Helpful resources:
- https://old.liu.se/insidan/HR-Personal/for_foreign_employees/utlandska-medborgare/?l=en
- https://www.euraxess.se/information/search/field_service_category/living-europe-1221/country/sweden-1081
- http://work.sweden.se/plan-your-move/welcome-to-sweden-prepare-for-your-move/
- https://sweden.se/
- https://wikitravel.org/en/Link%C3%B6ping
Linköping University is one of Sweden's major Universities, with ca 27,000 students and 4,000 employees on four campuses: campus Valla and University Hospital Campus (US) in Linköping, Campus Norrköping, and Campus Lidingö. People working at LiU include ca 330 professors and 700 PhD students.
Linköping Campus (figure credit Toheeb Adigun, wikimedia commmons)
When you set up your arrival, you should be directed to an 'arrival helper' to help international researchers with arrival questions and their relocation such as accommodation, migration, insurance, tax, social security and day care/schooling for children. At the time of writing, this is a senior coordinator at the International office (https://liu.se/en/employee/jesgi11),
- Linköping (Saab) Airport is a small international airport very close to Linköping city. It is mostly used by KLM with a few flights every day to Amsterdam. It is recommended to take a taxi from/to the airport. No public transport or shuttles stop directly at the airport itself (though, it is not that far to walk to the closest bus stops "SAAB Norra Porten" or "Vetegatan"; but note info about bus passes under Public transport below.)
- The city of Norrköping is located ca 45 km NE from Linköping and also has a small international airport Norrköping Airport. It has flights to/from a few international destinations. There is a bus from the Airport to Linköping, but one can also take the commuter train (östgötapendeln) from Norrköping resecentrum to Linköping resecentrum (takes ca 25 minutes), or a Taxi.
- Ryanair flies to/from Skavsta Airport, which is ca 100 km NE of Linköping. Flygbussarna provides a shuttle bus to Linköping that takes ca 90 minutes and arrives at Linköping Resecentrum.
- Flights to/from Stockholm Arlanda Airport, which is a larger international aiport. Stockholm is ca 200 km NE of Linköping. There is a convinient train station located inside the airport itself with direct trains to Linköping resecentrum (note: to go to Arlanda by train one must show a ticket explicitly saying 'to Arlanda' when exiting the station, or one has to pay an extra fee). Flygbussarna also provides a shuttle bus to Linköping.
Public transport in Linköping is handled by Östgötatrafiken. You cannot pay on busses (neither with credit card or cash). The only ways to pay for your ticket is:
- Use the App for Android or iPhone. Buy a ticket before the bus arrives, and press 'activate' on it as you are entering the bus. To pay inside the app you either have to use the Swedish payment system Swish or enter a VISA or mastercard number into your phone.
- Buy a one-time ticket in green ticket machines called Quickomat. These are however not that common.
- Buy a one-time ticket at the Östgötatrafiken customer center at Linköping resecentrum or in a cooperating store.
- Buy a refillable travel card 'Resekortet' in any of the places that sell one-time tickets. This also allows rebated frequent travel tickets. The card can be refilled in Quickomat, at the places that sell tickets, or online (though, be careful, it may take up to a day for a refill made online to show up on the card.)
One of your priorities coming to Sweden should be to get a personal identification number ('personnummer' in Swedish). Many banks and services will require this.
Once you have a personnummer you may want to get a Swedish ID card, used for various needs to identify youself.
As an EU passport holder one does not require a visa or residence permit for Sweden nor does one need to register the right of residency. Make sure passport/s are valid for the duration of stay in Sweden.
- Your first priority should be to contact the 'arrival helper' (see Help)
- Register with Victoria Park <http://www.victoriapark.se/>, a company that provides non-furnished apartments. (Sadly the home page is only in Swedish, but use the provided google translate dropdown at the top.) When registering, make sure to enter that you are looking for an appartment to work at Linköping University. They may have available apartments on the homepage that you can apply for directly. No Swedish personal identity number is required just your date of birth. The 'arrival helper' or other people arranging your arrival may be able to further help you (e.g., for looking at the apartment), just ask.
- Once your work contract clears, you can be entered into Stångåstaden (stangastaden.se), which is the largest housing company in Linköping for rented properties. They base priority in assigning appartments on a 'point system', where each day in queue is one point. However, at the time of writing, moving to Linköping for work grants 600 points.
- More info is available in the separate accomodation section of this guide (since it is relevant also for Swedes.)
At the time of writing, LiU has a group insurance that covers employees to/from work and during your time at work (accident, liability, illness etc.) [TODO: Does this apply also to those scholarships?] However, if you will stay some time in Sweden before you begin employment, you are recommended to arrange for some insurance until that time.
The insurance company Länsförsäkringar has an office in Linkoping. You are recommended to take out at least a house and contents insurance to cover personal belongings, this may even be required by your landlord.
Other insurance companies are: Folksam, Trygg Hansa, IF, Skandia.
If you are employed by LiU (as opposed to on a scholarship), you are covered by the Swedish Social security system Försäkringskassan. Coverage for loss of work due to illness is covered by LiU for the first 8 days, then försäkringskassan. The reimbursement is gradually reduced by the days.
Sweden have state 'single payer' healthcare. If you are have a taxed employment in Sweden with a personal identification number, you should be able to get the same coverage as Swedish citizens. However, the specific rules are somewhat complicated. The info at 1177 is a good start.
When you arrive from EU, you are covered for acute helth needs if you have an "EU health card". It is important that you bring the EU cards with you to Sweden until you have entered the Swedish system.
To be added.
It seems one should be guaranteed a place after living in Linköping for 4 months. [TODO: Does this apply also to non-citizens?]
For more information contact the childcare department at the municipality. (Despite the lack of a website in English, they should be able to communicate in English if you call or email them.)
To be added.