https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Sweden in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Wondering which banks give mortgages to foreigners, or what happens if you are struggling to pay a bill? Essential Sweden this week answers those questions and more. https://www.thelocal.se/20240505/banks-bills-and-mortgages-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden Sun, 05 May 2024 16:02:17 +0200 banks-bills-and-mortgages-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden This week's Essential Sweden looks at why Swedes dance around bonfires at the end of April, who those people on Sweden's banknotes actually are, as well as some money saving tips. https://www.thelocal.se/20240428/essential-sweden-valborg-fair-pay-and-swedish-banknotes Sun, 28 Apr 2024 11:41:53 +0200 essential-sweden-valborg-fair-pay-and-swedish-banknotes In this week's Essential Sweden, we look at how preschool works in Sweden, why import fees for non-EU parcels are so high, and how to take long-term leave from work, among other things. https://www.thelocal.se/20240421/essential-sweden-import-fees-preschool-and-rescue-dogs Sun, 21 Apr 2024 10:12:22 +0200 essential-sweden-import-fees-preschool-and-rescue-dogs What's on the agenda this month (and when can you expect your tax rebate?), how can you check the finances of an apartment before you buy, and how do Swedish newspapers work? All that and more in this week's Essential Sweden. https://www.thelocal.se/20240407/essential-sweden-bank-accounts-brf-finances-and-newspapers Sun, 07 Apr 2024 15:20:05 +0200 essential-sweden-bank-accounts-brf-finances-and-newspapers Next week is a busy week for Swedes, with Waffle Day on Monday before Easter is celebrated at the weekend. For this week's Essential Sweden, we've put together six articles which should tell you all you need to know for the week ahead. https://www.thelocal.se/20240324/easter-traditions-and-waffle-day-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden Sun, 24 Mar 2024 09:54:11 +0100 easter-traditions-and-waffle-day-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden Where should you go in Stockholm if you need a quiet place to work or study? What can you forage in Sweden at this time of year, and how do you make sure you get your deposit back from a Swedish landlord? These questions, and more, are answered in this week's Essential Sweden. https://www.thelocal.se/20240317/essential-sweden-student-vocab-spring-foraging-and-rental-deposits Sun, 17 Mar 2024 09:28:12 +0100 essential-sweden-student-vocab-spring-foraging-and-rental-deposits How should you behave if you want to impress your Swedish in-laws? What are the weirdest Swedish eating habits, and how can you move to Sweden if you're self-employed? Find out the answers to those questions and more in this week's Essential Sweden. https://www.thelocal.se/20240310/swedish-food-and-reader-questions-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden Sun, 10 Mar 2024 09:26:45 +0100 swedish-food-and-reader-questions-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden The snow is melting and the first few spring shoots are starting to pop up out of the ground here in southern Sweden. This week's Essentials looks forward to the arrival of spring, along with a few articles to help you prepare for tax season. https://www.thelocal.se/20240303/spring-and-tax-season-in-sight-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden Sun, 03 Mar 2024 08:04:34 +0100 spring-and-tax-season-in-sight-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden With Sweden's yearly book sale coming up on Tuesday, we've put together a collection of articles on Swedish language and literature which may give you some inspiration. https://www.thelocal.se/20240218/language-and-literature-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden Sun, 18 Feb 2024 09:36:15 +0100 language-and-literature-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden Next week is a big week in Sweden, with 'fettisdagen' on the 13th followed by Valentine's Day on the 14th. In this week's essentials we've got tips on dating, how to find the best semla, and ten secrets you can't keep if you live here. https://www.thelocal.se/20240211/essential-sweden-dating-secrets-and-how-to-find-swedens-best-semla Sun, 11 Feb 2024 10:02:58 +0100 essential-sweden-dating-secrets-and-how-to-find-swedens-best-semla In honour of Sámi national day on February 6th, this week's essential Sweden looks at the history, language and traditions of Sweden's indigenous people. https://www.thelocal.se/20240204/essential-sweden-who-are-the-sami-swedens-indigenous-people Sun, 04 Feb 2024 09:18:17 +0100 essential-sweden-who-are-the-sami-swedens-indigenous-people In this week's essential Sweden, we look at tips for buying and selling a property in Sweden, who qualifies for unemployment benefits, as well as how you can find out if your Swedish will be good enough for citizenship. https://www.thelocal.se/20240128/essential-sweden-property-unemployment-benefits-and-language-tests Sun, 28 Jan 2024 09:15:48 +0100 essential-sweden-property-unemployment-benefits-and-language-tests In this week's Essential Sweden, we look at ten inventions you may not have realised were invented by a Swede, pensions, how to host a Swedish style children's birthday party, and our readers' tips for eating out in Sweden. https://www.thelocal.se/20240121/essential-sweden-inventions-pensions-and-birthday-parties Sun, 21 Jan 2024 09:26:38 +0100 essential-sweden-inventions-pensions-and-birthday-parties In this week's Essential Sweden, we look at the rules around pensions, Sweden's right to roam and sick days, as well as your rights while your work permit is being renewed and a few different ways to save money. https://www.thelocal.se/20240114/essential-sweden-work-permits-pensions-and-six-tips-to-save-money Sun, 14 Jan 2024 09:11:14 +0100 essential-sweden-work-permits-pensions-and-six-tips-to-save-money It’s our first Essential Sweden article of 2024, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to put together a guide looking at how you can make the most of this year. https://www.thelocal.se/20240107/holidays-jobs-and-dating-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden-in-2024 Sun, 07 Jan 2024 09:11:38 +0100 holidays-jobs-and-dating-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden-in-2024 In this week's collection of essential articles for life in Sweden, we look at one crucial insurance you should sign up for, good things about renting in Sweden, how to plan your pension and the mystery of Rhode Island dressing, among other things. https://www.thelocal.se/20231221/essential-sweden-renting-pensions-and-rhode-island-dressing Thu, 21 Dec 2023 06:40:55 +0100 essential-sweden-renting-pensions-and-rhode-island-dressing In this week's Essential Sweden article, we have our guide to the Lucia holiday, our best Christmas market tips, whether you can lose your citizenship if you've never lived in Sweden, and a look at how your money is protected in your Swedish bank account. https://www.thelocal.se/20231210/essential-sweden-lucia-christmas-goats-and-bank-accounts Sun, 10 Dec 2023 10:43:32 +0100 essential-sweden-lucia-christmas-goats-and-bank-accounts In this week's Essential Sweden, we look at rules on VAB, renting out your apartment, and when you can use your fireplace, as well as your rights if your boss asks you to work over the Christmas holidays and a look forward to how much life in Sweden is likely to cost in 2024. https://www.thelocal.se/20231126/essential-sweden-rentals-cost-of-living-and-fireplace-rules Sun, 26 Nov 2023 09:07:52 +0100 essential-sweden-rentals-cost-of-living-and-fireplace-rules When's the last date to post a card or letter from Sweden to a non-EU country? Why do Swedes love herring so much, and how do I join the Swedish housing queue? We answer those questions and more in this week's Essential Sweden. https://www.thelocal.se/20231119/essential-sweden-money-herring-and-christmas-post-deadlines Sun, 19 Nov 2023 10:05:11 +0100 essential-sweden-money-herring-and-christmas-post-deadlines In this week's Essential Sweden, we look at whether you can get citizenship through ancestry, how to survive November in Sweden, as well as tipping etiquette, the Swedish tax system and why variable rate mortgages are so popular. https://www.thelocal.se/20231112/tipping-tax-and-mortgages-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden Sun, 12 Nov 2023 11:07:35 +0100 tipping-tax-and-mortgages-essential-articles-for-life-in-sweden