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Indians in Sweden For Members

Indians in Sweden: Planned migration laws and why Stockholm is great for startups

Emma Löfgren
Emma Löfgren - [email protected]
Indians in Sweden: Planned migration laws and why Stockholm is great for startups
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf as Queen Silvia looks on at Hyderabad House before a meeting in New Delhi in 2019. Photo by Prakash Singh/AFP

The status of Sweden's planned migration laws, why Stockholm is a great place for startups, and did you know Indians in Sweden might be able to study at university for free? This and much more in The Local's brand new newsletter.

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This newsletter for Indians in Sweden brings you all the news and essential info you need and features advice and input from our Indian readers. It is available to members of The Local. You can receive it early in your inbox each month, by just updating your newsletter settings here.

Hej and welcome to the first edition of The Local’s new newsletter for Indians in Sweden!

First of all, I just want to say tack så mycket to everyone who responded to our survey to tell us what you wanted to get out of this newsletter. We’ll do our best to follow up on all of your ideas.

We really want to build this newsletter together with you – our members – so please don’t hesitate to email me or the rest of our editorial team at any time if you have any feedback. We’ll also be inviting readers to guest edit this newsletter, so if you’re interested, drop me a line.

Ten years ago, no more than 20,000 people born in India lived in Sweden, according to national number crunchers Statistics Sweden. The number is now close to 50,000, with the university research scene and IT industry in particular attracting young professionals from far and wide.

We probably won’t be able to convince all 50,000 to subscribe to this newsletter, but the more the merrier, so if you have a friend who might be interested in receiving it – please tell them about us. It’s only available to paying members of The Local, as a thank you for your support. 

I recently re-read The Local’s interview with India’s ambassador, Tanmaya Lal, whom we spoke to for our Sweden in Focus podcast. You can read the interview here and listen to it here.

Did you know that, as Lal spoke of, in 1954 a small statuette of Buddha from the 6th-7th century was found during archaeological diggings on Helgö island in Lake Mälaren, close to Stockholm? It’s from northern India and probably made its way to Sweden during the Viking Age.

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We sometimes talk a lot about trade, migration and globalisation as though they’re new phenomena, but people from India and Sweden may have been interacting for over a thousand years, though neither of the countries existed in their present-day forms at the time. History books tell us a lot about the big stories, but I wonder what ordinary people’s daily lives were like, what they spoke of, dreamed of. How they were different to us, and how they were similar.

My Swedish Career: ‘Stockholm is a great place to try and do a startup’

In a new article for our My Swedish Career series, The Local speaks to Stockholm-based Karthik Muthuswamy, who moved to Sweden from India in 2009 and just like many others ended up staying. But after ten years working as a programmer he wanted more purpose in his work, and he tells us how he started his own company in Sweden to explore how tech can help journalism.

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If you’re looking to build or change your career in Sweden, have a look at The Local’s job site, which lists thousands of English-language job ads in Europe. Hopefully you’ll find a match!

What’s the current status of Sweden’s planned migration laws?

When we asked people about what they wanted to read about in this newsletter, almost nine in ten told us they wanted more news and information about Sweden’s migration laws and rules.

We’ve just updated this article which explains the status of any planned changes to migration rules, including work permits, citizenship and permanent residency requirements, and more.

Studying in Sweden: Deadline for autumn admission

Thinking of studying at a Swedish university next autumn? Applications for undergraduate courses close on Monday April 17th, and there seems to be plenty of courses available in English. 

Indian students coming to Sweden on a student permit need to pay international tuition fees, as non-EU citizens. But if you’re already living in Sweden on a residence permit other than a student permit, for example if you’re a work permit holder or if you’re here on a spouse permit, then it’s worth noting that university tuition is free for you, just as it is for Swedish and EU students. 

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You can read more in this article about who’s allowed to study in Sweden for free.

Have your say: What are the biggest culture shocks for Indians in Sweden?

We’re currently asking The Local’s readers to tell us about culture shocks they’ve experienced in Sweden. What surprised you the most about life in Sweden when you moved here? Click here to share your stories in our survey. We may use some of the answers in a future article.

Indian events in Sweden

Are you organising an event for Indians in Sweden? Email us and we’ll share the details in our next newsletter. Please note that the next issue will be out in mid-May, so we won’t be able to publicise events taking place before that.

This newsletter for Indians in Sweden is available to paying members of The Local. To receive it in your inbox every month, update your newsletter settings here.

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Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

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Prasanna R 2023/04/16 13:55
Excellent Initiative. Look forward to read these news letters

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