All the action happened in less than 3 months. Like literally… from cracking a job interview, getting a residence permit, and then booking a flight ticket to Sweden and finally landing here.
It just happened so fast that even I feel that I have not lived most of the details 😀
But these 3 months of action were made possible by 6 months of preparation.
It has been an exciting week. So much changed in just a few hours. It’s like I’m all alone here without my friends and family. And to top it all, it all feels so different. Even the dustbins works differently here :D. Well, I will write about my first week’s experience in the next post but this post is dedicated for answering most of the questions that you all had about my move to Sweden. I’ll try to answer them all here.
How Did I Make The Move
If you know Sweden then you might know that it is difficult to move there. The VISA rules are quite strict and there is a reason for that as well. And I think that is the reason why this country is so beautiful. It only allows a small segment of people to get in.
I’m not trying to scare you all, but just telling you how it is with Sweden.
So, how did I got a chance?
This is a long story and I’m planning on sharing it later (do subscribe to get it directly in your inbox). But in short, I got a job opportunity and I accepted it.
Applying For The Residence Permit
Before you move to Sweden, you need to apply for a residence permit. For this, your employer sponsors you for a residence permit. So, my employer registered for my permit at the Swedish Embassy.
Once you are registered… an application number is generated. Also known as “check number”. You can use this number to check for the status of the decision made for your move to Sweden.
It could take a few weeks for them to make a decision.
Until the decision is made you cannot do anything. You just have to sit back and relax in the hope that they would allow you to move to their country. And if you are not a criminal, chances are that they will make the decision in your favour.
So, once they have made the decision to grant you residence permit, its time to submit your biometrics to the Swedish Embassy.
Bio-metrics Submission
This is the final step. For this, you have to send a mail to the Swedish Embassy and make an appointment.
This is how I sent the email for scheduling an appointment. They will reply back to you with the booked slot.
Next step is to be present at the Swedish Embassy on the scheduled date and time.
If you want I can also write about my experience on visiting the Swedish Embassy in New Delhi along with the steps to submit Biometrics. Just let me know in the comments below.
Wait For Residence Card To Be Delivered
After submitting the Bio-metrics at the Swedish Embassy, it will take about 2 weeks for the Residence Card to get delivered at your doorstep.
The only thing that you have to check is that you don’t miss the delivery. Make sure that you are there to receive it. Otherwise, they send the card back to the embassy and then you will have to travel there again personally to retrieve it. So, to save yourself from all the hustle & bustle make sure you are present at your home when the postman rings the bell (or in my case breaks the door 😒).
After Receiving The Residence Card
Well, you have got your residence card that means you are free to travel to Sweden. Book the flight ticket, pack your clothes, say goodbyes to your relatives (I couldn’t do it due to COVID) and prepare yourself mentally (as always, I didn’t do it) to live in this beautiful country.
There are many options that you can choose to fly with. Also, because of the pandemic, they shut down many flights. So, I had to take the connecting flight from Paris with a layover of 6 hours. That’s manageable if your airline offers you a lounge. Or you can apply for one of those priority cards that can get you free lounge access. I didn’t have the time to apply for the priority card (but AirFrance offers a lounge to their travellers and I travelled via AirFrance) but now you know so make sure you ask for the priority card from your bank.
It looks something like this.
It has many benefits and one of it is the free airport lounge access around the globe. They have tie-ups with most of the Airlines.
After Landing In Stockholm
The accommodation was booked already. I just had to take the cab and reach the address. And taking taxi is really easy.
As soon as you get out of the Arlanda Airport. You will find many taxies parked right outside the arrival gate. You take one of the Taxi… I took the Tesla 😉 from Taxi Kurir. It was aaaaamazing. I had the Tesla experience on my visit to Stockholm in the very first hour.
That was amazing.
I was just sitting there amazed that Tesla is running as taxi in Stockholm. How about that, huh?
Well, so far it has been really good and I’m looking forward to expanding my horizon now.
If you like to read more about the lifestyle of a Software Engineer then don’t forget to subscribe this blog.
Until next time.
Thanks for a nice, pleasant read. I am expecting to move to Stockholm in August. Could you share what is the current covid and quarantine protocol there?
Hey, nice to hear that. Maybe we can meet in person once you are here.
I will post a blog tomorrow morning specifically sharing my flight boarding experience. It was a hectic experience, all because of COVID. I think it will help you prepare for your travel. Do read it.
Thankyou varun! It was very nice information which you have given. I got couple of questions regarding this how can i contact you?
Thanks a lot Manikanta.
You can contact me via LinkedIn or if you can post those questions publicly then shoot it in the comments. This way it would be shared with people visiting this blog.