Swedish authorities
Visa/Residence Permit
A Visa is a permit which is required to enter and remain in Sweden and the other Schengen states for a short period of time, e.g. to visit relatives or friends, as a tourist, on business, to attend a conference or simply to pass through (transit). A person who wishes to reside in Sweden, to be reunited with relatives for example, must apply for and be granted a residence permit before entering the country.
The visa should be complete and be entered in the passport before entry into the Schengen area.
If you are not a citizen of the EU/EEA country, you must obtain a Visa and Residence Permit via Swedish Embassy or Consulate before entering Sweden. You must own a valid passport and an official invitation letter, a copy of your employment contract from KTH before you apply for a Visa or a residence permit. Please start the application procedure at least 12 weeks before your arrival to Sweden.
As of July 1st 2008, visiting researchers will need residence permits but no longer work permits if they are to work in Sweden for over three months. The residence permit must be granted before the applicant arrives in Sweden. In order to be included in the "visiting researcher category" a person must have a university or college education which qualifies him/her for access to postgraduate studies. However, persons conducting research in order to receive PhD are not included.
Residence permits are generally granted for a year at a time or for as long as the hosting agreement is valid. Members of the visiting researcher's close family may be granted residence permits for the same period as the principal applicant. They may also be granted work permits if the researcher has been granted a permit for at least six months. The visiting researcher must leave Sweden after completing his/her research. Even if the visiting researcher has stayed for many years he/she is ordinarily not allowed to settle in Sweden.
If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country, you and your family members do not need a Visa nor Residence Permit, but you will need to register for your ‘Right of Residence’ if you want to stay in Sweden longer than three months (see more detail at Resident Permit below).
Information (including fact sheets in a number of languages) and application forms for visa, residence and work permits are available on the website of the Migration Board (Migrationsverket). Please visit the Migration Board website for more detail information:
Population Registration
Every person moving to (or within) Sweden must notify the Swedish Population Register Center at the Tax Agency, within one week of their move. Forms are available online. When you are registered, you are entitled to exercise your rights, vote and pay tax in the municipality you live in. Social benefits and allowances are among many other benefits.
More info on the Population Registration can be found at the Tax Agency:
Personal Identity Number
Once you have obtained a Residence Permit, you are entitled to a 10 digit Swedish personal identity number (Personnummer). This will entitle you to medical care at the standard patient fee (same as for Swedish citizens). You will also need this number for many other services like: telephone subscription, to apply for a loan, to register for a driving license etc. You will need to bring along a Swedish citizen who knows you personally to confirm who you are. You will need your passport and residence permit and the process can take a while. You must apply in person at the local tax office (Skattekontoret).
The Tax service office Stockholm’s city
Visiting adress: Klara Vattugränd 1
Phone: 0771-778 778
From abroad +46 8 564 851 60
More Information on Tax Agency:
The Swedish Social Insurance Agency
If you plan to stay in Sweden more than 365 days, you should register with the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan). EU-citizens can register if the stay is shorter than a year only if the previous/ last country of residence is a member of the EU. People who receive scholarship do not pay tax in Sweden and therefore cannot get full insurance from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.
Social insurance is an important part of the Swedish social security system. The Swedish social insurance covers everyone that lives or works in Sweden. It provides financial protection for families and children, for persons with a disability and in connection with illness, work injury and old age.
More information on Social Insurance Agency:
Pension
You can find information about the national pension at the Swedish Pensions Agency:
For the period that you are employed at KTH, you will also receive an occupational pension. You find more information about occupational pension at the National Government Employee Pensions Board:
National Government Employee Pensions
Identity Card (ID-kort)
In order to get a Swedish identity card you must have a personal identity number (personnummer).
From June 1st, 2009, you can order ID card from the tax office (Skatteverket). Applicants must personally visit the tax agency to be photographed, prove their identity, that they hold a Swedish personal identity number (personnummer) and show receipt that they have paid 400 kronor to Skatteverket's account. The new identification cards will be valid for five years.
The Tax Agency (Skatteverket)
Bankgiro 389-0100 Plusgiro 50 40 62-1
Address: Stockholm City: Klara Vattugränd 1
Visiting hours Monday-Friday 0800-1800
Skärholmen: Bodholmsplan 2
Visiting hours Monday-Friday 1000-1600
Tensta: in issues regarding ID-card, please, visit Södermalm, Magnus Ladulåsgatan 67.
Visiting hours Monday-Friday 1000-1600
PLEASE read this link before you go to the Tax Agency:
NOTE that you must be able to provide satisfactory documentation to confirm your identity.
Banks (Nordea, SEB, Handelsbanken and Swedbank) issue identity cards only to customers with Swedish ID.
Bank Account
The personal identity number (personnummer) is essential to open a bank account. You are also required to bring along a Swedish citizen to verify your identity. Foreign passports are in general not valid as the Swedish ID card. Bring your passport, a certificate or letter of acceptance/employment from your department and the document from Skatteverket that confirms your social security number and your tenancy agreement to confirm your address in Sweden.
When you open a bank account you can get an ATM card and internet and telephone services linked to the account. The ATM machines are marked "Bankomat" or "Kontanten". The cheapest way to pay bills is through the bank's payment service which is also available online. Do not close your bank account before you leave Sweden since this will create problem for KTH’s Administrative Office to compensate you on your leave pay if it so applies. Banks are generally open between 10.00 and 15.00 hours, some up to 18.00 hours.
If you will stay less than 12 months you are not entitled to open a bank account. In this case, please do not bring checks from your home country to be cashed in here in Swedish bank. Foreign checks will take long time to process and you would have to pay extra for process fees. A better option is to use an international credit card instead of checks.
Taxation
You can apply for an income tax notice of assessment (skattsedel), at the local tax authority, which KTH needs in order to deduct tax. If you are staying in Sweden for less than six months, your employer will deduct a withholding tax of 25%. If you are staying for more than six months, you will normally pay tax on your income according to the tax rate in the municipality (kommun) where you live (usually around 30%). If your income is high you probably have to pay government tax.
An income tax notice specifying your earned, taxable income for the previous year will be sent to you. This is the information you need to complete the income tax return (Självdeklaration) which you must hand in (on paper form or electronically) to the Tax Agency at the beginning of May each year, declaring the previous year – if you have stayed in Sweden for more than six months. If you are staying for less than six months you need to get in touch with the Tax Agency to adjust the tax deduction from your wages thereafter. There is an instruction leaflet in English to help you. Phone: 0771-778 778.
Tax relief for foreign key personnel
Foreign key personnel - executives, experts, researchers, and others - may qualify for special tax relief when working in Sweden. The legislation, as of January 2001, provides an additional advantage to companies who need foreign expertise for their Swedish operations.
The main feature of Sweden's tax relief legislation will provide a 25 percent reduction of taxable income of a foreign key person. This means that a key foreign individual's income tax will be based on only 75 percent of his or her income.
Application for tax relief must be submitted by the employer or foreign person within three months of the start of employment. Individuals granted tax relief, are not expected to reside in Sweden for more than five years.
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