Life in Sweden: A to Z

ATM machine Bankomat
ATM machines are available in many places throughout the cities and on the university’s campuses.

Bank Bank
Having a bank account makes life as a student much easier. Most Swedish banks require a civic registration number (personnummer) for opening a bank account. You can acquire a civic registration number if you can prove that you will stay in Sweden for at least 12 months; otherwise you should check with your home bank before leaving for Sweden to see if they have a corresponding Swedish bank partner. Transferring funds from your home bank can take up to a week. If you open a Swedish bank account, make sure you cancel it before you leave Sweden.

Bicycle Cykel
Bikes are probably the most popular means of transport among students and there are good bike paths both in Linköping and Norrköping. Second-hand bikes are available for sale in several places. Keep in mind that a bicycle needs to be equipped with a bell, front and rear lights as well as front, rear and wheel reflectors, according to the law. If biking in the dark without these, you can be fined 500-1,000 SEK.

Budget Budget

Below is an average monthly budget in Swedish kronor (SEK) to give you an idea of the cost of living. The budget does not include expenses for travel within or outside of Sweden, medical care, course literature or expenses for household furnishings.
SEK per month:
Food....................................................... 2,040
Student accommodation...........3,000–3,500
Home insurance .....................................100
Local travel.............................................. 500
Mobile phone, internet, leisure...............750
Clothes, shoes..........................................530
Hygiene articles.......................................310
Total.............................................7,230–7,730

Bus, tram Buss, spårvagn
Buses - and trams in Norrköping - run from early morning until late evening, later on Fridays and Saturdays. You can buy single tickets at different selling points (sales agents, local convenience stores, supermarkets etc.) or at a vending machine – Quickomat. Please note that you cannot buy your ticket on the bus, from the driver. If you travel frequently you can buy a top-up card, which offers a small discount for each trip, or a monthly bus pass, suitable if you travel often. The public transport company operating within the county of  Östergötland is Östgötatrafiken. On their website you will find more information about local travel, where to buy tickets and top-up cards etc.

Clothes Kläder
As winters in Sweden can get quite cold, it is important to be prepared with proper clothes, as well as solid, waterproof footwear. Mittens/gloves and a warm hat are also necessary. Many student parties require a student overall as a dress code; an international student’s overall can be purchased from ESN. For some of the student parties the dress code is quite formal; suits/ties and long dresses are often worn. These kinds of garments can be hired.

Contacts Kontakter
Emergency Number.................................112
(Ambulances, Fire Brigade, Police)
Emergency Dentist................................1177
Linköping University.............013-28 10 00
Medical advice..........................................1177
Campus Security.....................013-28 58 88

Currency Valuta
The currency in Sweden is Swedish krona (SEK), plural kronor. Check the updated exchange rate to your local currency in order to get a clear picture of prices in Sweden.

Dentist Tandläkare
Should you need to go to the dentist, you can turn to your nearest public dental clinic, Folktandvården. There are also several private dental clinics that you can find in the telephone directory under Tandläkare. Please keep in mind that dental treatment in Sweden can be quite expensive.

Doctor Doktor, läkare
See Medical Care.

Driving licence Körkort
Driving licences issued in EU/EEA countries are valid in Sweden. Other foreign driving licences are valid in Sweden for one year after civil registration. Driving licences issued in languages other than English, French, German and the Nordic languages require a translation into one of these languages to be attached to the licence. If the domestic driving licence does not bear a photo, photo identification is required in addition to the driving licence. It is prohibited in Sweden to drive under the influence of alcohol: at over 0,2 ‰ you may be facing fines and a revoked driver’s license. The use of seat belts is required in both the front and the rear seats, and it is the driver’s responsibility to make sure that passengers use them. Cars should be driven with dipped headlights even in the daytime. Winter tyres must be used from December through March when road conditions are wintry.

Electricity Elektricitet
The voltage in Sweden is 220 volts at 50 Hz. As e.g. British and American outlets may differ from Europlug outlets used in Sweden, you may need a transformer and/or an adapter for your electrical appliances.

Emergency Nödfall
In case of emergency dial 112 from any phone and ask for the police, an ambulance or the fire brigade.

Library Bibliotek
In addition to LiU’s libraries, there are public libraries where you can borrow books and other media. You can register at a public library with a valid ID card.

Medical Care Hälso- och sjukvård
To get a doctor’s appointment call the health centre/clinic, Vårdcentral, in the district where you live. If you do not know which clinic you belong to, you can call the County Council at +46 10 103 00 00 and ask for information. For emergencies, call 112 or go to the Emergency Room, Akuten, at the University Hospital in Linköping or Vrinnevi Hospital in Norrköping. If you need medical advice, call 1177 at any time and talk to a nurse. They can also help you to make an appointment at a clinic with on-call medical staff when your local Health Centre is closed. Medical treatment in Sweden could be very expensive without any form of insurance so please make sure you are properly insured. Bring your European Health Insurance Card, if you have one, or a proof of other kind of medical insurance.

Mobile phones Mobiltelefoner
Normally you should be able to use your own mobile phone from your home country, if not locked in a certain network. You will receive a pre-paid telephone card in your welcome package upon arrival at Linköping University. Some of the most common operators in Sweden are Telia, Tele2, Comviq, 3 and Telenor.

Narcotics Knark
All types of narcotics, including cannabis, are strictly forbidden in Sweden. Strict penalties apply for selling and using drugs.

Newspapers Tidningar
You can read Swedish news in English in the online newspaper The Local. Foreign newspapers and magazines can be bought at several press shops or read at the library.

Personal identification number Personnummer
If you will stay in Sweden for at least a year you can apply for a Swedish personal identification number. This number can facilitate your contact with Swedish authorities, health care institutions, banks etc. The number has 12 digits, starting with your date of birth (YYYYMMDD), and is not the same as the number that you receive at the university.

Pharmacy Apoteket
At every pharmacy in Sweden you can pick up your doctor’s prescription or buy other health care products. Pharmacies are spread all over town both in Linköping and Norrköping and they are easy to recognise. Check the closest pharmacy for specific opening hours.

Police Polis
Contact the police if you want to report a crime, either as a victim or as a witness. You can reach the police at 112 in case of emergency, otherwise at 114 14. For more information about the Police in Sweden go to www.polisen.se/en. 

Post office Posten
Post in Sweden is delivered Monday to Friday. The Swedish postal service, Posten, has outlets in supermarkets, service shops and petrol stations for domestic and international mail. There you can buy stamps, pre-paid envelopes and cardboard boxes, send letters and collect or send packages. For more information go to www.posten.se/en.

Public holidays Helgdagar

• New Year’s Eve (Nyårsafton) and New Year’s Day (Nyårsdagen): 31 December and 1 January
• Twelfth Night or Epiphany (Trettondedag jul): 6 January
• Easter (Påsk): Good Friday (Långfredagen), Easter Day (Påsk) and Easter Monday (Annandag Påsk)
• 1 May
• Ascension Day (Kristi Himmelsfärdsdag): on the Thursday of the sixth week after Easter
• Whitsun (Pingst): on a Sunday in May or June
• Sweden’s National Day (Nationaldagen): 6 June
• Midsummer’s Eve (Midsommarafton) and Midsummer Day (Midsommardagen): on a Friday and the following Saturday between 19–25 June
• All Saints’ Day (Alla helgons dag): on a Saturday in early November
• Christmas (Jul): Christmas Eve (Julafton) 24, Christmas Day (Juldagen) 25 and 26 December (Annandag jul)

Recycling Återvinning
Recycling is very common in Sweden. Almost every building has special containers where you can throw away paper, newspapers, plastic, metal and glass that will be recycled. When you buy drinks in cans and plastic bottles, usually a deposit for the container (50 öre to 2 SEK) is included in the price. You can return the empty cans/bottles at almost every supermarket and get your money back in the form of a receipt.

Religion Religion
The predominant religion in Sweden is a Lutheran denomination but many other churches and religions are represented across Sweden.  You are welcome to contact the student ministers (Kårallen building in Linköping and Trappan building in Norrköping) if you have any queries regarding religious matters or if you want to get in contact with someone of your own religion.

Smoking Rökning
Smoking is forbidden in all public places in Sweden, i.e. at the university, in restaurants, coffee shops, shopping centres etc. Please note that smoking outside the University Hospital in Linköping is only allowed in designated areas.

Sport Sport/Idrott
Students in Linköping can join LSIF, the Students’ Sport and Athletics Club at campus Valla.
Students in Norrköping can join Naffi, the Academic sports club at campus Norrköping. Both cities also have numerous gyms and sports centres, which usually offer student discounts. There are also indoor swimming pools in central Linköping and Norrköping.

Student discount Studentrabatt
If you have an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) when you arrive in Sweden, you can get a discount if travelling with SJ, Sweden’s National Rail, or Swebus, one of the biggest bus companies in Sweden. While in Sweden you can benefit from numerous student discounts certified by the Mecenat logotype on your LiU-card.

Taxi Taxi
Travelling by taxi can be expensive but some companies offer student discounts. Ask the taxi driver before you start your journey.

TV and radio TV och radio
Cable TV with foreign channels is available in many residential areas. In the common living room and kitchen the TV set is available without any extra charge. However, if you get a TV in your own room, you will need to pay a fee of approximately 2000 SEK/year. Foreign programmes on Swedish television are shown in the original language with Swedish subtitles. Swedish radio transmits daily in several languages on the national radio channel P2.

Time Tid
Local time in Sweden is GMT +1. Sweden uses daylight saving time (DST), namely clocks go forward 1h on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October. 

Tips Dricks
Tipping is not a must in Sweden. A service charge is included in restaurant and taxi bills, but if you are happy with the service it is quite common to leave a 10% tip.

Water Vatten
Tap water in Sweden is safe to drink and of very good quality. You can always ask for a free glass of water in any restaurant or pub/club.

 

Weather Väder
Sweden has four distinct seasons and temperatures vary greatly between north and south. In Östergötland, the average temperature in July is approximately +17°C (63°F) and in February temperatures can reach -20°C (-4°F).

 

Wine, beer, spirits Vin, öl, sprit
Alcohol and liquor are only sold in the state-owned Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly, Systembolaget. Light beer/cider can be bought in regular supermarkets. The minimum age for buying alcohol at Systembolaget is 20 years old. A valid photo ID may be asked for. In bars and restaurants the legal drinking age is 18.

 

 

Page responsible: webbredaktoren@liu.se
Last updated: Thu Apr 25 14:05:54 CEST 2013