Pre-arrival guide - Executive and Professional Education
This is your guide as a newly admitted participant to one of our executive and professional education courses. It helps you plan your journey to Sweden, and ensures a smooth start to your studies at Karolinska Institutet (KI). We are looking forward to helping you prepare and welcoming you to the KI community!
Before arrival
There is a number of things you need to think about before your move to Sweden. Our best advice is to start with your preparations today. Securing your accommodation and applying for residence permit (if required) should be at the top of your list of things to get started with.
To-do✔
Participants in executive and professional education are not eligible for KI Housing accommodation. You will need to look for other accommodation options.
Finding housing on the private market
Finding affordable housing in Stockholm can be challenging—especially at the start of each semester when demand is high. We strongly recommend beginning your search as early as possible.
If you arrive in Stockholm without a permanent place to stay, make sure to arrange temporary accommodation such as a hostel or hotel. There are numerous hotels, apartment hotels, and short-term accommodation providers available throughout Stockholm.
Please note that finding accommodation on the private market may be tedious and time-consuming. However, with persistence, most people do find a suitable place to live during their time at KI.
Things to have in mind
Location: Stockholm is relatively compact and has an excellent public transportation system. Finding housing close to the university can be challenging, and it is quite common to commute around one hour to work or school.
Rent: The average rent for a private room in a shared apartment ranges from SEK 4,000 to 9,000 per month, depending on size and location. A studio apartment typically costs between SEK 7,000 and 20,000 per month. Accommodation in the city centre is usually much more expensive than in the suburbs. Always check with the landlord whether utilities such as electricity, internet, and TV are included in the rent.
There are many website who list available apartments that are available for sublet. If you find a sublet, or “second-hand” contract, you’ll be renting from a current tenant instead of a housing company. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
- Blocket
- Housinganywhere.com
- Jagvillhabostad.nu (information on finding a flat in several cities – in Swedish)
- Homii
- Samtrygg.se
- Bostadsval.se
Avoiding fraud: When you’re looking for a sublet, be wary of fraudsters. Although the majority of the rental advertisements are legitimate, it is important to stay cautious. Always visit the accommodation and sign a rental contract before paying any deposit or rent. Ask the landlord to show a valid form of identification when signing the contract to verify their details. Finally, only transfer the deposit to a Swedish bank account to reduce the risk of fraud.
As a non-EU/EEA citizen, you need to contact the Swedish Migration Board (Migrationsverket) to arrange for a residence permit. We strongly recommend that you start the residence permit application procedures as soon as possible after receiving your notification of selection results and confirmation of having paid your first tuition fee installment. You will not be able to enter Sweden before the official start date of your residence permit.
All residence permit enquiries are handled directly by your embassy and the Swedish Migration board.
You need to review your insurance coverage before arriving in Sweden. Depending on your citizenship there are different things you need to consider to be fully covered. Be sure to read in carefully on what applies to you.
You need to review your insurance coverage before arriving to Sweden. We strongly recommend as a minimum, a coverage by health insurance and home insurance. Depending on your citizenship, you might be partially covered by your home country or our collective insurance policy. All students in Sweden, regardless of nationality, are covered by a personal injury insurance (the general student insurance), through the Swedish Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (Kammarkollegiet). The insurance applies in Sweden during school hours and during travelto and from the location where school hours are spent.
Once you have notified the Swedish Tax Agency of your move to Sweden you will receive a Swedish personal identity number and will get access to healthcare at the same standard patient fees as Swedes.
It can take time to receive your Swedish personal identity number. Be sure to check that you have insurance coverage if you need urgent healthcare during the waiting time.
Make sure to bring the following items:
- Insurance documents
- Mobile phone
- Clothes appropriate to the weather and season (Average of 18.4 °C | 65.1 °F in July, the warmest month. Average of -6.8 °C| 19.8 °F in January, the coldest month)
- Valid passport (stamped with valid visa)
Good to know💡
Before you arrive to Stockholm, you need to check that you have sufficient funds to cover your living costs. Living in Sweden is expensive, but if you plan your purchases you can live cheap.
Average monthly budget
Living costs in Stockholm is to a large extent dependent on what kind of accommodation you manage to find. It also depends on your lifestyle and where in the city you live.
Below is an example of what a typical monthly budget may look like.
Expenditure (SEK)
Food 2,810
Accommodation 3,500 - 7,000
Student Union fee, books 200
Local travel 850
Other (insurance, phone, clothing, leisure, etc.) 1,970
Total/Month: (SEK) 10,520-14,020
Average temperatures in Stockholm vary between -4 to +25 C, but temperatures in the summer can approach 30° C and winter chills can occasionally reach -20°. If you stay in Stockholm for one full year you will enjoy the experience of four separate seasonal climates!
Sweden is a family-friendly country with a lot of public areas and features to keep the entire family happy. Children have the right to a place in nursery school from the day they turn one.
However, arriving with a family requires careful planning, and KI does not offer any targeted services to families. Especially finding housing can be challenging and we recommend that you secure your accommodation before you bring your family to Stockholm.
Arriving with a family
After arrival
Apart from finding your way from the airport and learning to get around in the city, you can now look forward to exploring your new home. Start getting familiar with life in Sweden, and prepare for the Swedish bureaucracy of getting a Swedish personal number, and if needed, opening a Swedish bank account.
To-do✔
Apply for a Swedish personal identity number as soon as you can. It gives you access to Swedish healthcare to the same low cost as Swedish citizens, and will help you in your daily life when communicating with Swedish authorities and organisations. Getting your Swedish personal identity number can take some time so get it done early on. You can start your application as early as 14 days before your move to Sweden.
It's not always necessary for international students to open a bank account in Sweden while studying here. But if you are planning to work beside your studies, you should open one. Be prepared that it can be rather tricky for international students due to strict regulations and security aspects.
Good to know💡
All three of Stockholm's airports are connected to Stockholm city centre by airport coaches as well as municipal alternatives. From Stockholm Arlanda-Airport you can also choose the high-speed train service Arlanda Express.
In Stockholm, it is easy to get from one place to another, compared to many other big cities. Public transport is well developed and safe, with the Metro, commuting trains and buses. Bicycles are also very common as there are many bike paths in and around the city.
Can I pay with cash? What's the currency in Sweden? What if there is an emergency? Good-to-know information about day-to-day life in Sweden.
You will be offered a basic Swedish course during your first weeks in Sweden.
Contact
For any general questions on the topics covered in the Pre-arrival guide, please contact epe@ki.se.