{"id":66,"date":"2017-12-10T20:44:15","date_gmt":"2017-12-10T20:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testimport125123442.wordpress.com\/2017\/12\/10\/relocation-to-sweden-work-taxes-the-it-market-and-buying-an-apartment\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T15:11:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T15:11:58","slug":"relocation-to-sweden-work-taxes-the-it-market-and-buying-an-apartment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/expat-stories\/relocation-to-sweden-work-taxes-the-it-market-and-buying-an-apartment\/","title":{"rendered":"Relocation to Sweden: Work, taxes, the IT market, and buying an apartment"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 13<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

My name\u2019s Sergey. I have more than 5 years of experience in the sphere of commercial software development using Java\/Scala. I\u2019ve worked on various challenging projects, from banking systems and human resource management systems to online casinos.<\/span><\/p>\n

My wife and I recently moved to Stockholm<\/a>, having lived in Wroc\u0142aw, Poland, for two years before that and originally coming from Kharkiv, Ukraine.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s the demand for IT professionals in Sweden?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I\u2019m currently working for NetEnt, which used to be a game developer company and now, since <\/span>Evolution acquired<\/span><\/a>, specialises in live casino games. However, we still have more than 1,000 staff members worldwide with HQ in Stockholm. When I was hired, the company helped individuals establish a work permit and relocate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sweden generally needs highly qualified professionals, and according to the Swedish Public Employment Service (<\/span>Arbetsf\u00f6rmedlingen<\/span><\/i>), there are more than 140,000 openings currently, of which more than 33,000 are in Stockholm.<\/span><\/p>\n

Find IT jobs in Europe with relocation included \u2192<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Job hunting in Sweden<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

I wasn\u2019t actually looking for work in Sweden \u2014 the work found me. Some years ago, I registered on a job board. Some months later, I was contacted by a recruiter who offered me a job interview at a \u201cbig multicultural game dev company\u201d with the possibility of relocating to Sweden. At that point, Stockholm wasn\u2019t a part of our plan because we\u2019d been thinking for a long time about staying in Poland, but curiosity won. Seven months later, we found ourselves in Sweden. It welcomed us with unwelcoming weather: rain and snow.<\/span><\/p>\n

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November 5,\u00a02016<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Job interview<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

In total, I went through about <\/span>seven job interviews<\/b>. First, there was an interview with the recruiter, where we mostly talked about me and a little bit about the company. After the tech interview, I was invited to an interview with the manager, which turned out to be the last online interview via Skype. All the next interviews were on-site. The company covered my flights and booked a hotel near the office. On-site interviews were conducted using the same scheme as online ones, plus a tour of the office and lunch with the team. <\/span><\/p>\n

About three months passed between the first conversation and the offer<\/b>. Two more months were spent on preparing documents and visas. In the next two months, we were choosing a flat and preparing ourselves for relocation. Nowadays, the whole process takes an average of 2 to 4 months for EU\/EEA citizens with sponsored jobs and over 6 months for non-EU citizens who have to meet additional requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Getting ready for relocation<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

It all started with background screening, which included a criminal background check, debt owed to banks, and a tax evasion check. We were living in Poland at the time. For some reason, the Polish government refused to provide the necessary information, so I had to collect it from the police and tax office by myself. After that, I was contacted by representatives of a company which was engaged in relocation support and applied to the Migration Service of Sweden to receive a work visa. Unfortunately, companies cannot provide their staff with flats due to the high demand for accommodation in Stockholm. Some people even have to wait <\/span>a decade<\/span><\/a> for a flat. But, if you go 35 km Southwest of Stockholm, to the town of S\u00f6dert\u00e4lje, some companies, like Scania used to do, can offer you a flat for the entire length of your employment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about moving to Sweden \u2192<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Renting a flat<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Finding a flat was the most stressful and problematic issue in the relocation process. The choices were limited, most of the flats were old and unfurnished, and the prices were high. There was no time to think, as the flats could be swiped up in days, and in some cases, even by the end of the day. What was really bugging us were those common laundry rooms and the absence of an adequate bath in the majority of flats. It turns out that the practice of common laundry rooms was established in Sweden a long time ago for economic reasons. A week before relocation, we managed to find a flat and sign the contract. It was a one-room flat with the cheapest furniture I\u2019ve ever seen. 33m\u00b2 for 12,000 SEK (1,250 EUR at that time) a month in Kungsholmen, considered an excellent and expensive neighbourhood in the city centre.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A few months later, we decided to find a bigger and cheaper flat. This time, we were looking for it ourselves, and it took three months. During this period, we saw lots of flats: we didn\u2019t like some of them, and the landlords of others didn\u2019t like us, in some cases, it was just that we took too long to make a decision, and someone rented the flat earlier than us. In the end, we found a 2-room flat (1 bedroom and 1 room combined with a kitchen), in a new building, without furniture, for 11,000 SEK (1,100 EUR) a month in Bromma (also considered a good neighbourhood not far from the city centre) near the airport with the same name.<\/span><\/p>\n

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It should be mentioned that, regardless of whether you rent a furnished flat or not, there will always be an equipped kitchen and bathroom. From my own experience, if you have enough money and an opportunity to rent a 45m\u00b2 flat (or a bigger one), <\/span>Kungsholmen<\/b> is the best island in Stockholm to live on.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Norr M\u00e4larstrand, Kungsholmen<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Glossary for renting an apartment in Sweden<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When you see tables comparing prices in different districts in Sweden, you\u2019ll need this mini-glossary. <\/span>Hyror<\/span><\/i> refers to the rent of a flat, and <\/span>Kop<\/span><\/i> refers to the purchase. The price is shown for a month in the case of rent and for m\u00b2 in the case of purchase. The prices are given in Swedish krona or SEK.<\/span><\/p>\n

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South of Stockholm:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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West of Stockholm:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Sites for finding a flat in Sweden:<\/strong><\/p>\n