Getting Started:
Step 1 - Your residence permit.
Upon arriving in Sweden, you have up to three months in which to get your residence permit.
Migrationsverket - this is where you go to get your Uppehållstillstånd (residence permit). You need to take your passport AND be accompanied by your husband/partner or referree i.e. person of Swedish nationality who has permanent residence. You both fill in application forms and you should receive your permit in about a week to 10 days.
For the first three years you renew your permit every year. It is up TO YOU to remember to do this. It is best to go 3/4 days before the old permit runs out, though since applications are computerised and you need to have a valid permit to work or study etc. they will make a note of this on their screen so you are covered if you must wait to receive your new permit.
Step two - to register on the census rolls.
Folkbokförd (census rolls). Take your passport and residence permit to the Tax Authority or local tax office. Registering on the census rolls also gives you the no.1 important bit of red tape you need in Sweden - your personnummer (personal identification number). This number is needed for just about EVERYTHING in Sweden so it is essential you get this asap.
The number consists of your year,month and date of birth plus four additional digits. Once you have this number, you can get a bank account (though until you have an ID card (ID Kort) you will only get a cashcard.
Step three - census registration certificate(needed for ID card)
This is also required if you need an extended residence permit or passport, so should be obtained again as soon as you can. Go to or call a local tax office and tell the staff exactly why you need the certificate because they are made out differently according to why you need them.
Once you have this, you go to a local post office or bank for your IDkort.
Step four - your ID card
You must go to a bank or post office to get this and must bring a document indicating your personnummer, a photograph and your census registration certificate. Again and very importantly, you must also go with your partner,husband (or friend/relative) who already has an ID and can confirm you are who you say you are.(as referred to by the documentation.
Step five - registering with Social Insurance Office.
(Försäkringskassan).
Go to the local office (listed in the pink pages of the Swedish telephone catalogue) and take all your documents with you. Once you are registered - you become eligible for sickness benefits etc. (but the laws on financial help for immigrants vary according to your status of immigration and whether you have worked previously etc. so nothing is guaranteed).
Step six - Language School
For all immigrants over 16yrs of age, language instruction is provided by all municipalities. Its is mostly called SFI (swedish for immigrants). In some areas this is provided by Komvux, whilst other places provide it through different organisations.
It is free and due to the amount of arrivals every year its best to register for SFI as soon as you can. Certain ethnic immigrants are granted money whilst they study, but most EU countries arent. Another thing to bear in mind when you study. How fast you take the course is largely down to you. Its normally streamed into four groups A-D. If you have not one word of the language you start at A , a bit of experience B and so forth.
During the last group (D) you take the SFI test. this contains papers on grammar, speech, understanding and speaking and is relatively hard, though not inpassable. I did this in 5 and a half months, but how well and how fast you do is dependant on your grasp of the language and the work you put in.
Step seven - Finding Work.
Not as easy as people would think. Firstly, you are battling with many native swedes for work and secondly you have the disadvantage of not being fluent in the working language.
However, don't let that put you off! And don't let the fact that you will not have any financial help whilst you study or look for work deter you either!
Go to your local job center Arbetsförmedlingen and you will be registered into their database and given a time to meet your advisor (handläggare) He or she will do all they can to help you look for, apply for and attend work interveiws etc. They also offer training courses, work experience and practises and differing courses for those who have passed SFI but who cannot find work due to lack of language skills.(or for those like myself who are in the "in-between" stage - ie. know the language to hold conversations and get by, but cannot get work.
If you attend a course funded and organised by Arbetsförmedlingen and other learning institutes you will receive Aktivitietstöd. This is an allowance (small!) that is paid monthly in arrears to those who do these courses.
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