Sweden
(Work in early 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..
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 Islamaphobia 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.
There are many reports of asylum seekers being sent home against the guidelines particularly from Africa.
Access to trans health care
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 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.
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
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% 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 (pension payments, 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. PhD study permits are a separate category since that is considered a job with salary in Swedish academia.
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 sceptical immigration agency staff that you will be able to support yourself on the profits.
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. There is a current government proposal to increase the wait to 8 years, which is expected to become law by 2026. Sweden does not currently require Swedish language proficiency or any other tests for citizenship.
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
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.
Newcomers can get on SFI courses to learn the language but because these are held day times they are not easily accessible if you are working full-time. Most people pick up the basics but be prepared to make a fool of yourself. Trying goes a long way.
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 but often much less elsewhere. If you have the money buying in the countryside is generally cheap but the main cities are very expensive.
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.
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.
Work-life Balance
Sweden is renowned for its excellent work-life balance and the overall quality of life. Vacations are long and it is standard to have 4 continuous weeks off in the summer. 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.
Swede's take their breaks seriously not only the vacations but daily fika with your friends and co-workers.