

Insurances

Insurance companies are also vying for customers' favor in Sweden. As always, the small print reveals the insurers' options for NOT having to pay.

In comparison, they perform differently in terms of lines of business. It is therefore worth paying attention not only to the discounts of usually 20% when taking out insurance for several areas, but rather to exclusions or deductibles.

Car insurance is comparatively cheap(er), especially if you have several vehicles, only the one currently in use needs to be registered. You can use the app to "park" the vehicle that is not being used, e.g. the motorhome, activate it at the start of your trip and park the car that is otherwise being used at the same time.

As a rule, home insurance usually includes separate lines of insurance, such as legal expenses insurance, which in turn has a cost-saving effect.

Hunting & Game

Anyone who owns or leases agricultural or forestry land of at least 5 hectares in Sweden is entitled to hunt small game on this land. Big game species, such as moose, are only hunted in hunting groups.

A valid hunting license (jaktbevis) and a hunting license are required. Foreign hunting licenses are also recognized.

The Hunting ordinance (jaktförordningen) provides information on the hunting seasons of the various species.

Excluded regions are, for example, nature conservation and reindeer husbandry areas, national parks and the Kronopark. Special regulations apply here.

County-specific information on each of Sweden's 21 counties can be found on the website lanstyrelsen.se.
There, the relevant district or administrative district can be selected from a list.
Under the tab djur (Animals) you will find all the information you need on caring for animals, buying them, endangered species, invasive alien species, hunting and game, advice on wildlife and fishing.

The telephone number and e-mail address of the responsible contact person are listed for each topic.

Climate

... cold

While the climate in the south of Sweden is rather mild and comparable to Germany, it is more Canadian in the north.

Auxiliary car heater

Vehicles are generally equipped with auxiliary electric heating systems to prevent them from freezing. Parking lots in front of stores, clinics, but also public parking lots are equipped with sockets to supply the auxiliary heaters with 230V AC during the parking period.

Auxiliary vehicle headlights

The large additional headlights or LED bars (up to five) mounted not only on trucks but also on cars, sometimes across the entire width of the vehicle, are also striking. This is not due to the longer winter period or the winter darkness, but to the wanderlust of the moose, who like to take a sightseeing tour along and across freeways and main roads.

In order to spot these animals, which can weigh up to 600 kg, in good time at dusk or at night in winter, spotlight installations extending up to 1,200 m are a safety aspect that should not be underestimated.

Oncoming trucks are equipped with many more additional headlights. If you can see a daylight sky approaching from a distance, you are soon in the dark when the truck switches off its illumination so as not to dazzle oncoming vehicles. Only then do you really become aware of the installed light intensity.

An accident with a moose usually ends in a total loss of the vehicle and a lengthy hospital stay for the occupants, including possible years of consequential health damage.

Winter tires

On 01.12. of each year, the Winter tire obligation in force. It is valid until March 31 and requires that mounted tires are equipped with the „snowflake“ symbol or studs and have a minimum tread of 3 mm.

M+S tires are also considered winter tires for trailers up to 3.5 tons total weight. This regulation is currently limited until 30.11.2028.

Spike tires may be used from 01.10. to 15.04.

Clearing snow

If you don't have a vehicle with a snow plow to clear 35 cm of snow from your slightly longer driveway overnight, you will have to think about how to keep your driveway passable.
Of course, there are occasionally neighbors with the appropriate equipment who will clear someone else's driveway for a small fee. However, the question always remains as to whether they are on hand when you need to leave or whether they are unable to do so due to illness.
This may leave the purchase of a (battery-powered) Snow blower to consider. Especially helpful for penetrating the snow "wall" of the municipal snow plow that clears the road in the early morning hours on a daily basis.

As all house and garage doors open outwards in Sweden, it can be useful to protect these areas from snow accumulation. While house entrances are covered anyway, garage doors are usually not. A carport built in front not only helps to keep the entrance free of snow, but also the exit of a snow blower parked in the garage in order to clear the other access routes from there.

... and hot

And yes, it can get really warm in Swedish Lapland, even in the far north, where temperatures of 30°C and above don't make you feel like you're near the Arctic Circle ...

Climate zones

Sweden is in 8 climate or better Cultivation zones with the exception of mountain regions. The higher the zone, the shorter the growing season.

Despite extremely low temperatures, sensitive plants survive the (perma)frost thanks to the well-insulating snow cover at these times.

Ivy, known as an evergreen climbing plant, is a good indicator of the prevailing humidity: near lakes it grows high up on rocks and trees, far away from humid conditions only as ground cover. Humidity is therefore a factor that should not be underestimated.

For horticulture, the cultivation zone map is a rough guide, especially as the influence of air humidity was not taken into account in the map.

Kindergarten - School - University

Kindergarten

A pleasant experience: The local authority must offer a kindergarten place within 4 weeks. If no place is available in the desired daycare center before the four-week period expires, a place in another nearby daycare center can often be used immediately on a temporary basis.
It can be claimed by all parents who are studying, working, unemployed or on parental leave with younger children.

In addition to the classic KiTa, there is also day care with childminders (familjedaghem), the open preschools (öppen forskola) for parents with children aged 0 - 5 years, whose attendance is free of charge and without registration, but where no care is provided except by the parents themselves, as well as all-day and even emergency day-care centers, where care is provided outside normal opening hours to help parents who, for example, are on night duty (nattis or also nattförskola work on public holidays, etc. and therefore need to have their children looked after at these unusual times.

For children under the age of 3, an income-related contribution of 3% (but not more than SEK 1425) applies for the first child, 2% for the second and 1 % for the third.

The costs for children aged 3 and over have been capped since 2002 (Maxtaxa) and may not exceed SEK 1,260 for the first, SEK 840 for the second and SEK 420 for the third child, regardless of income. Each additional child is free of charge.

Children aged 6 and over can attend the preschool class free of charge (förskoleklass) and are entitled to continuous care in the afternoons (usually from 06 ... 07 a.m. to 17:00 ... 18:30 p.m.).
The facility not only provides care, but also has an educational mandate in accordance with the national curriculum for at least 525 hours per year, not only for school subjects, but also for social and health topics.

Parents who are not working, studying or otherwise involved can still make use of the facilities for at least 15 hours a week, in Stockholm even 30 hours.

School / Study

School attendance is compulsory from the age of 7 and begins with the 1st grade of elementary school (grundskola) and ends with the 9th grade, divided into three sections, 1st - 3rd grade (lågstadiet), 4th - 6th grade (mellanstdiet) and 7th - 9th grade (högstadiet), followed by the 3-year Gymnasium, which offers six academic and twelve vocational branches.

There are no school fees or tuition fees, not even for EU citizens or citizens of the EEA who are permanently resident in Sweden.

Job search

The Employment office in Sweden offers the opportunity to register as a jobseeker after receiving a personal number. Jobs are arranged, application assistance, including translations, is provided, free language courses (SFI) and training measures or internships.

Independent platforms, such as Blocket Jobb or in large cities Metrojobb are popular protals, alongside Indeed and others. For career starters, students and academics Academic Work good.

Application

The theoretical application process is as usual: CV and cover letter (in Swedish). The practical part, on the other hand, starts with a personal visit to your favorite employer, a casual interview and making a good impression.

Working environment

As a rule, employers endeavor to entrust employees with tasks that do justice to their abilities. Stress is frowned upon and should be avoided. Colleagues should support each other to ensure that no one experiences stress and, if the worst comes to the worst, consideration should be given to how stress can be avoided. If an employee does not feel comfortable in his or her position, an attempt is made to find him or her another, more suitable position in the company.

FikaThe break is an important part of the working day and is NOT used for discussing professional matters, but purely private topics. It should be a free time within the working environment to clear your head!

The Fika-understanding reminds the German of leisure time. When a Swede asked a German who had been living in Sweden for years "What do you actually do in your free time?", the Swede immediately listed all the things he had to do at home "I have to fix something in the house, plant something in the garden, build a swing for the kids ...". When the Swede repeated his question, he was taken aback and said "... I've just told you everything ...!" But the Swede didn't let up and added "I mean in your FREE time, what are you doing for YOURSELF?" The Swede would reply "I go fishing, take the boat out, ...."
This is certainly a justified and, in view of burnout and exhaustion syndrome, urgently needed suggestion to think about what you could do for YOURSELF in your FREE time.

Unemployment insurance

There are three unemployment insurance schemes in Sweden, the state Alfa-cashwhich A-cash desk (work solution fund) maintained by professional associations or trade unions, as well as the GS cash desk.(Grafiska Samfundet), which was established for the graphic arts profession, but today also covers employees in forestry and the woodworking industry.

The Alfa-cash and the A-cash desk can be claimed in parallel, which is often the case, as the state unemployment insurance benefits are not considered sufficient.

In all cases, at least 480 hours of work must have been completed in a consecutive period of 6 months within the last 12 months in order to be entitled to benefits.

Waiting periods during which no benefits are paid are 5 days. The benefit period is 300 days and can be extended in the event of special circumstances. The benefit amount, taking into account the waiting period, is SEK 365 per day.

• Alfa-cash
  for persons over 20 years of age
  Insurance financed by the state from taxes
  Employee pays an administration fee of around SEK 150 per month.
  Unemployment registration at the regional employment office (arbetsförmedlingen)
  Active participation in placement measures
• A. cash desk
  Voluntary insurance
  Premiums vary depending on occupational group and insurance
  In the event of an insured event, 80 % of the last gross salary is paid for the first 200 days and 70 % for the following 100 days, up to a maximum daily rate of SEK 680
• GS cash desk
  Voluntary insurance
  Premiums are around SEK 185 depending on the occupational group / insurance, SEK 260 for academics
  Services like A-kassa

If you take advantage of both possible benefits, you have a maximum of SEK 1,045 per day, or around SEK 31,350 per month.

In order to receive the benefits, a form must be filled out daily, e.g. whether you have been working or unemployed, sick or on vacation.

Payments are generally made on the Thursday of the week of the month in which the 25th falls. If this is a public holiday, the payout will be made on the next working day.

House distribution - fuses

A switch to higher energy awareness is to be achieved by increasing grid charges with higher fuse values. A commendable approach in itself, but without appropriate load shedding devices it is always a balancing act: does the fuse hold or does it not?

As Sweden still has a lot of distribution boards with fusible links, it's a good idea to have a few spare packs ready. After all, it naturally takes a while to understand the dependencies, i.e. the wiring of consumer supply lines. This is ample opportunity to sacrifice a few fuses.

Depending on the provider and region, you can choose between 16 A (SEK 2,135 p.a.), 20 A (SEK 7,815 p.a.), 25 A (SEK 9,480 p.a.), 35 A (SEK 12,340 p.a.), 50 A (SEK 17,315 p.a.) and 63 A (SEK 20,965 p.a.) connections. Prices include VAT (25 % MOMS)

The pricing for the kWh is made up of four components: the pure electricity price (transmission fee - Överföringsavgift) of e.g. SEK 0.88, the energy tax (Energiskatt) is approx. 0.343 SEK, a variable component includes electricity certificates, balancing group responsibility, volume surcharges, guarantees of origin and SVK and adds up to approx. 0.04537 SEK, the authority levy (Myndighetsavgift) is approx. 131.82 SEK p.a., plus VAT in each case, making a total of around 1.5855 SEK / kWh.

However, this price of the equivalent of around 15 cents does not yet include the monthly charges for the connection price depending on the protection, etc.

Where is the house connection buried?

Knowing this makes sense if you want to dig a foundation close to the house, or alternatively set ground screws or drive in earth rods. It would be silly to give Murphy the chance to spit in your soup and - promptly - hit the underground cable. But there's also the water pipe or the fiber optic cable for the internet connection.

Sweden makes it very easy, and free of charge, to find out about such hidden cables: All you have to do is go to the ledningskollen (Line control) to register. The prerequisite is the existence of a BankID.

After registering, you can describe your building project, mark the affected area on your property and send the request.

The local utility companies are automatically contacted and asked for feedback. This is done within a few days (or even just hours) and contains information on whether the respective supplier's lines run on the property or cross the designated part of the property.

In the case of electricity and Internet providers, an employee of the Geomatics Group on site after about five working days. He registers in advance via SMS, but may come by shortly afterwards.
He measures the points of the corresponding lines according to his maps and marks their course with red spray paint for electric cables and green for fiber optic lines.

You can then note the turn-off and route points using GPS data (e.g. from your cell phone) and save them on the ledningskollen-account and printed out from there. This means that you still have the exact course available even if the color has been washed away by precipitation in the meantime.

Electricity provider

Electricity providers in the north are regional and rarely selectable. The situation is different in the south, where several providers vie for customers' favor.

What they all have in common is that they send invoices, usually with a four-week payment term, but not reminders if you have failed to pay an invoice.

Instead, the suppliers offer their own apps. These can be downloaded free of charge from the well-known app stores, but you will look in vain for the button to register.
This must first be requested from the supplier, stating the customer number.

Among other things, these apps have the function of statistically evaluating consumption, displaying contract conditions, but also invoices. If a bill is marked with a red exclamation mark, it is overdue. The exclamation mark is effectively a reminder and announcement of the collection letter.
Although this is not explicitly stated, it is practiced.

It can therefore be a matter of urgency to monitor incoming invoices on the one hand and to install the relevant app and keep track of invoicing and due dates on the other.

Once you have received your BankID from your local bank, you can deposit your bank details with your electricity supplier and benefit from automatic direct debit on the due date in future, thus avoiding any reminders.

Electricity price - south-north divide

Sweden is divided into four price zones in terms of electricity costs: SE1 and SE2 in the north are the same price, while S3 is around two and a half times more expensive and S4 up to almost four times more expensive.

• Area SE1 comprises the regions of Luleå, Norrbotten and partly Västerbotten.
• Area SE2 consists of Dalarna (partly), Gävleborg (partly), Jämtland, Sundsvall, Västerbotten, Västernorrland
• Area SE3 covers Dalarna (partly), Gävleborg (partly), Gotland, Halland, Kalmar, Jönköping (partly), Örebro, Östergötland, Södermanland, Stockholm, Uppsala, Värmland, Västmanland, Västra Götaland
• Area SE4 serves Blekinge, Kalmar (partly), Halland (partly), Jönköping (partly), Kronoberg, Malmö, Skåne, Västra Götaland (partly)

This is due to the fact that the hydropower plants are located in the north and the transportation costs (electricity pylons, lines, etc.) from the north to the south are constantly increasing.

There are also three billing types:

• Fast elpris
  Fixed price - regardless of whether the electricity price is more expensive or cheaper, the kWh always costs the same
• Rörligt elpris
  Variable electricity price, varies depending on the supplier's purchase price
• Timpris
  Time-dependent electricity price, based on the exchange price applicable at the time of consumption (spot price)

In addition to these three basic principles, it is always worth asking the electricity supplier for the "cheapest" tariff offer based on previous "standard" billing and the corresponding consumption. In most cases, you will then be offered a 12-month, but cheaper tariff. If you accept it, you will receive confirmation shortly afterwards.

However, the haggling over the cheapest electricity price is put into perspective when it comes to shifting power-hungry consumers to cheaper times.
That would make sense if you only paid 12 cents per kWh instead of 25 cents, for example. However, the share of the "electricity" price is in the one to two-digit euro range, i.e. it is a matter of fractions of a cent to a maximum of around 2 cents.
Well, it's a well-known fact that every little helps a lot, but it's up to you to decide whether the effort of excessive timing pays off in significant euros or crowns over the year and is in a healthy proportion.

The following graph comparing two days shows that the difference in "electricity" prices can also be completely different and therefore considerable:

Yes, the electricity price can also be negative!

Charging e-vehicles at the wallbox

Sweden does not currently offer a special tariff for charging electric vehicles at the home wallbox. However, there is a subsidy of 50 % of the costs for installing one.

Due to the usually very 'economical' fuse protection in Swedish homes, in addition to the three-phase connection to the domestic power grid, the charging current at the wallbox should be set to a reasonable level, taking into account the other loads on the individual phases, in order to avoid tripping the main fuses.
If necessary, loads that cause an uneven load on the phases can be reconnected to the fuses in order to achieve a more even load.

Of course, charging then takes longer, but it is still faster than a single-phase charging process.

Please also note: If peak loads are used as the basis for calculating electricity consumption, it is worth aiming for a predominantly constant consumption over the course of the day.

Rengård power station

The Rengård power station at Skellefteälven has been generating 35 MW of electricity since October 1970 with a waterfall height of 19.30 m, which corresponds to an annual output of 200 GW.

The Skellefteälven is dammed by the dam to a width of 800 m and a length of 20 km. The Kaplan turbine water masses flow down at 137 ... 220 m³/s and feed the further course of the river.

Is a PV system in Sweden worthwhile?

The dream of self-sufficiency is not just about having your own well, your own sewage treatment plant, but also your own electricity.

In an age of falling PV module prices and falling battery costs, you might be tempted to consider setting up a PV (stand-alone) system.

There is plenty of sun in Sweden, especially in summer, when the nights only last a few hours and therefore far more solar yield is possible.

However, as is so often the case, it is precisely the winter period when, due to the few hours of sunshine, you need less yield but more power. So the question is: is it worth the investment?

The decision for or against is complicated by political uncertainties. Electricity suppliers suffer losses through self-supply, which they may want to be compensated for. As we know, almost anything is conceivable ...

So let's calculate a model: Average annual consumption in Sweden is 4.00 kWh per person.

The PVGIS (Photovoltaic Geographic IinformationSystem) gives the following data for the location, based on 1 kWp module output, 0° inclination (i.e. most unfavorable position) and total system loss of 3.5 %

• Stockholm
  - 875.57 kWh, corresponding to 986.08 kWh/m²
  - Required PV area 4.0565 m² per person
• Malmö
  - 968.72 kWh, corresponding to 1,083.49 kWh/m²
  - Required PV area 3.6918 m² per person
• Umeå
  - 808.97 kWh, corresponding to 912.58 kWh/m²
  - Required PV area 4.3832 m² per person
• Skellefteå
  - 762.79 kWh corresponding to 864.80 kWh/m²
  - Required PV area 4.6253 m² per person
• Luleå
  - 835.70 kWh corresponding to 938.73 kWh/m²
  - Required PV area 4.2611 m² per person

A 4-person household requires an estimated 16,000 kWh over around 20 m² module area. With calculated costs for material, incl. inverter, battery storage and installation, these amount to approx. 26,000 euros when using 20,000 kWh battery storage, plus maintenance and insurance costs of approx. 400 euros per year.

At a gross electricity price of approx. 25 cents/kWh, such a system would pay for itself in around 7.25 years, excluding financing costs, unless the system is paid for from existing funds.

Even if the theoretical service life of the LiFePo4 batteries can be ten years (depending on compliance with the depth of discharge of less than 80 %), taking into account the ageing and thus lower yield of the PV modules, the investment could save consumption costs over almost two years, provided no major repairs are required.

If you factor in possible repair costs prophylactically, it can quickly turn into a milkmaid's calculation that comes to plus-minus zero.

If you have an affinity for technology and enjoy being "simply self-sufficient", you should definitely have fun. However, anyone who equates self-sufficiency with saving money runs the risk - at present - that the effort is not really worth it.

SVEA debt collection

SVEA Inkasso is a worldwide operating The companywhich purchases receivables, including from electricity providers, and takes care of the dunning process, albeit for the usual high fees charged to customers by debt collection companies.

The disadvantage is that if, for example, an electricity bill is not paid on time, no reminder is sent, as is usual in Germany, but the bill, which is significantly higher due to the added charges, is sent immediately.

If a payment has overlapped with the dispatch of the SVEA "reminder" and you can prove this, SVEA may be so accommodating that it cancels its own invoiced costs. However, you should not rely on this.

So here's a hot tip: keep a close eye on the invoices and the display in the respective app if you want to avoid the unloved, costly contact with this company!

Telephone provider

With a contract in the EU, you have enjoyed the following since 13.04.2022 in accordance with the amendment to the Roaming Regulation EU2022/612The same convenience and identical quality of domestic network usage. Telephony, SMS and Internet should therefore be available at the same cost as in the home country.

The largest network provider is Telia and unites in its network Lycamobile and Halebop as an in-house discount provider, comparable with Telecom and e.g. Congstar..
Other providers are Tele2also used by Comviq, Telenor and Tre (3).

When choosing a prepaid card or fixed contract, you can roughly follow the Mesh cover cards of the individual providers: Telia, Tele2, Comviq, Telenor, Tre.

More important, however, is the actual network coverage in the area where you usually live. It may well be that there is sufficient coverage in the house "next door", but you are fishing in the mud a few dozen meters away because you have just jumped over the edge of the radiation lobe into the off.

It is therefore advisable to buy a monthly pass from one provider and test whether the coverage meets your own requirements. If the coverage proves to be unsuitable, the next provider has the chance. This should allow you to find the "best" provider for your individual needs.

5G, controversial but unfortunately unthinkable, is omnipresent, not only in the urban environment (although much more intensively there because the distances between the transmitting antennas are smaller and the frequency of the antennas is therefore higher), but also in the countryside in the middle of nowhere (albeit with a much lower power and antenna density).
"One" bar of 5G is roughly comparable to "one" bar of 4G in terms of reception, i.e. rather mediocre.

The problem with 5G is simply the comparatively much higher frequency. And the higher the frequency, the shorter the range. The air alone dampens the propagation (Basics explained), which is why the health aspects of 5G lose their horror at such low power densities.
If you would like to find out more about 5G and co. EHS (electro-hyper-sensitivity), 5G- (medical study situation) and here (STARLINK - Frequencies and transmission power compared to cell phone networks).

Another option for telephony is the use of messenger services via WLAN, some of which are free of charge.

Currency converter

Here is a currency converter SEK EUR, but other currency pairs can also be selected for conversion according to current live exchange rates:

Typical for Sweden - mosquitoes

Not for nothing are many place names on -sluggish ending, indicating that it is a swampy area, simply "swamp". And a swamp or generally damp environment is the home of mosquitoes.

Anyone who is allergic to mosquitoes and reacts with severe inflammation can be told that it is not always due to the mosquito as such, but often to what it has been sitting on beforehand. If it has recently been in contact with a field treated with pesticides or similar, it carries these on its biting organ and "inoculates" the host quesi not only with its pain-relieving secretion, but also with the usually strong toxins. It is therefore not surprising that the body reacts with a serious inflammation.

Now this knowledge doesn't necessarily help when you live or stay in an area. So what about the Swedes? Do they all walk around with bites and infections covering their bodies during the mosquito season? No! Why not?

This question can certainly be answered scientifically, but from a purely subjective point of view, there seem to be fewer to no such "poisons" being sprayed here. Mosquito bites here itch as usual, but the inflammatory reaction is very limited and sometimes barely noticeable. Sometimes you can't even find the mosquito bite and are surprised that it itches, only after rubbing or scratching does the usual red spot appear and you know where the itching is coming from.

What to do?

The chemical club

So what to do? Here, too, there are many approaches. The best known is probably the chemical club (e.g. Icaridin, Picaridin, Saltidin, DEET - Diethyltoluamid, originally a military development of a repellent on a synthetic basis) to stop the pests from biting you, i.e. you spray yourself with it. Since the skin, as our largest organ, absorbs at least part of any substance applied to it, these ingredients also enter the body.

Followed by the evaporator plates (Pyrethroids), which exude an attractant and entice the mosquito to come closer so that it can be killed with a neurotoxin on contact with the platelet. These preparations are not entirely uncontroversial either, as there is a possibility that some of this poison is also vaporized and can therefore also have a damaging effect on the bronchi and lung tissue in humans. All of the aforementioned products have allergenic, neurotoxic and dermatologically irritating potential and are generally unsuitable for children or babies.

In Sweden you will often find large boxes that use butane gas to attract and burn the mosquitoes. But they only help in a stationary position, because who wants to go through the woods with a butane gas bottle and the accompanying "box"?

Essential oils

Essential oils, on the other hand, are hardly known; at most, citronella oil is still known. Just as plants with their thousands of essential oils selectively attract insects for fertilization, but effectively keep pests at bay, we can also make use of these properties of essential oils in the form of a commercially available essential oil mixture. Homemade blends are also cheaper than ready-made products, but equally effective - beneficial to health and effective as an insect repellent.

If you would like to find out more and purchase the oils, please use the following links: If you are resident in Germany, you will find here the products, who lives in Sweden, about this Link.

Both formulations contain the same pure (i.e. also approved for internal use) essential oils to make the spray yourself using an empty spray bottle and spray head. Also included is an ointment that provides significantly faster relief and healing after a sting than without.

In addition to the property common to all oils of repelling mosquitoes (repellent effect, efficiency comparable to DEET), clove also has an analgesic and disinfectant effect, lavender soothes the skin and relieves itching, peppermint cools and lemon eucalyptus masks the odors of exhaled air (CO₂) and sweat, also has antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

And if you, like me ;-), want to know WHY essential oils, like Dr.Dr.Dr.med.habil. Hanns Hatt from the Ruhr University in Bochum has been researching for several decades using around 2,000 essential oils from his institute and explains in his video "Healing with fragrances", click here.

ByteAway

I personally use the spray after a sting if I have forgotten to use it again. ByteAwayFirst in the center of the stitch, then about six times around the stitch area. The relatively high temperature of 50 ... 53 °C does not destroy the injected allergenic protein, but it does inhibit the release of histamine* which triggers the itching.
Repeated application is therefore necessary, usually at intervals of around 6 - 8 hours, at the latest whenever the itching has noticeably increased. After two to three days, the itching is usually over.

Since the device works with two AA batteries, which - of course - usually give up the ghost just when you need them most, I have a modification with 5V PowerPack supply. Practical because: It feels like it lasts forever, you can also charge your cell phone and possibly even operate a USB light from it.

*histamine (or also biogenic amine is secreted by immune cells. It promotes inflammation and is responsible for redness, swelling, mucus formation and itching, among other things.

p.s. This product even gave me immediate relief from two wasp stings in my tongue and lip: after 10 minutes there was only a slight pain at the sting sites.
The wasp must have been keen on my bite of cake and suddenly found itself in my mouth, while I wondered about the strangely pointed and painful "components" of the piece of cake, before I realized that a wasp was up to mischief and I spit it all out violently.
The ByteAway used a minute later did its job surprisingly well and I was able to enjoy the rest of the cake with increased caution :-).

Mosquito repellent - Predator Dynamic

The manufacturer of the Predator-Dynamic mosquito catcher. Here, mosquitoes are attracted by means of an attractant (Octenol - (R)-(-)-1-octen-3-ol), often replaced by the more easily synthesized 1:1 mixture (Racemat)) and sucked into a catch basket by a fan or left to adhere to a strip of paper coated with adhesive.

The development was carried out in Sweden, so they know how to catch mosquitoes. Octenol is a scent to which 40% of all olfactory cells of the tsetse fly react, which many plants use as an attractant to invite female insects and induce them to lay eggs.

Contact with the attractant should be avoided at all costs as it is classified as harmful to health. The LD₅₀ at oral intake is 340 mg/kg, dermal at 3,300 mg/kg and ophthalmologically irritating.

There are indications from Inamdar e.a., which is Investigation „Fungal-derived semiochemical 1-octen-3-ol disrupts dopamine packaging and causes neurodegeneration" of 11.11.2013 proved that Octenol-vapors cause a disturbance of the Dopamine-metabolism (Neurotransmitters), both in Drosophila and in human cell lines, and may be responsible for movement disorders and neuropsychological problems such as Parkinson's disease.

The device, which is powered by a propane gas cartridge, is designed to have a long-term effect on pesky insects. A Octenol-platelet lasts for 30 days of operation and decimates the mosquito population in an area of, according to the manufacturer, about 5,000 square meters.

The price is high in view of the size, weight and obviously unsurpassable effect and processing quality, but is probably reasonable. A comparable device does not appear to be available on the market at a lower price.

Wildlife

In addition to the aforementioned pests, there are other animals such as elk, reindeer, brown bear, lynx, fox, wolf, red deer, badger and wolverine.

Elks (älg), with a population of 300,000 to 400,000 animals, are found in large numbers in central Sweden, especially on the Halleberg and Hunneberg mountains.

Reindeer (ren) are mainly bred by the Sámi in Lapland, the northernmost province of Sweden. They number up to 2980,000 animals. It is interesting to note that both males and females have antlers,

The brown bear (björn) populates the northern part of Dalarna, Jämtland, Västerbotten and Norrbotten with over 1,000 specimens.

The lynx (lodjur) has spread throughout Sweden, with the exception of the islands. However, its population is declining and now numbers around 1,000 animals. However, a minimum population of 1,500 animals is aimed for.

The fox (räv), especially red fox (rödräv), is rather rare in rural areas. Its population density is quite low at just over one fox per 100 hectares of land, whereas it is up to 12 times more common in urban areas.
Even rarer is the Arctic fox, which was on the verge of extinction and can now be found in Norway and Sweden, after both countries made efforts to preserve the species.

Wolves (varg) prefer the areas in the border region between Sweden and Norway, but also in Dalarna or Värmland in the south of Sweden. According to the government, their population density is to be reduced to around 170 specimens, after the population had recently risen to over 400 animals.

The red deer (rödhjort) prefers Götaland, but also Västerbotten. A numerical record is not available.

Also for the badger, which lives all over Sweden (grizzly) there is no information on their number.

There is also no information for the wolverine (järv), but is a protected species. It lives in the mountainous regions of Scandinavia, tundra and northern coniferous forests.

Winter and snow

The first snow can fall as early as the beginning of October and last until around the end of March. The average snow depth is given as 75 cm. This is certainly not optional every year, but clearly indicates that it may not be very amusing to clear the driveway with a snow shovel, especially for longer driveways, but more on that later. Let's turn to the positive side of the white splendor first.

Vacation pleasure

Ski slopes in Västerbottens län have lengths of up to 30 km with altitude differences of up to 665 m, e.g. the ski area Hemavan in the province of Lapland, which ranges from 470 to 1,135 m and offers guests 10 lifts. Connections to and from Stockholm are possible via the local airport. The airport is only 700 m away from the ski resort.
However, most slopes in other regions are significantly shorter and have less difference in altitude.
In addition to skiing activities, ice fishing, motorized and dog sledding are also offered, as well as cross-country skiing routes, of which there are countless - everywhere.

Everyday duties

Like everything in life, snow has two sides to the coin. In everyday life, snow can quickly become a limiting obstacle if you need to set off in the car to get things done and 35 cm of snow, plus the wall left by the snowplough in front of the driveway, can be an effective barrier to spontaneous plans.

There are often neighbors who have suitable clearing equipment (tractor, pickup with clearing attachment, etc.) and, for a small fee, clear the driveway in winter. But as it happens, the person may be enjoying a well-deserved vacation, is ill or the tractor is on strike ...

So it's either off with the snow shovel for some - dubious - snow clearing fun or tackle the snow with a snow blower. The petrol-powered machines make a loud and "smelly" noise, not always to the delight of the sleeping neighbors.

EGO SNT2400 cordless snow blower

The EGO SNT2400 cordless snow blower, powered by 58 V, promises to provide a remedy. Video demonstrates impressively the maximum of its performance: after that, snow depths of one meter and more are no problem, - know how ;-)!

The operating volume is kept within limits and the throwing range of up to 15 meters should be sufficient for any driveway to transport the snow to areas outside the area to be cleared.

The kit, which offers a complete set for an immediate start with two LiIon batteries and two quick chargers, is always interesting in terms of price.
Delivery is on a pallet. The box is best slit open on all sides to gain access to the appliance from all sides.

Only the handle with the operating elements needs to be attached to the tiller using two screws on the left and right, the two wheels attached to the shaft with the drive pinions and each secured with a split pin.

The two batteries are inserted into the quick chargers, which are connected to 230 V and after a short time, four green light fields indicate that the batteries are ready for use.
After inserting the batteries into the shafts of the tiller and closing the shaft cover, the tiller is ready for use.

To ensure the longest possible battery runtime, both speed controls (tiller and drive) should be left at level 2, which is completely sufficient for most applications.

The middle lever, which can be moved to the left and right, is used to set the ejection direction. The power supply is switched on via the central pressure switch.
The tiller and forward drive are activated via the two handles on the left and right above the black handles by holding them down on the black handle area while guiding the tiller in the desired direction.

Whether you use the electric reverse gear or pull the tiller back manually is up to you: Manual mode saves battery energy and thus extends the range.

Shopping for daily needs

The equivalent of Kaufland, Marktkauf, Real, Magnet, etc. in Sweden from the customer's point of view are:

• ICA with a market share of around 50 - 60 % and over 2,000 branches
• Coop makes around 20 - 25 % in over 800 stores
• Axfood is represented by 13 %, a wholesaler that also sells to end customers

Discounter:

• Lidl
• Willys
• Hemköp, Tempo and City Gross as wholesale stores, all three in southern Sweden

Customer cards

ICA and COOP issue customer cards. At ICA, registered customers are referred to as „Stammis“ (regular customers), at COOP as „Medlem“ (members).

ICA offer prices can be used by showing the customer card at the checkout or scanning it at the customer terminal in the checkout area. Even without a customer card, a normal customer can be declared a regular customer at the checkout within one minute, provided they have a personal number. All that remains to be done is to enter the code on the registration receipt on the website mentioned on the receipt in order to receive the ICA card by post within around a week.

COOP operates like a cooperative: members pay SEK 100, which they receive back when they leave. Members then receive their membership card by post within two weeks. There are now almost 4 million registered members.
By showing your customer card at the checkout or scanning it at the self-service terminals, you can enjoy the regular customer discount (which can be quite significant) and also earn points.

Willys does not issue a separate customer card, but offers the option of linking any VISA or MasterCard to an online customer account on site.
It is therefore not enough to apply for and confirm membership online. By linking the payment card to the membership account, the offer price is always charged instead of the standard price for every purchase.

All zero, light - or what?

If you stroll through the markets, you will notice in the drinks section at the latest that 99 % of all drinks with sugar substitutes seem to be trimmed to „zero“. Sugar substitutes are also increasingly found in other products.

It is also striking, especially in the warmer months: CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring, or glucose sensor measuring system), the „button“ on the arm of both very young and older people can be seen alarmingly often. These sensors are used in conjunction with insulin-dependent(!) diabetes. Zero and light are obviously taking their toll - very clearly.

Online purchases - amazon.de vs. amazon.se

The range in Sweden is comparatively drastically reduced; depending on the product, there may be just ten percent of the selection available in the German counterpart. Some products are simply not available.

This may be understandable in view of Sweden's population, which is one tenth of that of Germany, but the people in this tenth are certainly also happy about a broader product portfolio.

This can be remedied by entering the Swedish delivery address in the account on amazon.com obtain. Items that are delivered to Sweden are then displayed accordingly, naturally with a corresponding surcharge for shipping abroad.

Sometimes you can also find products that are amazon.se are listed. A price comparison taking into account the amazon.com listed shipping costs. It may be cheaper on amazon.se to order, but sometimes also, despite additional shipping costs, on amazon.com.

The advantage of ordering from Amazon, whether the German or Swedish equivalent, is delivery to your door (hemleverans), - and it actually works!

Large appliances (white goods)

If you can't find large appliances (white goods) of your choice in Sweden, you will often have to resort to idealo.de especially when it comes to finding the best price for the item of desire.

Only shipping to Sweden can become a game of patience if, in addition to Germany, you are only offered Austria as an alternative delivery country to choose from, for example, or if Sweden can be selected in the country list but then turns out not to be deliverable. Such a country selection list looks particularly intelligent if the information "We only deliver to Germany" is displayed after selecting any country. ...

Persistence pays off, however, and in most cases the good piece is still significantly cheaper than buying it in Sweden, despite the considerable, possibly three-digit, shipping costs - if the device is available there at all.

No go

Batteries are definitely not delivered from Germany to Sweden. So if you want to buy a battery-powered device with a battery or as a kit with a charger and spare battery from a German retailer who also delivers to Sweden, you will find out when you go to the virtual checkout that delivery to Sweden is not possible for this very reason.

In such cases, the only option is to search for prices online at Swedish retailers. With luck, you will find a price offer that is almost as good, even if it is slightly more expensive due to the six percent higher VAT, but also arrives slightly faster than shipping from Germany.

Ordered today - delivered tomorrow

... you can safely forget that. There are different delivery services, just like in Germany. However, they collect deliveries and do not deliver every day of the week. Just like the post office does not deliver on every working day.
On a positive note: There is a sign in the letterbox which, if you hang it over the flap, signals to the letter carrier that there is an item in the letterbox - which can be opened from the outside - that is franked and should be sent. He takes it with him and you have saved yourself a trip to the nearest letterbox!

Your own letterbox does not necessarily have to be at the entrance to your property. In the worst case, it can be located on the street several hundred meters away, in a row with a few others from the assembled neighborhood (possibly also on the opposite side of the street), as is also known from Canada or America.

Delivery times vary between one and four week(s). The good news is that deliveries sometimes arrive earlier than announced. However, you should not rely on this.

Patience is not only a virtue here, but also a good prerequisite for escaping the typical German stress level and, true to the Swedish practice, to be able to relax, lagom (meaning: always take it easy), lifestyle.

You don't necessarily find your parcels in your letterbox or on your doorstep, but sometimes 20 - 30 km away at the nearest 'Ombud', usually a grocery store or gas station.
You can find out where the parcel has been deposited by text message or e-mail.
Armed with an ID card, or alternatively a German identity card or passport, as well as a text message or e-mail on your cell phone, you can pick up your package at the relevant location.

Although this practice is primarily perceived as a nuisance, the journeys can also be combined with shopping or other things and thus used more sensibly.

Camping gas cylinders (exchange & filling)

If you are traveling Sweden by motorhome or caravan, you will need to refill or exchange your cylinders, especially in the winter months.

However, camping sites that often offer gas cylinders for exchange are rarely or never open in winter, which is why they are unfortunately rarely available during this period. So you have to find other sources.

In Germany you would look for camping gas, camping gaz or propane or butane gas cylinders, in Sweden the magic word is Gasol.

Here is a list of the currently known filling stations (40) - from the north to the south. The list follows the decreasing longitude.

It is advisable to call before visiting to make sure that, on the one hand, it is open and, on the other hand, that the desired service is offered and that exchange bottles are available. If telephone numbers or links are not listed, they were not known at the time and / or are invalid.

Although the filling stations normally have all the usual adapters for filling German gas cylinders, it may well be advisable to carry such an adapter with you.
While German gas cylinders are known to have an external left-hand thread, Swedish cylinders have an internal M14 x 1.5 thread. The adapter required to fill a German gas cylinder in Sweden is called a D3 adapter and is described in e.g. this Set included.

Sweden - Air travel

Sweden and back? If you want to get to Swedish Lapland by car, you need to allow three days each way. Flying is quicker and cheaper.

Best time to travel

The best time to travel determines which experience you choose to focus on.

If you want to experience the midnight sun, June to August is a good time, but if you want to see the Northern Lights, it is better to travel from September to around March, with December to February particularly recommended. This is when the nights are longest and the chance of experiencing this natural phenomenon is highest.

April and October surprise with the rapid sprouting of the budding green and the magnificent autumn colors of the foliage.

August, on the other hand, is usually the rainiest month, although the rain is moderate and it rarely rains continuously for several days in a row. In the evening, the sun usually gains the upper hand, making the drops on the leaves shimmer in all the colors of the rainbow and providing pleasant warmth.

Book

So no matter when the trip is to take place, early booking is advisable if you want to get the - more or less - cheapest price.

A flight from Hamburg (HAM) to Skellefteå (SFT) is simulated as an example. Normally you fly with the Swedish airline SAS with a stopover in Stockholm (Arlanda - ARN) of about one hour on the outbound flight and just under two hours on the return flight and a combined flight time of 2 hours and 40 minutes.

If you book a month in advance, you can expect to pay around EUR 240 for a return flight for one person, including one item of checked baggage, hand baggage and a bag for under the seat.

Departure times are currently, depending on the airline, 06:15, 09:45, 12:15 and 15:55 for the outbound flight from Hamburg and 06:15, 11:35 and 15:55 for the return flight from Skellefteå.

Check-In - Baggage check-in

It is advisable to arrive at the airport 90 minutes before departure time in order to have enough time for orientation, check-in and baggage check-in - at least in Hamburg and comparable or larger airports.

With its own mobile app, SAS offers a convenient way to check in online and have the boarding pass available. Alternatively, the boarding pass can be printed out on site using the booking code. There are also 20 machines in Terminal 1 where you can print out your baggage check-in using the boarding pass in paper form or on your cell phone.

The baggage is weighed when it is placed on the baggage carousel and a sticker is affixed to it so that it can be routed accordingly. A receipt is also printed out, which serves as proof of baggage check-in in the event of loss - so keep it safe!

Incidentally, if the baggage of several passengers on a flight does not appear on the conveyor belt and the official statement is „Baggage reclaim is closed.“ in other words, there is no more baggage, then usually a baggage container on the plane has simply been forgotten to be unloaded ... - persistent inquiries, combined with this information, will then allow the baggage to appear on the conveyor belt after all.

The app also provides flight-related data and changes to departure times or gates.

Flight and stopover

The days when food and drinks were included in the price of the flight are long gone. However, airlines now offer such services on board for a fee.

The waiting time in Stockholm passes very quickly: the range of stores, restaurants, perfumeries and technology stores is too great. On the outbound flight, you will hardly really notice this variety, especially as an hour flies by quickly. But if you get your bearings in this short period of time, you can take your time and browse more carefully on the return flight, which lasts almost twice as long.

Arrival in Skellefteå

Skellefteå is a very small, clearly laid out airport: the reception hall, check-in, baggage check-in and check-out, and waiting area can be passed through in just a few minutes.

The photos were taken shortly before midnight before the last plane arrived: not a soul far and wide.

The parking lot in front of the airport is also very clearly laid out and, in contrast to its counterpart in Hamburg, conveys the typical Swedish calm and serenity that - among other pleasant experiences - makes it difficult to start the journey back.

There is a very large free parking lot in front of the paid parking lot, which is usually full. Nevertheless, you can find a free space here and there by slowly combing through the parking lot. The walk to the airport building takes about 5 - 10 minutes.

There is also a chargeable long-term parking space with a connection for engine pre-heating (not only advisable in winter, but almost obligatory).

For the return flight, 60 minutes before departure is sufficient, even if the flight is fully booked. Strength lies in tranquillity ;-)!

Skellefteälven - Leisure time

Leisure time - FREE time - is written in capital letters in Sweden, as is the break(s) in the working day, the fika, in which topics from working life are not discussed, but only free time: Switching off and relaxing come first, and the end of the day is the end of the day, period.

Leisure is everything that is conducive to relaxation and family. Fishing, taking a boat out on the lake, dangling your feet in the water, simply gazing at the sunny blue sky - holes in the air - and letting your gaze wander into the distance.

The Skellefteälven offers 410 km of opportunities to practice and enjoy leisure activities. It has its source at Lake Jurunjávrre in the north of Sweden, near the Norwegian border, and flows into the Gulf of Bothnia at the eponymous town of Skellefteå.
Along its course, it feeds 14 hydropower plants with a total output of 945 MW and an annual generation of 4.1 TW.

Fishing is not covered by the so-called “everyman's right". It does not require an examination, but does require knowledge of regional conditions such as minimum sizes, catch limits, closed seasons or restricted zones. Furthermore, the catch is limited to the amount that can be consumed on the same day. In addition, a fishing license must be purchased, which can be obtained for a small fee, usually between SEK 150 and 250, in stores, at petrol stations or on-line is available for purchase.

For the five largest inland lakes Vänern, Vättern, Mälaren, Hjälmaren and Storsjön no fishing license is required. The usual rules for fishing itself naturally apply here unchanged.

Boating in Swedish waters with (leisure) boats purchased in Sweden up to 12 m in length and 4 m in width is not subject to licensing and requires no license. If a boat purchased in another country is used, the regulations of the country of origin apply.

Irrespective of this Swedish freedom of movement, you are expected to know and observe the rules of international shipping law, maritime traffic regulations and maritime traffic law, seamanship, sea marks, etc. Violations can be punished with a fine or imprisonment. Violations can be punished with a fine or imprisonment.

It is up to everyone to prove themselves worthy of the trust placed in them, so that the freedom of movement granted is not abused, but appreciated gratefully and with respect.

... The article will be continued and updated as required ...

- Questions are also welcome and will be considered here! -