Sweden
(Work in progress)
Why Sweden?
Sweden has been one of the most progressive countries in Europe when it comes to citizens rights and in particular the LGBT+ community. Whilst today, like much of Europe, it has shifted to the political right the everyday life of trans people is a generally a positive one particularly in the cities and towns. Although it should be said that the far south of Sweden is less tolerant of incomers than the rest of the country.
In major cities there are large out transgender and other queer communities, with plenty of events and community spaces. LGBTQ+ people are prominent and highly visible in all aspects of Swedish society.
Surveys continually show that the population support trans people and the Swedish way of life is generally a live-and-let-live philosophy. Legally trans people can change gender but this has been a long process which will change during 2025 and be made easier and shorter.
Swede's speak good English and the lifestyle is generally relaxed with good working hours, long vacations and excellent child-care support and parental leave.
Why not Sweden?
Like much of Europe there is racism and Islamophobia which tends to be of higher levels than any transphobia. This does not mean there is not a place for those who are non-white but more care needs to be taken and it is heavily reported that immigration authorities are becoming more active.
Sweden is also not the easiest place to integrate as native Swedes tend to be family based and so one needs to be very active in making friends. Do not expect real friendship to come easy.
There is no recognition of non-binary people and your personal number is gender coded, male or female. This means that even though you can easily change your name it is obvious what your legal gender is until you can go through the process of changing it.
Sweden does not operate on a self-identification principle for gender recognition, and a medical certificate is still required for change of legal gender (although significantly easier than before since the new gender recognition law came into effect in 2025).
There is a long queue to trans health care (up to 3 years in Stockholm, may vary in other cities).
There are many reports of asylum seekers being sent home against the guidelines particularly from Africa.
Access to trans health care
General healthcare information in Sweden can be obtained through 1177.se or by dialing 1177. For trans health care, Transammans can give useful information and advice.
Access to trans health care is through the national health system which is run by the Swedish regions. You will need to be registered and have a personal number before this can be accessed.
Trans care is first sort through the local doctor or hospital (depending on the region and location) and they will refer you to one of 6 KIM (Könsidentitetsmottagning - gender identity reception) clinics around the country. The referral time varies but is around 12-18 months (in Stockholm up to 3 years) then you will go through assessments and all being well onto hormones. After some time on hormones (1-2 years) you can be referred for surgery and the wait list depends on the clinic. There are 3 surgery clinics, all in the South of Sweden, with wait lists from 1 year to 5 years.
The care once received is normally very good and basically free - there are limited co-payments but these are small.
If you are coming from abroad and have already been assessed with dysphoria or transitioned then you can circumvent part of this process. But you should still start at the KIM clinic nearest you.
Sweden's pharmacies (apotek) run on electronic prescriptions and paper ones from abroad can be hard to get filled depending wherein the country you are. So bring plenty of medications with you.
Access to healthcare for trans children is very restricted and Sweden is not the best place if you require hormone/blockers for under-18s.
Healthcare cost protection (högkostnadsskydd)
The following information is for you who are a legal resident or are a citizen of a EU country, who are eligible to receive healthcare at the same pricing conditions as Swedish citizens. Otherwise, you may have to pay the full cost of healthcare without cost protection.
While healthcare in Sweden is not entirely free, healthcare charges in Sweden are subject to a healthcare cost protection (högkostnadsskydd), which caps charges at a certain level. There are separate cost ceilings for consultations and for the medicine.
The cap on healthcare consultation fees means that you only pay up to 1450 SEK (maximum amount allowed by national legislation, as of 2026; regions can decide on a lower ceiling) out of your pocket per rolling 12-month period.
The cap on prescription medicine costs are separate from that on consultation fees, and works on a gradation principle where you pay an increasingly lower proportion of the price. As of 2026 you pay the first 2000 SEK completely out of your pocket, then 75%, 25% and 10% as you continue paying, then free after 3800 SEK. This is also measured on a rolling 12-month basis.
Dental services are not covered and is instead subject to an annual subsidy. However, dental operations that cost over 3000 SEK are subject to a special cost protection scheme.
Hospital costs are subject to a flat fare per night (maximum 130 SEK per night).
Health insurance
Private health insurance is uncommon in Sweden (less than 10% of the population have private health insurance). It gives access to faster specialist healthcare (among other possible benefits), but may not be useful for trans health care as all trans healthcare in Sweden is concentrated to the 6 KIMs by law.
Immigration
Sweden's immigration policy is very binary, either you have a reason for getting a work or residency permit, or you don't. This is unlike countries with points system or otherwise weighing several different factors into some kind of combined judgement. The official web page has lots of information on the practical parts, but also the rules involved: https://www.migrationsverket.se/English.html
Sweden is a EU member, and also in the Nordic Passport Union. If you have citizenship in an EU or Nordic country, you can move to Sweden directly without a residence permit.
Since the 2010s migrant crisis Swedish opinion on immigration has become more negative, and the current right wing government (Liberals, Moderates, Christian Democrats, plus Swedish Democrats in a confidence-and-supply agreement called the Tidö Agreement) has significantly tightened immigration. While the Social Democrats has also picked up some anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies, the other opposition parties (Center, Left, Greens) are more immigration friendly, and the situation may potentially change after the September 2026 election.
The information below is a summary of the most likely path for US and most other non-EU immigrants. If you are able to obtain EU citizenship, it becomes much easier.
For Sweden, the term "visa" only applies for permission to enter the country, if you intend to stay longer than 90 days you also need a residency permit of some kind:
Work Permit
The main challenge for the most likely path into Sweden is finding an employer that will hire you paying least 80% (increased to 90% from June 2026) of the median Swedish salary, that is willing to do paperwork on your behalf, and is willing to wait for a slower hiring process than someone local. For the first 2 years the work permit is limited to the employer that filed it, and after that it is still limited to a particular job. If you get promoted you might need to apply for a new permit, but as long as it is a serious employer and you get a raise, this is mostly a formality.
Enforcement of the rules for work permits is strict: if your employer fails at following all the rules and regulations (insurance, pension payments, paid leave, overtime rules, etc) the work permit will not get renewed and you'll have to leave the country.
If your employment ends for any reason, you have 3 months to find a new job and send in a work permit application for that.
Study permit
This path requires you to get accepted and pay tuition fees to a Swedish university, as well as showing you have the means to support yourself during the study period. Some university programmes are given in English, but most require Swedish language skills. There are more English language programmes at masters level than at bachelors level.
University is free for Swedish, Nordic, and EU citizens, as well for everyone with permanent residency or an existing work permit. All other students must pay application and tuition fees.
University tuition in Sweden is much cheaper than in the US, ranging from around 75000 SEK/8100 USD (humanities) to over 300000 SEK/32400 USD (architecture, technical, medicine) per year.
Doctoral studies
PhD study permits are a separate category since that is considered a job with salary in Swedish academia. The salary is around 30000 SEK per month and varies across universities.
Completing PhD studies, combined with a long term job offer after graduation, will make you eligible for permanent residency.
Self-employment
Starting your own business or buying an existing one is a valid path, but will take a sizeable chunk of money as well as having a business plan that will convince skeptical immigration agency staff that you will be able to support yourself on the profits.
To start a business in Sweden, you need to have a personnummer or samordningsnummer (see residency registration below), then you can go to Verksamt to complete the business registration online.
Permanent Residency Permit
After living in Sweden for 4 years you can apply for permanent residency. There are some additional requirements, like being able to show you can support yourself and your family, having a long-term housing contract, and not get caught doing crimes. A permanent residency permit gives you almost all the benefits of society while living in Sweden.
Citizenship
Citizenship currently requires permanent residency and having lived in Sweden for 5 consecutive years without getting caught doing crime (if you have a crime record, or if you have unpaid debt that went to the debt enforcement agency Kronofogden, there's a set number of years depending on severity before you can apply for citizenship).
Parliament just passed a new law to increase the citizenship requirement to 8 years, along with an income requirement (around 25000 SEK/2700 USD per month), to be effective from June 6 (national day) 2026.
The new law also mandates a Swedish language exam and a social knowledge exam, although their implementation has been delayed to October 2027 and August 2026 respectively due to difficulties in drafting the exam in time.
If you're in a marriage or co-habitation relationship with a Swedish citizen, or if you're a citizen of a Nordic country, you can become a citizen faster.
There are exemptions to some of the requirements (income, Swedish language, social knowledge) if you have a disability. Full time university students are exempt from the income requirement. Those who completed elementary school in Sweden (and took the 9th year national exam on civics), or studied a civics course at a komvux/community college, are considered to have fulfilled the social knowledge requirement.
The waiting time is currently very long at up to 4 years, although Migrationsverket is actively trying to speed up applications.
Community & Social Support
There a number of national organizations that support trans people. The largest is RFSL which is the national organization for LGBT+ people. They run newcomers meetings throughout the country aimed at new arrivals and can help with meeting more of the community. They also have legal advisors who can provide advice to anyone in RFSL.
There are two specific national trans-only organisations, FPES and Transammans. FPES has existed for over 60 years and caters for over 18s while Transammans supports families and those with trans children. They tend to have active groups in certain parts of the country but not others so best to contact the national offices to find local groups.
In addition, a number of larger cities have queer friendly groups the vast majority of which are trans-friendly. Even some smaller towns have active groups but like so much in Sweden you need to ask around.
Most town halls (Stadshus) can help with contacts if you cannot find a group although in a few places where the Swedish Democrats have majorities (mostly in Skåne) you might find the council less accommodating.
Practical guide to living in Sweden
Residency registration
All residents regardless of citizenship must register for residency if they intend to stay in Sweden for at least one year. Registration is done at the tax agency (Skatteverket), with an online pre-registration and a visit to a service center to verify documents.
Once you've succeeded in registering as a resident, you will get an ID number (personnummer), which you can then use to apply for an ID card and to open a bank account and obtain important digital IDs like the ubiquitous BankID.
If you're staying for less than a year, and have a need to have an ID number (e.g. starting a business), you can get a coordination number (samordningsnummer).
Digitalization and digital access and finances
Sweden is a highly digitalized society. Cash has all but disappeared in daily life, except in niches like flea markets (loppis) or immigrant spaces. You need to have a credit or debit card to get around; many shops and restaurants don't accept or keep cash. Many internationals in Sweden who don't have access to a Swedish bank account (e.g. exchange students can't get an ID number due to staying for less than one year) use virtual banks, with Revolut being the most popular.
Digital ID access
Many Swedish websites exclusively use BankID for identification, most notably the second-hand buy-sell platform Blocket which requires BankID to use. BankID access is available through all major Swedish banks; activation can sometimes be done completely by yourself through online banking, but some banks will require you to visit in person to activate BankID if you're not a Swedish citizen.
Freja eID+ is accepted by certain government services. Activation will involve visiting your local grocery store to verify your documents.
Finances
Banking access
EU law protects the right to banking of all EU citizens and legal residents, although Swedish banks may be cautious about it due to anti money laundering enforcement.
If you have a EU passport or a residence permit, remind the bank staff on the EU law on banking access. If you're a citizen of an EU country, you legally have the right to start a bank account in Sweden regardless of whether you're registered as a resident (or length of stay) as far as you have a valid reason for starting a bank account (work, study, retirement, etc.).
Most banks don't have walk-in times anymore, and you must usually book in advance through telephone. Some banks (e.g. Swedbank) still keep a skeleton network of walk-in banks, with one or two such banks in each major city.
Getting credit
Credit scores work significantly different in Sweden than in the United States. In Sweden, credit score is mainly based on income, although the ability to repay loans will certainly have a role. Having a betalningsanmärkning (non-payment flag) will significantly affect the ability to gain credit.
Credit cards typically require stable income (at least 10000 SEK or 20000 SEK depending on card and bank). However, even without a credit card, a debit card is accepted for payment basically everywhere.
For housing mortgages, banks and other credit providers are usually very picky on income sources, and can often only accept income from the Nordics. However, a law change in 2026 lowered the minimum downpayment from 15% to 10%.
Queer life in Sweden
In the large cities there's always a significant queer community with regular events. In the countryside access to queer communities may be limited, but some Swedish queer organizations are actively addressing this.
Sweden has well-developed anti discrimination and anti hate speech laws. Gender identity is a legally protected characteristic, and public transphobic statements are routinely prosecuted with successful convictions. If you're discriminated against in public or at your workplace, you can file a complaint at the Diskrimineringsombudsmannen (DO).
Gender neutral bathrooms are very common in Sweden, although not universal. Sweden has no bathroom gender laws.
Almost every city has its own Pride festival. Stockholm Pride is at the end of July and Gothenburg's Pride festival (West Pride) is in June every year.
Transphobia
Although the vast majority of Swedes are supportive of transgender people, transphobia does exist, sometimes openly.
As a transgender person you may occasionally receive stares and questions on gender identity from other people, but mostly as kind curiosity without any negative intent; simply smile and answer them politely if you feel safe doing so.
Young people may be especially curious of transgender people. Depending on the neighborhood, you may be requested to have a selfie together, or jeered at (just ignore them and move on), but actual harm is very rare. Deliberate misgendering is also uncommon.
Changing legal gender
Sweden has had a new law on legal gender recognition since July 2025, which made changing legal gender much easier, although Sweden does not operate on a self identification principle. Only female and male genders are recognized; Sweden does not currently recognize legal third gender.
Applications for changing legal gender are processed by Socialstyrelsen. To also change your name, you apply separately to Skatteverket for a change of name.
All licensed doctors and psychologists can issue a certificate of gender identity (standard form mandated by Socialstyrelsen). However, since the law is still relatively new as of 2026, many medical personnel do not have adequate knowledge on gender identity or transgender healthcare, and may refuse to issue said certificate. Ask Transammans for advice and experience; the doctors and psychologists at the RFSU clinic (RFSU is the national sex education advocacy organization) are known to be able to issue the certificate via remote online consultation, who will then send you the certificate through email.
Once you get the certificate, you need to also fill in an application form (downloadable from Socialstyrelsen) and mail both the form and certificate together to Socialstyrelsen.
The handling time is around 2-3 months as of January 2026.
Note that Swedish ID numbers are still gendered, and you will get a new ID number after your application is approved. You must then use the Socialstyrelsen decision to apply for a new ID card (takes up to 4 weeks) and take the letter plus the new ID card from Skatteverket on your new ID number to your bank (and other places where you have a personnummer-based account) to update your ID number. Expect some downtime with banking access (ranging from none at all to 1 week to 1 month depending on the bank).
Swedish gender recognition certificates are explicitly recognized in the UK.
Language
All Swedes speak basic to good English, in some workplaces English is fine as a work language too (much of IT, research, and engineering, maybe others). Many Swedes will say they don't speak good English but then go on to surprise you. It's a Swedish thing.
Most people pick up the basics but be prepared to make a fool of yourself. Trying goes a long way. While people might easily switch to English when they talk to you, you can insist on speaking Swedish to gain some practice opportunity.
Pronouns in the Swedish language
The gender-neutral third person pronoun hen was coined by Rolf Dunås in 1966, modeled after the third person pronoun in Finnish hän. Hen has found significant traction since the 2010s, and is standard in many government and media contexts.
The female third person pronouns are hon/henne and the male han/honom.
SFI and SVA
The official national programs for immigrants to learn Swedish are SFI (Svenska för invandrare, Swedish for Immigrants) and SVA (Svenska för andra språk, Swedish as Second Language).
Newcomers start with SFI courses which are free of charge. You sign up at your local community college/adult education (folkhögskola/komvux). Note that some of these are held day times they are not easily accessible if you are working full-time. Also note that SFI course quality can vary tremendously with the school and teacher; try asking around for testimonials and recommendations for a good school for SFI.
There are four SFI courses: A, B, C, D. If you've finished high school and proficient in English, you normally start from course C. Course A is for those with less than 6 years of formal education (only primary school) and course B is for those with less than 11 years of formal education (only K-9 or not yet finished high school).
In the Stockholm area there are industry-specific SFI courses (branded SFX) targeted at professionals (IT, architecture, medicine etc.), with more industry-specific content to help with job market integration. These are organized by specific municipalities, each responsible for one industry, and you need to apply for permission from your home municipality to take the courses in a different municipality.
New rules introduced in 2026 mean that you have maximum 3 years to complete SFI courses (this time limit does not apply to SVA).
After you finish SFI D, you can go onto SVA, which is organized in four courses (1, 2, 3, 4) of which you will only take either courses 1-3 (high school level) or 2-4 (elementary school level). Taking the SVA 3 exam will give you the eligibility to study university courses and programs that are taught in Swedish.
Swedish language exams
Besides the SVA exam, there are two main exams to prove your Swedish language proficiency:
- Swedex (two exam levels, covering CEFR levels A2/B1 and B2/C1 respectively), organized by Folkuniversitetet (national community college organization) and Swedish Institute. Normally used for work applications, with limited acceptance for university applications.
- Tisus (Test i svenska för universitets- och högskolestudier, CEFR C1 level) exam, organized by Stockholm University and specifically meant for qualifying for university studies in Swedish.
Both can be taken in Sweden or overseas, although Tisus has more overseas locations available.
Housing
Most Swedes in towns live in apartments which are generally of good standard and with some notable exceptions are safe. Rents are high in the main cities (although far from New York/San Francisco levels) but often much less elsewhere. If you have the money buying in the countryside is generally cheap but the main cities are very expensive.
You should place yourself on the housing queue as soon as possible once you get an ID number. In Stockholm, the main housing queue is Bostadsförmedlingen and in Gothenburg it's Boplats. You pay an annual fee (around 200 SEK/22 USD) to stay in the queue. Queuing times for an apartment in a large city can vary between 6 and 20 years depending on location, with the lower figures applicable to suburbs. Look for major new development areas (e.g. in the Stockholm area these would be somewhere like Barkabystaden or Täby Park) for significantly shorter queuing times. In certain remote municipalities, rental housing may even be immediately available.
Major second-hand housing rental sites are Qasa and Samtrygg. At these sites you can get housing more easily and safely, although a deposit (usually equal to one month's rent) may be required.
Job Market
As most Swedes gravitate to the main cities in the south these tend to have specialist jobs only open to immigrants. Skills like IT are always in demand but finding a job is pretty essential. Most big companies use English so the language may not be a problem. However, the North has few people and there are not enough people for the job market with unemployment being extremely low. You will need to put up with the cold, dark winters but some people love it!
Most companies in Sweden have an agreement with the unions and the contract will be a standard one so there is little negotiation on either working hours or salary. Salaries tend to be good for those at the lower end of the salary scale with the minimum of around 14-15 Euro/USD per hour.
As of 2026 the Swedish job market is not good and even fresh graduates have difficulty landing a job offer. However, AI engineers, technical specialists and medical personnel continue to be in high demand.
Taxes are high and increase rapidly the more you earn but you get long vacations, free education including University for children and healthcare built in. Additionally, after working for a period of time you can get A-Kassa (unemployment benefit). You need to pay into this but it is well-worth it.
Social insurance
There are many forms of subsidies and allowances funded from social insurance (funded by taxes). These cover many situations such as pregnancy, newborn child, extended sick leave, taking care of sick children (called vab), housing allowances for youth, etc. These are managed by Försäkringskassan.
If you pay taxes in Sweden, you're also entitled to an European Health Insurance Card issued by the Swedish Försäkringskassan for travel in the EU/EEA/Switzerland/UK.
Remember to sign up for unemployment insurance (A-kassa) which gives you up to 80% of your previous income if you become unemployed. These are managed by private/union schemes and not by Försäkringskassan.
Bureaucratic culture
Swedish bureaucracy is more black-and-white compared to many English-speaking countries, with little room for discretionary decisions. However, it's significantly easier (and free) to appeal a negative decision to court.
Despite having a civil law system, Sweden recognizes case law as praxis, although case law is limited to interpretations of legal texts according to established legal principles.
Work culture
Swedish workplaces are often characterized as having a flat hierarchy, and team consensus is highly valued.
Fika (tea time) are important social occasions at the workplace.
After-work mingle is called AW (pronounced ahh-vee) and can feature a lot of alcohol.
Work-life Balance
Sweden is renowned for its excellent work-life balance and the overall quality of life. By law, you're entitled to 5 weeks (25 working days) of paid leave per year, of which 4 weeks are spent continuously during the summer (in practice many companies will completely close during summer, or at least hire summer workers). Parental leave is set at 480 days per child which can be taken by either parent or a combination of both. The first 390 days are paid at 80% full salary.
Swedes take their breaks seriously not only the vacations but daily fika with your friends and co-workers.
Taxation
There is a stereotype of Sweden being a high-tax country, which is partially true but incomplete.
Income tax
The personal income tax is divided into three parts: municipal tax, county tax, and state tax.
Most low and middle income earners pay only the municipal and county taxes. The titular tax burden is around 28-34% (municipal + county taxes) depending on municipality and county, but there are significant tax rebates that can be used to reduce the actual tax being paid to around 20-25%.
The state tax is only paid by high income earners (around 55000 SEK per month as of 2026), and it will bring the actual tax burden up to around 50%.
For most people, the income tax would already have been deducted from the salary (pay-as-you-go), and even for self-employed people, there is a monthly preliminary tax to pay according to the previous year's filing. After tax season you're more likely than not to receive a tax refund (skatteåterbäring).
Most Swedes consider the social services they receive to be worth the tax. There have however been high profile cases of well-to-do people moving overseas allegedly to avoid taxes, and historically Skatteverket have been known to be over-zealous on clamping down tax avoidance.
Payroll tax
The payroll tax is 31.42% of your income, and counted separately. Your employer pays this tax, and it goes to your healthcare and your public pension.
If you're a self-employed person, you instead pay an egenavgift of around 29%.
Income tax return
The annual tax return deadline is May 2, with skatteåterbäring (tax refund) in June. There is an early bird deadline of March 2, for which you can get an earlier skatteåterbäring in April.
The tax return form comes pre-printed with your income information (as reported by your employer, and also your bank for investment income). You just need to check the information and approve it with your BankID, and you're done. If you run your own business, you also need in fill in Bilaga (attachment) NE for sole proprietorship, or K10 for small incorporated businesses (plus the company's own separate tax return and annual report, usually at the end of July if the company has an accounting year ending on Dec 31).
Culture & Integration
Integration
Sweden is not the easiest country to integrate in society. Swedes respect personal spaces very much, and will usually not interfere in other people's affairs unless bothered to or absolutely necessary. They often wouldn't even actively show their approval or disapproval, preferring a "so be it" attitude. The flip side of this is that they won't actively reach out to you unless you actively ask for help, which could feel like apathy or isolation. It's important that you don't take this personally, nor as a sign that they don't like you.
If you want to socialize with native Swedes, the best way is to join a local club (sports club/social club/volunteering organization etc.) where you can connect with Swedes in a more informal setting with a common cause.
If you like singing, joining a choir could be a great option. Choir culture is very strong in Sweden (as is in many other countries around the Baltic Sea), with many amateur choirs actively recruiting new members. For a transgender inclusive choir, try KÖREN med versaler (lit. CHOIR in capital letters).
Lagom, humility and Jantelagen
Lagom ("just right", balance, harmony) is an oft-cited Swedish cultural attitude.
Humility is highly valued in Swedish society (and Scandinavia in general), as summarized by the fictional Law of Jante (Jantelagen), coined by the Danish-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose in 1933. The flip side of this is that people tend to mask themselves in public to look nice, bordering on people-pleasing (duktighetskultur). There has been much debate on whether Jantelagen is a positive or negative thing for Swedish society.
Swedish view on freedom
The Swedish view on freedom and individuality focuses more on personal fulfillment, social responsibility and justice, and participation than on interpersonal competition or wealth. Thus, Swedes would say although taxes are high and there's a lot of market regulation, it's still a free society as everyone is able to live their lives without fear of coercion or extreme poverty.
Outdoor life (friluftsliv) and allemansrätten
In Sweden, the freedom to roam (allemansrätten) applies, which means you're allowed to roam the countryside and cross both public and private lands (with the exception of people's homes and backyards). You're also allowed to camp for short periods (up to a few days) and to pick mushrooms and berries.
Sweden is a great country for outdoor life in all seasons. Even in Stockholm, you can easily access a forest or a beach from your home. Cross-country skiing and orienteering are culturally important outdoor sports in Sweden.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a serious problem in Sweden. TBE vaccine is highly recommended and can be received at general or vaccine-specific clinics, with walk-in spots often available. Remember to shower immediately after you hike, and to check for ticks on your body.
Religion
Most Swedes are irreligious, although the Lutheran (former) state church (Church of Sweden - Svenska kyrkan) still has significant social prestige and influence in Swedish society. The King and the Royal Family are still constitutionally (by way of the successionsordningslagen, one of the four constitutional documents in Sweden) required to be members of the Church of Sweden. The Church of Sweden is officially very welcoming to queer (including trans) people, having had many LGBTQ+ clergy in the past few decades (e.g. Ann-Christine Ruuth who came out as a transwoman in 2010).
Sweden is today a cosmopolitan society with people from many religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and many others.
Outside of the Church of Sweden, the various independent churches (frikyrkor) have various attitudes to LGBTQ+ people, ranging from very inclusive (e.g. Equmeniakyrkan) to less welcoming.
The Viking-era traditional pre-Christian religion has been revived in the recent decades, now called forn sed (lit. "the old way") or asatro (i.e. asatru, lit. "belief in the gods"). The several major asatro organizations in Sweden have varying attitudes to LGBTQ+ people, with Samfundet Forn Sed Sverige being the most welcoming one.
Food
Sweden is not particularly known for its cuisine (outside of IKEA restaurants), but seafood (cured fish, herring, crayfish, salmon, etc.), meat (meatballs, moose meat) and mashed potatoes feature heavily. Vegan and gluten-free food options are available in many restaurants. For authentic Swedish cuisine (i.e. not IKEA), find a restaurant that serves husmanskost (lit. "home food").
For international cuisine, it's easy to get Chinese/Indian/Japanese/Korean/Thai food in many towns, but the quality varies, and seldom authentic (ask for recommendations).
Alcohol
Sweden was one of the countries with the highest incidences of alcohol abuse in the 19th century, and during the early 20th century the country put in place an alcohol rationing system (after a failed prohibition referendum) together with a government monopoly on selling alcohol. While alcohol is no longer rationed, the government monopoly still exists as Systembolaget, the only place you can buy alcohol above 3.5% ABV.
Akvavit is a traditional spiced/herbal distilled liquor common in Sweden, and is made of grain or potatoes. Other native liquor styles also exist under the general umbrella term brännvin (lit. burned wine, here meaning distilled). Liquor is frequently consumed in snaps (shots) in social situations e.g. Valborg/Midsummer/Kräftskiva, and accompanied by singing snapsvisor (drinking songs). Many clubs and organizations have their own songbooks for such occasions.
Craft beer culture is very active in Sweden, with dozens of local breweries in the Stockholm area, and many more in the cities and towns throughout the country.
Due to climate change, commercially viable vineyards now exist in Sweden, although the wine thus produced is not of a high quality.
Alcohol is still a politically sensitive topic today, with strong lobbies against any relaxation of alcohol regulations.
Behind the scenes, Swedes can be heavy drinkers especially around large festivals like midsummer. Alcohol-free drinks are readily available in bars and clubs.
Weather
The east (Baltic) coast of Sweden is dryer than the west (Kattegat/Atlantic) coast. Stockholm is more often than not sunny, although it does rain and snow heavily at times. Gothenburg is much more rainier (a third of the time) compared to much of Sweden, although not more than most of Norway.
Snow is significant in central and northern Sweden (up to 2 meters/over 6 feet). In southern Sweden there can occasionally be snow, but not more than a few weeks in total. In Stockholm it's typically covered in snow for around 2 months every year.
Important Swedish festivals and traditions
- New Year's Eve - Swedes love to release fireworks, but please be considerate and observe the local municipal regulations on where and when you're allowed to use fireworks. If you have pets, you might want to bring them to a noise-free refuge (there are many around New Year) to avoid the sound of fireworks scaring them.
- Fettisdagen (Shrove Tuesday) - the Tuesday immediately before the start of Christian Lent (traditional fasting season). People eat a creamed bun called a semla.
- Easter - a traditional tale is that of Blåkulla (lit. blue/black hill) where witches meet
- Walpurgis Night (Valborg) - bonfire and choir singing
- National Day (June 6) - although not as big as Fourth of July (Independence Day) in the US, celebration of the Swedish National Day has seen a resurgence in the past few years.
- Midsummer - dancing around the maypole (and heavy drinking)
- Kräftskiva - not a featival per se, but it's a traditional crayfish party happening in August every year.
- Halloween, as a cultural import has started to be celebrated more and more in Sweden in the past ten years
- Lucia (St. Lucy's Day) is celebrated on December 13 with a candlelight procession and choir singing. The Neapolitan folk song Santa Lucia is always sung (in a Swedish translation). Dec 13 was the date of the winter solstice in the Julian calendar
- Christmas/Yule (Jul)
- Christmas dinner (Julbord) with many cold and warm dishes, usually served as a buffet of meat and fish dishes with some vegetarian options