Life is about testing new things, expanding the horizons and finding just the right thing our hearts beat for. It might happen that you left Sweden only to feel a longing to come back after some time apart.
You are not a Swedish citizen, you don’t have the citizenship and you might have cut all the ropes anchoring you to Sweden when you moved out.
Now you want to give it another try.
Start over again? You remember you had to do so many things when you first arrived, will you have to go through all those processes again?
One can change its mind, right?
Let’s embark on our exploration on what applies and what not together and make the return a pleasant and easy one.
E-learning course: Preparing your move to Sweden
Are you already feeling a bit overwhelmed about all the stuff you need to figure out how to move to Sweden? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just stressful this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to move. Here you will learn about:
- Short (and long facts) about Sweden.
- The history and background of Sweden in regards to democracy, religious freedom, gender equality, social security, child welfare and LGBTQIA+.
- The types of visas and residence permits that are available plus the requirements.
- Important Swedish agencies, and trust us, you DO need to know about these ones.
- How to find a place to stay and how to avoid rental fraud.
- How to pack for your move depending on the season.
- And there will be some quizzes to make sure you are paying attention and not falling asleep at your screen.
After finishing this course, you will have a greater understanding of what has made Sweden what it is today, how you best prepare for a move here and to get your stay here started in the best manner.
EU Citizens
You plan on staying in Sweden for longer than three months. Other than that, you don’t really need to do anything in order to come back to Sweden, unless you are going to work or if you need any kind of special financial support along the way.
- If you got the personal number, upon arrival you have to first contact the Tax office (Skatteverket) and inform them about your return. From now on you will be paying taxes in Sweden (again).
- The Insurance Office (Försäkringskassan ) has to be contacted as well, in order to receive your new insurance card. If you are moving with children younger than 16, this is the place where you ask for children support.
- Buy a new SIM card, choose the best option between different plans from our Newbie article about cell phone plans and update your telephone number.
Renew your bank account (again) or if you kept one, inform the bank about the change of address. - Update your ID card at the Tax office in case it expired.
- Register at the Unemployment office if you don’t have a job straight away.
- Use our helpful resources about accommodation and job hunt to get you started.
Non-EU Citizens
Here apply many different rules and it is always advisable to visit Tax office and Immigration office first to ask about your specific case!
However, there are few things to bear in mind before returning to Sweden.
The most important factors are the time spent outside Sweden, time spent in Sweden before moving out and your personal/business connection to Sweden and the country you lived in.
If you had a residency permit (uppehållstillstånd) and lived outside Sweden up to three years you would have to live in Sweden before at least four years to keep your permit.
In other cases, the Immigration office will consider your connections to both lands, Sweden and your homeland. The first thing to do is fill in the application which you find on this page together with a lot of useful information – and then you just have to wait for the decision.
Good luck with returning to Sweden and if still in doubt whether to come back or not, check our article about the best things in Sweden!
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