Easter
Easter this year will take place at the end of April, with Swedish children starting the festivities by dressing up as witches and collecting pick ‘n’ mix for their Easter eggs on Maundy Thursday, April 17th. Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are public holidays.
Easter holidays vary depending on what city you’re in, but will take place either the week before Easter (week 16, April 14th-20th) or the week after (week 17, April 21st-27th).
Track changes law has been repealed
From April 1st, Sweden scrapped spårbyte (“track change”), an immigration path which has meant that rejected asylum seekers could receive a work permit without having to leave the country to apply, provided they met all the other work permit requirements.
- 'We didn't do anything wrong': Foreign workers blindsided by Sweden's 'spårbyte' repeal
After April 1st, it is no longer possible for those who have been granted a work permit through this kind of track change to be granted an extension, which means that they may have to leave Sweden when their current permit expires.
Around 4,700 people will be affected by the abolition of track changes, according to the Migration Agency's estimates.
The rule change will only affect people who have switched from the "asylum track" to the "work permit track" and their families. It won't affect people who have changed their permits on other grounds.
Tax rebates due
Those who approved their tax declarations for the 2024 tax year digitally by April 2nd with no alterations should get any tax rebate due to them paid out between April 8th and April 11th.
May 2nd is the overall deadline for declaration submission. If you submit by this date, you’ll receive your tax rebate by June 5th.
Spring amendment budget announced
The spring amendment budget (vårändringsbudgeten) is usually mainly used to tweak or add bits and pieces to Sweden’s main annual budget, which was presented last autumn. This year's spring amendment budget will be submitted to parliament on April 15th.
Finance minister Elisabeth Svantesson has said that there will be 11.5 billion kronor of reforms in the spring amendment budget, including among other things an increase to the ROT tax reduction which currently allows households to claim back 30 percent of the cost of labour on maintenance work such as repairs, conversions and extensions.
Under the new proposal, which is expected to cost the government 4.35 billion kronor, the ROT reduction will be increased temporarily to 50 percent from May 12th until the end of the year in order to kickstart the economy.
The government and the Sweden Democrats have also agreed to put aside 500 million kronor for road maintenance. There will also be proposals concerning summer jobs for young people and reforms of professional higher education courses to offer more, shorter courses.
EU set to introduce retaliatory tariffs against US
The EU is set to introduce tariffs against the US in April – or more correctly, it is set to reintroduce tariffs which were first put in place during President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House.
Trump has already introduced 25 percent tariffs on European steel and aluminium.
The new EU tariffs will affect items such as motorcycles, orange juice and whisky with a total value of 8 billion euros.
The EU is also preparing further tariffs of up to 18 billion euros, with the commission currently considering a 99-page-list of possible items chosen to target Trump-friendly parts of the US.
In response, Trump has threatened a 200 percent tariff on European alcohol.
Deadline to change car to summer tyres
April 15th is also the deadline for changing to summer tyres in Sweden, although winter tyres are no longer required from March 31st, so long as weather conditions are suitable.
University hopefuls take Sweden's version of SATs
Students across Sweden will take the Högskoleprovet, the country's version of SATs, on April 5th. While the test is not mandatory, a high grade gives additional support when applying for university courses.
Sign-up for the test in April closed on January 14th. If you want to take the test but missed out this time, you can sign up for the next test on October 18th from August 12th-19th.
Walpurgis Night
Students, particularly in Lund and Uppsala, will indulge in all-day drinking and general revelry, and fires will be lit across Sweden, as the country celebrates Valborg, or Walpurgis Night, on April 30th.
King Carl XVI Gustaf celebrates his 79th birthday
Sweden's king, Carl XVI Gustaf, turns 79 on April 30th. His birthday is usually celebrated by Sweden's armed forces, who entertain the public with a parade outside the Royal Palace in Stockholm.
Are you organising an event in April? Let us know!
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