Top tips for your private life

Allemänsrätt

If you are keen on the great outdoors, you should definitely make the most of Allemänsrätt - The Right of Public Access. West Sweden has beautiful nature - and lots of it. Allemänsrätt gives you the right to walk, cycle, ride, ski and camp just about anywhere.

Immerse yourself in the culture

A great side of living abroad is discovering the culture of your new home. Try the cuisine, listen to the music, read the books and embrace the traditions. To get things started, visit the website Sweden.se.

Make the first move

Don’t be shy to say hello to Swedes. Swedes may seem a bit reserved at first, but they usually open up nicely. If all else fails, try talking about the weather.   

Learn Swedish 

Learning the local lingo is an exciting part of living abroad. It will also open doors in your social and work lives and help you make the most of your stay. There are many ways to learn; among other things, you can enrol in a class, make use of online tools or join a Swedish language meetup.   

Persist with speaking Swedish

If a Swede notices that you have an accent or stumble on words when speaking Swedish, chances are they will reply to you in English. This is great in terms of you feeling comfortable. Unfortunately it doesn’t help you practice your Swedish. So try and push yourself and keep talking Swedish.

Libraries

Local libraries are more than just a place to borrow books and films. They often arrange things such as courses, seminars, homework help, book clubs and story readings for young children.

Follow the Swedish news

Even if you don’t know Swedish, there are various English language and simple Swedish language news services. Try and follow them. It will help you stay up to date with what's happening and help you connect with your new home.