Sweden newcomer checklist

After you register with Skatteverket in person, it usually takes a few weeks. It can take longer in busy periods such as late summer. You can only register if you plan to stay in Sweden for at least a year.

It is hard. Most banks want a personnummer and a Swedish ID card before they open an account and issue BankID. Get your personnummer first, then apply for the Skatteverket ID card, then book a meeting with the bank. Your employer may have a bank that makes this easier.

Usually not the city queues: Stockholm's Bostadsförmedlingen, for example, needs a personnummer or coordination number. Join them in your first weeks, right after registering with Skatteverket. Before you move, look for a second-hand home on sites such as Qasa.

Yes. SFI is free for adults who live in Sweden. You apply through your kommun's website, and you do not have to wait for a personnummer, though sign-up is easier once you have one.

Until you have been registered (folkbokförd) in Sweden for one year. An Indian licence cannot be exchanged, so after that you need a Swedish licence: a learner permit, a risk course, a theory test (available in English) and a driving test. Check the current rules with Transportstyrelsen.

Once you move abroad for work you count as an NRI, and your resident savings accounts must be changed to NRO accounts. Many people also open an NRE account for money they send home: its interest is tax-free in India but must be declared in Sweden. Update your address and KYC so you keep access to netbanking.