Testimony of an expatriate in Sweden

Expatriation has always made us dream. The search for a better quality of life, a new work experience or even giving the chances to his children to live a multicultural experience, there are many advantages of an expatriation.
We had the opportunity to interview Victory, one of our expatriates in Sweden.

The story is worthy of a song by Richard Cocciante … I came tosweden for love! I met my sambo (it’s a Nicer Swedish Word Than Our French Partner whose etymology is not very romantic) and about a year after we met, I decided to give up everything to follow him to Sweden.

My case is a bit special because I came to stay with a Swedish. So I didn’t have the classic worries of looking for an apartment or a job.

On the other hand, getting the residence card was a bit complicated. In Sweden, even if you are a citizen of a member state of the European Union, you must have a residence permit. I waited 6 months to get it which was very disabling given my condition as a pregnant woman….

Once the residence card was acquired, getting a personnummer was very quick (a week later if my memories are good)! The personnummer is a decisive registration number that gives you an existence in Sweden and allows you, accordingly, to open a bank account, to have access to the care system, pay your taxes etc… to be able to fully benefit from the Swedish system!

But the biggest difficulty is that related to any expatriation:adapting to a new culture.

It is very rewarding and confusing to discover another way of approaching life. To emigrate to Sweden or elsewhere is to give up all your certainties.

Since I have lived in Gothenburg, I have been constantly questioning myself and my principles of French education are constantly being put to the test. Sweden is a country very close geographically to France, but the cultural differences are huge.

For a successful expatriation you must have an open mind or/and lock yourself in a reassuring French microcosm. It all depends on the type of expatriation you are looking for.

What I like about Sweden:

• Nature is everywhere
• the very calm nature of the Swedes
• society much less hierarchical than in France
• shops open on Sundays and supermarkets open late at night
• the fact that everyone is called by his first name and not by lady/mr condescending
• cultural simplicity: here we don’t confuse intellectual and intelligent
• you don’t kiss people
• not being stared at in the street

What I find strange:

• The individualism of the Swedes (for example, you don’t hold the door to the next person when you get in or out of a place, you don’t let an elderly person sit in priority, etc.).
• dolto education: it’s cool to be a child in Sweden, it’s forbidden to ban.
• a naked body is not shameful: at the pool everyone is naked in the showers and sauna … it’s weird the first time
• uniformity of dress … in Gothenburg everyone is dressed exactly the same
• Education system: you take the opposite of the French system and you get the Swedish system

I hate it.

• time … I don’t live well with fake summers
• very defective health system … in Sweden one suffers before being treated. If you don’t have a fever at least 5 days in a row, it’s not worth going to the doctor
• the mother is very much sacrificed for the interests of the child. Yet I consider that a good harmony of mother and couple is necessary to have a happy child

victory

Mondassur accompanies you on your expatriation to Sweden!

To choose the best expatriation insurance that suits you, several criteria must be taken into account: reimbursement of hospital costs, current health costs, maternity, dental, optics, assistance repatriation and civil liability.

For more than 15 years, Mondassur insurance has covered people living outside their home countries. Our International Insurance Experts Mondassur will always offer you the international insurance that is best suited to your situation, your destination and your budget.
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