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SWEDEN EXPLAINED

8 surprising perks to living in Sweden that anyone can take advantage of

From endless refillable coffee to free advice for entrepreneurs, moving to Sweden comes with a whole trove of low-key benefits that Swedes are so accustomed to they barely get a mention. The Local’s reader Gemma Casey-Swift shares a shortlist of the more hidden perks she’s discovered.

Published: 15 July 2024 10:03 CEST
8 surprising perks to living in Sweden that anyone can take advantage of
Did you know you get paid to go on holiday in Sweden? Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

Yes, the weather is shocking. University is also free for EU citizens (equally shocking, depending on where you’re from). But beyond the absurd levels of cleanliness, superb transport infrastructure, and the comfort of knowing that if you’re off sick, your boss won’t bother you, there are many other sweet little perks to living in Sweden that everyone should know about.

Refillable Bryggkaffe (even on trains)

Sweden’s love for coffee is deeply ingrained in its culture, with Swedes consuming twice as much of the brown stuff as the average American. One delightful daily perk is the availability of free bryggkaffe (filter coffee) refills almost everywhere, even on trains — which embarrassingly I only realised after three years of commuting between Gävle and Stockholm. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

Juicy tax reductions for home improvements with ROT and RUT

Nobody likes the T word, but before you start yawning, please take advantage of these significant tax breaks when sprucing up your home thanks to two popular tax deduction programs. 

The ROT deduction allows homeowners to get up to 150,000 SEK in tax reductions for renovations, repairs, and maintenance work on their property. The RUT deduction also covers domestic services such as cleaning and babysitting. These programs make home improvement more affordable while boosting the local economy by supporting small businesses.

Free dental care for kids and youths up to age 23

Sweden’s commitment to public health also extends to dental care, where children and young adults receive free dental services until they turn 23. Regular check-ups, orthodontic treatments, and emergency dental care are all included. If only I was 10 years younger.

SEE MORE: How much will I have to pay to go to the dentist in Sweden?

You get paid extra to go on holiday 

If you’re employed in Sweden you’re entitled to a holiday bonus, known as semesterersättning. It typically amounts to 12% of your monthly salary and is paid out during the holiday period so you don’t have to feel guilty about that extra margarita. The idea behind this perk is to ensure everyone has the financial means to enjoy a well-deserved break, promoting a healthy work-life balance and overall well-being. If I could hug Sweden right now, I would.

READ ASLO: Why you get paid MORE when you take time off in Sweden

Affordable guest apartments and communal BBQ areas

If there’s one thing the Swedes have truly mastered, it’s the art of apartment living. Not only do most apartment blocks come with pretty little shared courtyards equipped with barbecues and garden furniture, but many also offer gästlägenheter (guest apartments) or gästrum (guest rooms) that residents can book for as little as 200 SEK per night. Now you have no excuse when your siblings and their swarm of toddlers want to come and visit.

Delish dagens lunch deals

It’s no secret that eating out in Sweden ain’t cheap, but thankfully, you can get special “dagens lunch” (today’s lunch) deals almost everywhere. Even upscale restaurants offer these lunchtime specials, which typically include a main course, salad, bread, and coffee for a very reasonable price. For anyone in Stockholm, Artilleriet and Tennstopet are two great places serving up weekday lunchtime specials for less.

READ ALSO: ‘Dagens’ lunch specials – an unexpected window into Swedish society

Transferable parental leave 

Is it even possible to write this article without mentioning parental leave?

EXPLAINED: Sweden’s 480 days of parental leave: What you need to know

It’s well known that Sweden’s policies in this department are among the most generous in the world, but slightly less well-known is a new law that came into force a few weeks ago, allowing parents to transfer up to 45 days of leave to a close relative. This means Grandad or Aunty Emma can help out with childcare and actually get paid for it. Cute.

Extra support for jobseekers and aspiring entrepreneurs 

Searching for work or starting a company can be daunting, which the Swedish government seems to understand. Both Business Sweden and Stockholm Stad offer free sessions with business counsellors to support start-ups and small businesses.

The rusta och matcha program also pairs jobseekers with career coaches for personalised job search assistance. Additionally, Arbetsförmedlingen (the Swedish Public Employment Service) covers travel expenses for job interviews, making nationwide job opportunities more accessible. These perks can offer a welcome boost during times of career uncertainty. 

All the small things 

Strangely, it’s often the little day-to-day things – not the big things – that make me appreciate my life here. Yes, the weather isn’t exactly great, but I can always daydream about where to spend my holiday bonus over two free coffees and a good dagens lunch deal. 

I hope I’ve missed many other small perks that the people of Sweden can enjoy. Please share any that spring to mind in the comments! 

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WORK PERMITS

KEY FACTS: Sweden to cut salary needed for EU Blue Card by 10,000 kronor

Sweden's government has decided to cut the monthly salary needed to qualify for an EU Blue Card by about 10,000 kronor per month, as it brings the EU's new Blue Card Directive into Swedish law.

Published: 15 August 2024 16:38 CEST
KEY FACTS: Sweden to cut salary needed for EU Blue Card by 10,000 kronor

“Reforming the rules around labour migration is an important part of the government’s paradigm shift in the migration area,” the country’s migration minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, said in a press release.

The proposal has been sent to the country’s Council on Legislation (Lagrådet). “

“This proposal is an important step in the work to improve and ease the conditions for these people,” Stenergard said. 

Sending new legislation to the Council on Legislation is the final stage before the government submits a new law to parliament. 

What is the EU Blue Card, and how has it been used in Sweden? 

The EU Blue Card is a combined residency permit and work permit for highly qualified, highly skilled workers from outside the EEA, which brings holders some of the rights enjoyed by EU citizens, which are not enjoyed by normal work permit holders. 

The EU Blue Card has historically been far less popular in Sweden than in countries such as Germany, primarily because Sweden’s work permit system has until recently been relatively liberal, and the requirements for a work permit have been much lower than those for a Blue Card. 

What is the the reason for the new Blue Card Directive? 

The EU’s new Blue Card Directive was passed by the European Council and EU Parliament back in November 2021, replacing the earlier 2009 directive, and should have been transposed into national law by November 18th 2023 — meaning that Sweden is already nearly nine months late. 

The aim of the new directive is to simplify the procedures and qualifying criteria for getting a Blue Card, hopefully making it more popular and as a result making it easier for the EU to attract high-skilled labour. 

How will the new rules change the requirements? 

The new rules will reduce the salary threshold to be eligible for an EU Blue Card from 1.5 times the average monthly salary in Sweden to 1.25 times the average monthly salary. 

At today’s levels, this reduces the required salary from a fairly high 59,850 kronor a month (€5,200) to a more easily achievable 49,875 kronor (€4,300).

Under the EU directive member states can set the threshold at anywhere between 1 and 1.6 times the average salary, meaning Sweden has chosen to be relatively generous. 

The threshold nonetheless remains significantly higher than the 28,480 kronor (80 percent of Sweden’s median salary) currently required to qualify for a standard work permit.    

The new directive also makes it easier for people who have a residency and work permit in Sweden on other grounds to switch to the EU Blue Card. 

It means that Blue Card holders who change job after arriving in Sweden will no longer have to apply for a new EU Blue Card. 

It allows anyone who has been granted an EU Blue Card by another EU state to enter Sweden and work for 90 days out of every 180 days. 

It also simplifies the procedure for anyone who has held an EU Blue Card in another EU country for more than 12 months to apply for an EU Blue Card in Sweden. 

When will the new law come into force? 

The government wants the new law to come into force on January 1st 2025. This means it will come into force one year and one month after the EU’s deadline.  

What has the government said about the delay? 

In a statement, Richard Wahlström, the press spokesperson for Malmer Stenergard, put the delay down to the sheer number of ongoing reforms to migration policy being driven through by the government. 

“The government is now carrying out a number of significant reforms on migration policy, and we have presented proposals for population registration due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” he told The Local in a written statement.

“Unfortunately, this has meant that it has taken a little longer to progress with this product. It is an important issue for the government to promote highly qualified labor immigration. We are therefore pleased to now move forward on this important issue.” 

He said that EU Commission had sent a formal notification to Sweden about the delayed implementation of the directive, to which Sweden has responded.

“We will see how the Commission chooses to handle the case, but our ambition is to get the changes to the law into effect as soon as possible, which, taking into account the procedural work of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdagen) is estimated to be January 1st, 2025.” 

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