There are a bunch of institutions, controlled by the government, that regulates various facets of Sweden. You will meet several of them as you work toward making Sweden your home. There are some which make your life better while others help you become an entrepreneur. We have shortlisted some of those institutions below:
Apoteket – It is a government-owned pharmacy chain in Sweden. They are everywhere and are the go-to destinations for anyone wanting to buy medicines. You can buy off-the-shelf medicines or pick up the ones your doctor has prescribed. The prescribed medicines automatically show up on the pharmacy computers and you can collect them by showing your identification. You can also buy a wide array of health products such as a health supplements. Their shopping website works well too. It is different from Apotek Hjärtat (part of ICA group) and Kronans Apoteket.
Arbetsförmedlingen – Swedish Public Employment Service or Arbetsförmedlingen is one of the places where employers post available jobs for job seekers to apply. In 2021 over half of the job seekers registered in the portal were born outside of Sweden. When many employees transfer here from India, the spouses can look for a job on this website.
Arbetsmiljöverket – Swedish Work Environment Authority or Arbetsmiljöverket, under the Ministry of Employment, deals with the question of whether your workplace is safe. In case of an injury at your workplace, they need to be notified. They also do workplace safety inspections and issue penalties for violations. Many of the jobs that come under this authority deal with blue-collar work. If you think your workplace is violating rules by creating an unsafe environment or does not pay taxes, you can report them here. Link to their YouTube channel.
Konsumentverket – Swedish Consumer Agency or Konsumentverket is where you go to complain about deficiency of a product or if you think you were cheated. If they find that any company has broken a contractual agreement, they reach out to the companies and can even take them to the court. Their “Hello Consumer” section provides information about various best practices while making a purchase. They also have a handy tool to prepare your home budget through a cleverly designed calculator.
Kronofogden – Swedish Enforcement Agency or Kronofogden is the country’s official debt collector. If you have missed paying your debt, the companies will report you to them. You will receive a physical letter or a digital one if someone has made a claim that you owe a debt. You should either log on to their website or call them at 0771-73 73 00 to discuss the issue. You can also raise a debt call against someone and provide them with documents. In case you do not pay your debt to Kronofogden, they can deduct the amount from your salary. Listen to their podcast below (in Swedish).
Finansinspektionen – Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority or Finansinspektionen is responsible for financial regulation in the country. They counter money laundering activities. They have detailed information on their website about how to safeguard against scams and the best practices to save money. Their podcasts (in Swedish) on savings, borrowing, and investing are quite popular too.
Försäkringskassan – Swedish Social Insurance Agency or Försäkringskassan
Livsmedelsverket – Swedish Food Agency or Livsmedelsverket is responsible for regulating the quality of food, taking care of general hygiene, and stopping illegal businesses. If you want to start a food business, you need permission from this authority. They have extensive resources to guide a food entrepreneur to start their own business.
Migrationsverket – The Migration Agency or Migrationsverket is the one you first interact when you get a visa to move here. You would need to deal with them when you apply for a resident permit, extend a work permit, or apply for permanent residence and citizenship. Migrationsverket has been criticized for the slow handling of applications that have led to significant processing times, some for more than a year. While one can put in a “request to conclude” application after a six-month waiting period using form 271011, many people do not do so scared of rejection. They are usually responsive over mail and calls (0771‑235 235).
Myndigheten för delaktighet – Sweden believes in equal opportunity for all and the Swedish Agency for Participation or Myndigheten för delaktighet does exactly that job. It helps in the implementation of disability policy by developing and disseminating knowledge about obstacles to participation and to find ways to help people with disabilities to fully participate in social life. They have a separate section to help migrants with disabilities.
Pensionsmyndigheten – Swedish Pension Agency or Pensionsmyndigheten is the authority in charge of your pensions. The usual categories of pensions are: General pensions from the state, occupational pensions from work and you can save on your own for retirement. Be aware that your pension is linked to your lifetime earnings, so if you work part-time for a longer period, it will affect your earnings. In case you are self-employed, you need to save money yourself, as you won’t get an occupational pension provided by companies that salaried employees get. You can check the status of your pension here. From 2023, the earliest withdrawal age for the general pension is 63. Read more about how pensions work.
PostNord – This postal company is jointly owned by the governments of Sweden and Denmark, with the former owning a majority stake. From documents to Amazon shopping parcels, they deliver to all locations in Sweden through thousands of delivery points. When you are sending a parcel from India through India Post, it will get delivered to you via PostNord. If you have a complaint, first try customer service and then raise it to the Ombudsman if you are not satisfied.
Skatteverket – After you have got your resident permit, you need to contact Skatteverket, or the tax agency, for getting your personal number and Swedish ID card. They also manage the annual tax filing. In Sweden, tax filing is quite a simple process. In case you want to start your own business, you need to register it with Skatteverket. It has dozens of offices across the country. Contact them at 0856-485 160.
Socialstyrelsen – The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare or Socialstyrelsen is a government authority that produces regulations, knowledge support, and statistics as well as development of e-health, issue identification cards, distribute government subsidies and coordinate the efforts of the health and medical services. They plan for scenarios to keep healthcare running during peacetime or wartime disasters. You can also register with them for organ donation.
Systembolaget – Systembolaget is a government-owned liquor chain in Sweden. Someone over the age of 20 can buy alcohol either from hundreds of stores across the country or via its website. At store counters, employees can ask you for an identification document to check if you are an adult permissible to buy drinks. They sell a variety of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages that are significantly cheaper than what is available in a bar. For example, a lot of beer bottles are available under 20 SEK. The stores are open between 10 am and 7 pm on weekdays. They close by 3 pm on Saturday and closed on Sunday.
Transportstyrelsen – While the Swedish Transport Agency or Transportstyrelsen has a broad mandate, you are likely to get in touch with them for getting your driving license. You can also find out all details about a vehicle on their website. It is headquartered in Norrköping.
Tullverket – Swedish Customs or Tullverket is one of the oldest government agencies. Their main job is to control the flow of goods from/to Sweden and check if all appropriate taxes are paid. It is quite easy to start a business importing goods from the EU or countries outside the EU, such as India. Read about all the details. If you are looking to import something for personal use, you can calculate how much duty you would have to pay. It’s usually 25% of the cost of the product.
Vinnova – The Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems or Vinnova helps develop innovation systems in a sustainable way in technology, transport, and communications. They also provide financing for projects as required. You will likely meet them if you are looking to create a sustainability-focused startup.
