Moving the family to Sweden?!
 

Hello everyone!

Me and my partner are seriously considering moving to Sweden with our 16 month old daughter. We are currently living in the UK and the thought of my daughter growing up here and having to go to school here really upsets me! We are also desperately struggling thanks to the ever rising costs of childcare vs minimum wage!

The idea is to move to Sweden, take advantage of the fact that we will both be able to work full time and on a better wage and thanks to the childcare there actually reap the benefits of working, have a healthier happier outside life where my daughters future seems a lot brighter....am I being naeive?!?

Any help or advice would be hugely appreciated as this is a huge deal! Thank you in advance :)

I have friends in Sweden and am already attempting to learn Swedish but intend to do the Swedish for immigrants course on arrival anyway to try and integrate as much as possible.

SIDE NOTE: we have lived in London so looking at costs they don't seem too shocking compared to London rents/restaurants etc.

Re: Moving the family to Sweden?!
 

In my experience, Sweden has plenty of British, American (and others) expats who wished they’d never come here.

I think you would be likely being naïve if you didn’t ‘research’ this proposed move as much as possible. The ‘friends in Sweden’ may well present a rosy picture of life there – based on Swedes very often being positive and uncritical about their own country - while criticizing other countries.

Be that as it may, if you have these friends, why not suggest a ‘home swap’ to them? You probably know that visitors with an EU passport may stay 90 days – those 3 months in Sweden, living in your friend/s’ home, would help you answer crucial questions: would I/my family be happy living here? Could we realistically live here (given the Swedish lifestyle/ways of doing things)? Its also worth visiting in the winter, as well as say summer. Winters here can be a lot colder, darker and dispiriting - and go on for longer than UK.

Receiving a Swedish job offer - in tandem with having a permanent Swedish address - would enable you to get the all-important person nummer. However it may be difficult to get existing qualifications recognized by a Swedish employer, and you could end up accepting work below your capabilities.

Sweden has a reputation of generosity towards families with children – the other side of the coin is that, in recent times, youth unemployment has been around 20% or more. (Not sure if they’re still doing it, but the Soderhmamn kommun in central Sweden was paying for young people to go and work in Norway)

The standard of SFI tends to vary from kommun to kommun. I didn’t think it was worth my time: the teacher I had kept on restarting the course when newcomers arrived each week. In the end I left the course and paid for a private teacher instead.

I definitely wouldn’t burn all your UK bridges. Good luck!

Re: Moving the family to Sweden?!
 

In terms of education in Sweden, take heed.
A lack of investment over the past 30 years has led to a system that has dropped significantly in recent years (example) and led to an awful education system.

Sweden tumbles in global schools ranking - The Local

In terms of an outdoor lifestyle, you also need to consider temperatures and lack of light during the long winter months. As if you find that 24 hour dusk and freezing temperatures hinders your enjoyment of such, you may find that such a notion of nature is unrealistic.

In terms of day care etc, yes the nation does have a system to help increase tax revenue for the government (by ensuring parents work all the hours of the day). Often employing a large majority of day care workers who are unqualified and have large amounts of children to look after.

I won't say don't do it, but I will say of all the european nations. Sweden does have a very good reputation of selling itself very different to reality.

So If you were looking to move to Sweden because of daycare, outdoor life and childrens education. I would say there are much better alternatives closer to home.

Re: Moving the family to Sweden?!
 

It's a general rule for anybody and everybody "intending" to move countries: ALWAYS try before you buy. That is - go there for a couple of months (or even weeks, if you can't make months) before committing to a permanent move. Of course the general rule doesn't apply to places like Australia where there are plenty of British immigrants already and where the culture is not that, that, foreign. Still...

I've been an expat in several countries, and am on the lookout for places to retire to for reasons of economy; but we would always suss a place out in depth before actually upping sticks and moving there.