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Sweden named ‘best place in the world for expat families’

Sweden has been ranked as the best place in the world for expat families by a long-running survey, beating the Czech Republic (second) and Singapore (third) to top spot and retaining its crown from 2015.

Published: 21 September 2016 08:30 CEST
Sweden named 'best place in the world for expat families'
Children at a Stockholm preschool going for a walk. Photo: Anders Ahlgren/SvD/TT

The 2016 HSBC Expat Explorer took in the opinions of 26,871 people who identified as expats, the term used in the survey, in 45 different host countries, and the results speak highly of the Scandinavian nation when it comes to raising a family there.

Three quarters (75 percent) of expat parents in Sweden rated their children’s quality of life there as better than back home, while the same proportion believe the quality of childcare available in the Nordic country is better.

That’s something Scotswoman Jill Leckie agrees with, having moved to Sweden with her Swedish partner to have their child and started up the Littlebearabroad website for foreign parents raising a family in Sweden.

“Our daughter goes to a small preschool in the suburbs with a class of ten other kids. They spend the majority of the day outside and have fresh food prepared on-site every day. For now I’m not sure I could ask for much more,” she told The Local.

Asked what was better about the quality of family life in Sweden compared to the United Kingdom, Leckie highlighted cost-effective childcare as standing out.

“Circumstances prevail so not everyone will experience being an expat family the same way, but moving to Sweden with a family or starting a family here has huge advantages. For me it was crystallized when I was sent our invoice for my daughter’s daycare this month and it was just over 1000 kronor ($116). I have friends in the UK spending £1000 ($1295) a week on childcare.”

The majority of parents surveyed (69 percent) said that their children’s health and well-being is better since they moved to Sweden, compared to a global average of 49 percent.

Just under half (46 percent) said the quality of education in Sweden is better, beating the global average of 43 percent, while 72 percent said education is less expensive.

READ ALSO: Why is Sweden top for expat families?

In another section of the survey, the HSBC Explorer’s Economics League covering personal finances, views on the local economy and working life, Sweden placed sixth, with Switzerland topping the table, followed by Singapore and Germany.

Working life was the economics barometer Sweden performed best in, where it came third. The category looks at expats’ prospects for career progression, work/life balance and job security.

Things weren’t quite so positive for Sweden in the third section of HSBC’s survey however, the Experience League. In that ranking of an expat’s lifestyle, ability to integrate with the people around them, and ease of setting up in their new country, Sweden placed 31st. The top three countries were New Zealand, Spain and Canada.

Within the Experience League, Sweden suffered most in the “people” (ease of integrating, ease of forming friendships) and “setting up” (finding accommodation) barometers, reinforcing the stereotype of cold natives and showing expats are not immune to the country’s well-documented housing crisis. 

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READER QUESTIONS

Do foreigners in Sweden have to carry their residence cards?

Foreign residents in Sweden who are granted residence permits are issued with a residence card or 'uppehållstillstånd'. Who does this apply to and are they obliged to carry the card all the time?

Published: 2 February 2024 12:52 CET
Updated: 16 April 2024 14:22 CEST
Do foreigners in Sweden have to carry their residence cards?

What is an uppehållstillstånd? 

Firstly, an uppehållstillstånd or residence permit is required for legal residence in Sweden for non-EU citizens, as well as EU citizens without EU right of residence.

Note that this is not the same as an uppehållskort, which is for non-EU citizens living with a non-Swedish EU citizen, nor is it the same as an intyg om permanent uppehållsrätt for EU citizens or uppehållsstatus for Brits here under the rules of the withdrawal agreement.

Residence permits are granted to those wanting to work, study or live in Sweden, including those who came to the country as family members of other residents or as refugees.

The criteria you must fulfil to be granted a residence permit depend on the reason you are in Sweden and your personal situation.

If you are granted a residence permit for Sweden, you will be issued with a residence card or uppehållstillståndskort, as documentation of your residence rights.

The card itself is a plastic card the size of a credit card and displays your photo. It also includes a chip containing your biometric data. You will be required to attend an appointment to submit biometric details to the Migration Agency, either at one of its offices or at your closest Swedish embassy or consulate, if you’re applying from outside the country, after which the agency will be able to produce your residence card.

So, do I need to carry the card with me at all times? 

Technically, no, but it’s best to always know where it is, as you will need to be able to show it when asked. 

A press officer at Sweden’s Migration Agency told The Local that it’s a good idea to carry it with you at all times, although there’s no specific requirement for residence permit holders to do so.

“We can’t comment exactly on the situations in which other authorities, such as the police or healthcare services would need to see your residence permit card, but our general advice is that it’s a good idea to carry your residence card with you at all times, like any other form of ID, such as a driving licence, for example,” she said.

According to the Migration Agency’s website, you should always have it with you when in contact with Swedish authorities or healthcare, as it proves that you have the right to live in Sweden.

“According to the Aliens Act, foreigners in Sweden must show a passport or other document showing they have the right to live in Sweden, when asked by a police officer,” police press officer Irene Sokolow told The Local.

“[The foreigner] is responsible for proving their right to be in Sweden, as well as their identity and the day and time they arrived in Sweden, if relevant. They are, however, not required to carry their identity card or passport with them.”

One situation where you should have your card with you is when travelling over the Swedish border, where you should always present it to border police along with your passport. This ensures you’ll be registered correctly as a resident when exiting or re-entering the country, rather than as a tourist.

One reason why this is important is that non-EU residents can only visit Schengen for 90 days in every 180-day period without needing a residence permit or other visa, so if you’re falsely registered as entering Sweden as a visitor, this 90-day countdown will start. 

If you’re then discovered living in Sweden past the 90-day deadline, your false registration as a tourist could lead to you being branded an overstayer, which could affect your chances of getting a residence permit in the future, as well as your chances of being allowed to enter other Schengen countries.

Where else might I be asked to show my card?

Sweden’s police are also able to carry out so-called inre utlänningskontroller, special controls to identify people living in Sweden illegally, if they have reason to believe the person in question does not have a permit or visa to live in Sweden.

These can take place anywhere within Sweden, including at workplaces suspected of hiring people without valid residence permits, so at least in theory, you could be stopped by police anywhere in the country and asked to show your residence permit if they have reason to believe you’re living here illegally.

“When an inre utlänningskontroll is carried out and the person in question does not have any such documents with them, the police can check their status with the Migration Agency,” Sokolow told The Local.

Legally, the police have the power to confiscate your passport or other ID document if you can’t prove you have the right to be in Sweden when asked, although this will be returned to you when you provide them with a valid residence permit card or when they receive other proof that you have the right to be in the country.

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