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Image Credit: Lola Akinmade Åkerström/imagebank.sweden.se

Today, 13. February 2024, is Fat Tuesday aka Fettisdagen in Swedish, or Shrove Tuesday in English. This is the day before the start of Lent, the traditional Christian period of fasting and reflection leading up to Easter.

If you are new in Sweden, it’s high time to sample the delights of semlor, the iconic wheat flour buns, flavored with cardamom and filled with whipped cream and almond paste, that are traditionally eaten on this day. Perfect for storing up some calories before Lent.

A wonderful day to embrace you internationality

Today may be “Semla day” in the Swedish fika calendar but for a true international celebration, why not also enjoy some traditional pancakes in celebration of Shrove Tuesday and perhaps some cocktails to celebrate Mardi Gras, which are also celebrated today. Happy days for those who celebrate more than one culture.

More delicious details

For full information about semlor including their background story, changes over time and of course a recipe to make your own, see https://sweden.se/culture/food/the-semla-a-swedish-delicacy. There is also a helpful video at this link to help you with your baking.

Enjoy!

Note: Semla is singular and Semlor is the plural version in Swedish of these buns

Relocate to Sweden provides expert advice and hands-on help for companies recruiting internationally or transferring staff to Sweden. We help your international recruits with the entire relocation process including immigration, home finding, tax consultancy, registration with Swedish authorities, schools, health care and intercultural training. We also provide private relocation services. Email us at info@relocatetosweden.com or call us on +46 8 361011 if you would like help. You can also read more about our relocation services at www.relocatetosweden.com or follow us on social media for tips and advice

A new system was implemented at the Swedish Migration Agency on 29^th of January 2024 to support highly qualified business immigration.

Faster work permit processing times for highly qualified professionals

The new application system offers employers improved service before submission of work permit applications and faster processing times. Two weeks after implementation, the system is working quite smoothly so far.

Background

The certified application system (also known as the fast-track application system) which was previously in operation, had not functioned properly for some time and a decision was therefore made to withdraw and replace it.  The Swedish Migration Agency is currently working on clearing the backlog of applications submitted under the old system.

In addition to improving service for highly qualified immigration, the Swedish government has also decided to focus on a number of other immigration areas such as increasing the repatriation of those without valid permits.

The new model

The Swedish Migration Agency will now prioritize employers that recruit highly skilled workers. Applications are prioritized according to employees’ qualifications and the employer’s industry. All applications for work permits are divided into four categories: A, B, C and D.

Category A, which includes managerial occupations, roles requiring advanced higher education and roles requiring higher education or equivalent, will be handled by new international recruitment units. This category will replace the certification system i.e. fast track applications. Complete applications within category A will be processed within 30 days whilst incomplete/incorrect applications will take up to 4 months. These time frames apply to both first time submissions and visa extension applications.

Category B covers applications for permits in occupations with specific rules such as intra-corporate transferees, EU Blue cards artists, researchers, athletes & coaches, seasonal workers, au-pairs, trainees, volunteers, youth exchange agreements and permits under the EU Blue Card Directive. It also covers applications to start business activities and so called “track changers” from asylum cases. Processing times range from 90 days for researchers and intra-corporate transferees to unregulated time frames for self-employment.

Categories C and D, which cover less qualified work, have processing times of four months. Newly started businesses that have been in operation for less than 12 months and dormant businesses that have been re-activated within the past year will also be subject to longer processing times and more stringent controls.

What does this mean for your company and recruits?

The new model offers enhanced service and faster processing for your highly qualified international recruits. Complete applications for both first-time work permits and for permit extensions will be processed within 30 days. Applications for family members submitted together with the main applicant will also have the same processing times. Requirements for work permit applications are unchanged.

What are the benefits of outsourcing the application process?

The key to faster processing times is ensuring that applications submitted are complete and correct. We save you time and money by ensuring accuracy from the start so that your application will actually get processed within 30 days.  We have the expertise to root out any potential mistakes that can cause costly delays and frustration for your company and recruits. We also keep on top of new changes and developments that affect application requirements and processes, so you don’t have to.  Risk minimization gives you peace of mind and is more cost effective in the long run. For more information about our immigration services please contact us to book a meeting.

Flexible services

We offer a full range of flexible relocation services. You can combine immigration and other relocation services or opt to manage your own work permit applications and order the relocation service(s) you require individually.

Relocate to Sweden provides expert advice and hands-on help for companies recruiting internationally or transferring staff to Sweden. We help your international recruits with the entire relocation process including immigration, home finding, tax consultancy, registration with Swedish authorities, schools, health care and intercultural training. We also provide private relocation services. Email us at info@relocatetosweden.com or call us on +46 8 361011 if you would like help. You can also read more about our relocation services at www.relocatetosweden.com or follow us on social media for tips and advice

The Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) has updated its application system for work permits for Sweden.

Certified system withdrawn

The certified system, also known as the fast-track application system, has been phased out and replaced with a new system, implemented on 29^th January 2024.

New applications model implemented

The Swedish Migration Agency will prioritize employers that recruit highly skilled workers. Applications are now prioritized according to employees’ qualifications and the employer’s industry. Applications for work permits will be divided into four categories (A, B, C and D). Category A, which includes leadership roles, roles requiring advanced higher education and roles requiring higher education or equivalent, will be handled by the new international recruitment units, with a new maximum processing time of just 30 days.

Work permit assistance

For details about the new model and how the changes will affect your international recruits’ work permit applications, please contact us to book a meeting. We provide expert guidance and support to ensure complete and correct submissions and the fastest processing time.

Relocate to Sweden provides expert advice and hands-on help for companies recruiting internationally or transferring staff to Sweden. We help your international recruits with the entire relocation process including immigration, home finding, tax consultancy, registration with Swedish authorities, schools, health care and intercultural training. We also provide private relocation services. Email us at info@relocatetosweden.com or call us on +46 8 361011 if you would like help. You can also read more about our relocation services at www.relocatetosweden.com or follow us on social media for tips and advice

Photo: Hans Strand, imagebank.sweden.se

Wondering how Christmas is celebrated in Sweden? The following guide from Sweden’s official website encapsulates  the whole season, including the run-up to Christmas, celebrations, food and expectations over the holidays. It even covers popular Swedish Christmas songs.

https://sweden.se/culture/celebrations/christmas

We wish you a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Relocate to Sweden provides expert advice and hands-on help for companies recruiting internationally or transferring staff to Sweden. We help your international recruits with the entire relocation process including immigration, home finding, tax consultancy, registration with Swedish authorities, schools, health care and intercultural training. We also provide private relocation services. Email us at info@relocatetosweden.com or call us on +46 8 361011 if you would like help. You can also read more about our relocation services at www.relocatetosweden.com or follow us on social media for tips and advice.

The Swedish Government has raised the maintenance requirement for people applying for a work permit in Sweden. New rules will apply from 1 November 2023.

Changes are also planned for the current fast-track option for work permits, which can have a significant impact on processing times.

For more details on how this will affect your international employees, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can advise on first-time applications, extensions and permanent residency for both current and future employees and their family members, including retroactive application of new rules.

For more information about our corporate immigration services, please email us at info@relocatetosweden.com or call us on +46 8 361011

Relocate to Sweden provides expert advice and hands-on help for companies recruiting internationally or transferring staff to Sweden. We help your international recruits with the entire relocation process including immigration, home finding, tax consultancy, registration with Swedish authorities, schools, health care and intercultural training. We also provide private relocation services. Email us at info@relocatetosweden.com or call us on +46 8 361011 if you would like help. You can also read more about our relocation services at www.relocatetosweden.com or follow us on social media for tips and advice.

Credits: Per Pixel Petersson/imagebank.sweden.se

Are you moving to Sweden and considering buying a property? After a period of 25 years of almost unwavering growth, the property market has finally turned, offering more value for money but also requiring more caution before making any investment.

Crazy rental market prices have made buying an attractive prospect

A longstanding shortage of accommodation in major Swedish cities such as Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö has pushed up rental prices to record levels. The lack of availability of apartments and houses at affordable rental prices combined with low interest rates have helped fuel property prices over many years.  Swedes have been bidding up prices with what many call “funny money”

Stormy times and falling prices on the property market

Sweden has been the European nation hardest hit by a global property upset triggered by the steep rise in interest rates last year that abruptly ended a decade of virtually free money. Prices have been falling since the central bank started to hike the cost of borrowing and house prices are down by up to one-fifth since their March 2022 peak. Rising interest rates have meant that the “funny money” has turned into real and painful money for many Swedish homeowners.

Swedish homeowners are extra vulnerable to interest rate hikes

Sweden is one of Europe’s wealthiest states and the biggest Nordic economy, but it has an Achilles Heel – huge lending to homeowners. Swedes are twice as heavily indebted as Germans or Italians. Most swedes have also neglected to insure themselves against high interest rates. From an international perspective, Swedish households stand out on this point. The vast majority of homeowners in Sweden have opted for variable interest rates rather than binding their mortgages. Interest rate hikes are therefore felt more quickly and cause more pain here.

Further interest hikes are expected

Sweden’s central bank raised the key interest rate last week by 0.25 percentage points from 3.75 to 4 percent and flagged that further rate increases are likely. This is the eighth interest rate hike in a row and was broadly expected by Swedish banks and financial experts. This is the highest that Sweden’s key interest rate has been since October 2008. The central bank also warned that further increases are likely. Their current prognosis is that the key interest rates will hit 4.10 percent by the third quarter of 2024 before dropping slightly dropping slightly to 4.04 percent by the third quarter of 2025 and to under 4 percent in 2026.

Buying a newly built home entails higher risk

It is worth noting that signing up to buy a newly built apartment or house carries a higher risk in Sweden. Before a new home is fully built, the buyer signs a preliminary agreement that entails a legal right, and obligation, to buy the home when it is fully built. This may also apply if the bank has withdrawn the loan promise or if the apartment looks different to what was agreed upon.

For some time now, the financial risk has been quietly passed on by construction companies to unwitting private individuals. According to Swedish law, the purchase of a newly built home can be canceled if the fee is raised significantly from the originally agreed price. This has been happening a lot recently due to interest hikes between the period of signing a contract and the home being completed. However, what constitutes “significantly” has not been specified in law. Cases are now coming to court to rule on disputes of whether costs as high as 40 % and upwards count as significant increases.

New figures from the mortgage institute SBAB indicate that the sale of newly produced homes is plummeting and that more and more people are withdrawing from their purchase contracts, even though they may lose their deposits. As a consequence, the number of bankruptcies in construction is now increasing.

The Swedish government is focusing on raising confidence

For months, Sweden’s government has sought to play down a property crisis that has stifled confidence in the Nordic state, repeating a simple message: While some companies are in trouble, the country is not and the economy is in good shape. It is true that government borrowing and their financial management has been far more cautious than Swedish homeowners’ approach.

Weak Swedish crown offers more property for your money

A further interesting factor for internationals looking to buy in Sweden is that the Swedish crown has lost 17.5% against the Euro in 18 months. Although this has led to a belt-tightening exercise for many Swedes, it offers a clear advantage to anyone entering the Swedish property market and transferring the necessary deposit or additional funds from aboard.

Transparent and fast buying process

The process of buying a home in Sweden is quite transparent and under normal circumstances, the market moves quickly with properties often sold within weeks or sometimes even days of being advertised. This does, however, mean that potential buyers need to do their research thoroughly to understand what they are getting into.

Expert advice is available

Relocate To Sweden helps internationals who wish to explore the property market and buy a home in Sweden. We can assist with the entire process, from market insight to identifying suitable properties, arranging surveys, assisting with contract completion and even utilities set-up. Our home buying consultation service provides all the information you need to know about the buying and selling process in Sweden, including a full overview of the costs and risks involved. We can also advise on locations and market trends, as well as the likely investment security of specific properties you may be considering, including options and obligations if you were to leave Sweden. Contact us for more information or to book an appointment by emailing us at info@relocatetosweden.com or call us on +46 8 361 011.

Relocate to Sweden provides expert advice and hands-on help for companies recruiting internationally or transferring staff to Sweden. We help your international recruits with the entire relocation process including immigration, home finding, tax consultancy, registration with Swedish authorities, schools, health care and intercultural training. We also provide private relocation services. Email us at info@relocatetosweden.com or call us on +46 8 361011 if you would like help. You can also read more about our relocation services at www.relocatetosweden.com or follow us on social media for tips and advice.