Most of this blog is about how to retire early in Sweden from a work-life in Sweden. But what if you are living somewhere else and planning to retire to Sweden?
Right of Residence
If you are a citizen of an EU country, things are easy: you have the right of residence. That means you can work, study, or just live in Sweden under quite relaxed conditions. If you do not work or study, you will have to prove that you have sufficient means to cover your expenses for at least one year. You also need to show that you have comprehensive health insurance, public or private. This should not be an issue for most EU citizens since they are covered by the public health insurance of their home country. There are some general rules on health insurance for pensioners, which also apply to Sweden.
The process of immigration is very simple. After arrival in Sweden, register at the Swedish tax agency (skatteverket). Here you obtain your person number, which is essential for almost everything you do in Sweden, from opening a bank account to getting a mobile phone subscription.
Residence Permit
For non-EU citizens, it is much more difficult to retire in Sweden. To stay in Sweden for a longer time, you need a residence permit. The two main reasons why Sweden would grant you a residence permit are for work or to live with a partner who lives in Sweden.
Sweden has a quite relaxed definition of partnership. You do not have to be married, or even get registered; it is enough to live together in a “marriage-like” relationship. Obviously, the Swedish state makes sure that this way of moving to Sweden is not abused. You will be interviewed in person and you will be asked questions about your relationship. Furthermore, there are specific requirements for your home and income:
- For a couple, you need at least a 1-room-flat, containing one room, a kitchen or kitchenette, and a bathroom. Kids require additional rooms, but two kids may share one room.
- The monthly family income after deducting all housing costs must be above the standard amount. That income can come from sufficiently large net wealth. For 2019 the standard amount is:
- 8133 SEK for a couple
- 2612 SEK for children aged 6 years or younger
- 3007 SEK for children aged 7 years or older
So one option for retiring in Sweden as a non-EU citizen is spending a lot of vacation in Sweden and finding the love of your life.
Working
If you prefer a bit more of a reliable plan, consider option two: working. You can be employed or self-employed. For employees, there are lose requirements to be offered a proper job with a decent salary. My understanding is that the employer is not required to prove that there are no Swedish or EU applicants for the position. Nor is there a limitation to certain job types. So while it is certainly a challenge to land a job in any foreign country, Sweden might be one of the easier ones. An important benefit is that many jobs do not require any knowledge of Swedish.
Self-employment is the other working option. There are quite a few requirements for you and your company to make sure your business is for real. The most important ones are:
- You must have considerable experience in the industry and previous experience in running your own business.
- Show that you have created customer contacts in Sweden.
- After two years, your company must be profitable and support you and your family.
Now, your goal is to keep a residence permit for at least five years. After that, you are eligible for a long-term residence permit. This gives you similar rights as those of an EU citizen. Furthermore, you can now apply for Swedish citizenship, which puts you on a safe track towards retirement.
Conclusion
To summarize, if you do not belong to the lucky group of EU citizens, you will have to plan your retirement in Sweden a bit in advance. You should start working in Sweden at least five years before you plan to retire. This is probably a good idea anyway, to get to know the country, the people and the language. The other option is to bet on your romantic luck and find a partner in Sweden.
Thank you for such concise information. I’m an EU citizen who wants to retire to Sweden. I will own my own house over there and will have the necessary private health insurance. Do you know what the minimum income per month I will need? Thank you.
Hi Jo,
Good question, and I did not find the answer anywhere in English.
“Sufficient means” equals the so-called riksnormen för försörjningsstöd according to the Swedish tax authority: link. The riksnormen is the minimum income level determined by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. Levels for 2021 are found here link.
If you were alone, your minimum income level would be 4180 SEK per month.
Hello there and thanks for the informative article. My Irish wife and I are thinking of retiring to Sweden in about 5 years. She has no problem having an Irish passport; but I have a British passport. Though I was born in Sweden (1966), and have a Swedish mother, I cannot get citizenship/passport as I have never lived/worked there, only visited on holiday(s). As I understand it (there is no info on the web about Brits trying to retire to Sweden), my wife can live there full-time but I have to leave every 90 days for at least 90 days before coming back into Sweden – not an ideal retirement option. Am I right in this or am I making a wrong assumption? Any guidance much appreciated. Tack.
Thanks for the question Mark, and sorry for the delayed answer. According to my understanding, your situation is better than you think. Please check this link: https://www.migrationsverket.se/English/Private-individuals/Moving-to-someone-in-Sweden/Spouse-registered-partner-or-cohabiting-partner.html
Quote: “The family member in Sweden must be a Swedish citizen, have a permanent residence permit, a right of permanent residence…”
You Irish wife has right of permanent residence, which should give you residence permit as her spouse. I am not sure if there is some requirement of your wife moving to Sweden first, but I do not think so.
Good luck with your planning!
Hello.
I do not know if this site is maintained or if responses can still come, but I will venture as you seem an honest source of information.
For a variety of reasons that are primarily social and political, my wife and I are unsure of our willingness or desire to continue to reside in the US. Having spent many of my final 15 years of employment in both Boston and Malmö, I immediately thought to research the possibility of changing my retired location from southeast US to southern Sweden. I am concerned that such a move may be quite difficult.
Can you steer me to a source of good and accurate information of what I would need to do, likely costs, etc.?
I thsnk you in advance and hope that wherever you are, you can stay healthy and safe.
/David
Hi David, and sorry for the late response. The absolutely most reliable source of information for you is the Swedish Migration Agency. They have most information in English: https://www.migrationsverket.se/English/Startpage.html
You say that you have worked in Malmö, which might make moving to Sweden easier. However, it depends on the detailed circumstances, e.g. if you had your residency in Sweden or not.
Good luck for your plans!