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ESSENTIAL SWEDEN

Sámi words and red cottages: Essential articles for life in Sweden

Sámi words, bad jokes about Swedish things, where Sweden's immigrants are from, why red stugor are red, bomb shelters and studying for free... here are six essential articles for life in Sweden.

Sámi words and red cottages: Essential articles for life in Sweden
A traditional red wooden house. Photo: Henrik Holmberg/TT

There are about ten Sámi languages alive today, spoken across the northern parts of Scandinavia and eastern Russia. But they are among the many Indigenous languages around the world that are at risk of disappearing. Here are ten Sámi words you might not have heard before:

Artificial Intelligence programmes such as ChatGPT have made headlines worldwide for writing scarily accurate essays, poems, and even newspaper articles. Last month, we decided to ask ChatGPT to tell us some jokes about Swedish things, and here’s what happened.

More than 100,000 people became Swedish residents in 2022. Here’s an article running through where they all came from.

Have you ever wondered why Sweden has so many red wooden stugor or cottages in the countryside? Find out why they’re that colour in this article.

Obviously, we hope you never need this information, but Sweden has over 65,000 shelters to be used in the event of war. Find out how to find your nearest shelter here, and how you’ll know when to use it.

Whether you want to do a full degree, a shorter academic or vocational course, or learn the Swedish language, there are lots of tuition-free programmes available to different groups in Sweden.

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ESSENTIAL SWEDEN

Unpaid leave and income tax: Essential articles for life in Sweden

Income tax, electricity contracts, after-studies permits, unpaid leave, getting a refund and cheap holiday homes... here are six must-reads from The Local about life in Sweden.

Unpaid leave and income tax: Essential articles for life in Sweden

Fancy owning a beautiful red wooden cottage in Sweden for the same price as a shed in London or New York? It’s the best time in years for foreigners to buy property in the Nordic nation, thanks to the weak krona. Here is an entirely impartial selection of properties costing less than a million kronor (at the time of publication: €90,084, $96,691, £79,023).

So you’re ready to move house, what next? In Sweden setting up electricity requires two separate contracts. Here’s our guide to how to set up your contract.

If you pay for an item or service in Sweden that you do not receive or isn’t up to the expected quality, you should be able to get a refund. But the process isn’t always simple, so here’s how to get your money back.

Sweden is an expensive place to live, with the highest earners paying up to 55 percent in tax above certain thresholds. Understanding how income tax works is crucial before a salary negotiation or accepting a job offer.

If you came to Sweden for higher education and are planning to stay for work, the chances are you have heard of the job-seeking permit, which is formerly known as the Swedish After Studies permit. The permit is meant to be the next step after a residence permit for students, and acts as a raft for those seeking employment after graduating. Here’s a look into the process of getting it, and what happens next.

Many workers in Sweden have the right to protect their job while they go on unpaid leave in order to study, start their own business, care for a sick relative, or even in some cases, try out a new job. Here’s our guide.

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