I have now been in Sweden for three weeks and things have been ok so far. The weeks have gone slow and in all honesty it feels like a very long holiday. I’ve not done much and have only been out a handful of times so I cannot really say that it’s been eventful.
After three weeks I have decided to apply for the residence permit a bit earlier than I wanted to. Purely just because I’d rather get it done now rather than later. From the information I have read I am, as an EU citizen, three months stay in Sweden before I need to apply for an extension. Yet there is another point that needs to be taken into consideration and that is that I return to the UK every 3-4 weeks and, from what I have read, I would not need to register as a Swedish resident.
There is a lot of information online and if anyone is looking at this stage then can I suggest looking at this website . This site has been a fantastic resource for those who are just after general information at this stage.
I’m not really missing the UK much. Of course I am missing my friends and family but this does allow me to enjoy the visits back home even more. The weather is much like the UK; it’s very autumnal at this moment in time and not as cold as I would have first thought, despite the arrival of snow on my very first day!
One main difference is that I have only been to the pub three times since I have come here (instead of the usual twice a week!), this could be that it’s so bloody expensive for a beer here and also that I’m still to make any real friends here. I have met several people and this has been great and those who know me will confirm that I can walk into any place and usually walk out with at least a few friends made.
From what I read on the forums I’ve found the Swedish people to be nothing but polite so far. I’ve been to bars, a football game, and some other places and everyone has been so polite. Admittedly I am missing the prices of my local Wetherspoon pubs but it’s nice not to be surrounded by toothless chavs fighting over pointless things (note to anyone wanting to visit the UK – This is only one bar, please don’t read too much into that statement!)
Above all I am liking Sweden so far. Applying for a residency permit is going to be a very big step and no doubt my emotions are going to change once the result of the application has come through. What was planned in the past two years of my life is suddenly coming a reality and with any change in life it does bring a shock to the system.
Keep your fingers crossed for me.
