Table of Contents
Life in Sweden for foreigners can generally be quite good
Sweden is generally a very comfortable and stable country to live in and almost all of the government websites are available in English. This means that it can be quite easy to navigate the necrocracy in Sweden compared to many other countries. However, there are some aspects of life in Sweden that can be quite tough if you are a foreigner.
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Swedes keep to themselves
Swedish people are generally polite, friendly, and well mannered. However, talking to strangers in Sweden is not something that one does. Swedes try avoiding social interactions with strangers almost at all costs meaning that moving here can feel quite isolating. It can be difficult to find friends if you are not moving for school. If you are moving to Sweden, it is therefore important to make an effort to be the one to initiate conversations with people. Having a hobby is a great help as it is probably the easiest way of meeting people and finding friends.
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Not speaking Swedish can be difficult
Although most people speak English, most people are more comfortable speaking Swedish. This means that in a large group of people you might find that people will speak English when talking to you, but they will switch to Swedish when talking amongst themselves. This means that you might have a hard time following conversations. It is therefore important to try to learn Swedish when living here. We would recommend using Italki as we have used it personally to use other languages and have found it quite helpful.
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Finding a job
Finding a job can be quite difficult for foreigners. This is, however, mainly an issue for individuals who do not speak Swedish. The best option is usually to try to find a job at an international company where English is the working language. We have created an article with some tips on finding jobs in Sweden for foreigners that you can find here.