Coming from outside the EU/EEA
If you arrived from a country that does not require a visa to enter then the first thing to do after arriving into Sweden is to book a time to visit the Migration Office (Migrationsverket) located on Kungsgatan 78. Here you will present your letter of residence and your passport, and have your biometrics (photo, height and fingerprints) logged. From here, you will need to wait for your residency card to arrive in the main before you can take the next step, which is visiting the Taxation Office. Don’t fret if you haven’t got a permanent address to get your residency card sent to, however – the Migration Office will offer to let you collect your card directly from them, you just need to wait to receive an email from them in that case.
(Please note: if you are moving from within the EU/EEA, this does not apply to you!)
Visit the Taxation Agency (Skatteverket)
It is important to register yourself at the Swedish Taxation Office (or Skatteverket) if you are planning to stay in Sweden for more than 1 year. This will allow you to receive a Personal Number, which is necessary to open a bank account, apply for insurance, and generally do anything useful during your time in Sweden. The process for doing this is covered in our Swedish Personal Number section, but if you are from outside the EU then this will effectively be a repeat of your visit to Migrationsverket. For those of you arriving from outside of the EU, you will need to bring your residency card with you to your appointment with Skatteverket.
Open a Swedish bank account
There are a number of different banks within Sweden that you can open an account with, so it is recommended that you shop around a little bit before opening an account. Unfortunately, it is also recommended to wait until you receive your personal number and ID card from Skatteverket before opening a bank account, which can be an issue if you application takes a long time to process. Some banks refuse to even consider opening an account for a person without a personal number, although it is still a possibility with other banks. If you choose to go this route just be aware that until you have received a personal number and ID card (and provided this to your bank) you will be unable to use BankID, the most common method of quickly and securely identifying yourself for logging into things such as bank accounts, paying bills, booking doctors appointments and so on.
For more information on opening a bank account in Sweden, please read this guide prepared by the International Staff Office. They have also created a form (available from your local HR support) which can help you provide the necessary info to your bank to help with opening an account.
Sign up for an Introductory programme
Umeå University offers introductory programmes for new staff members/ stipend holders several times a year. These are comprised of an online portion with videos which you can view at your own pace (and which are available to view at any time throughout the year), with important information about working at Umeå University. The program is then followed by a seminar section, and finally a social section. Find the upcoming sessions and enrol here! (Note: you need an active Umu-ID to be able to log in to the platform)
Staying for less than a year?
Coming soon!