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4. Register yourself at Skatteverket, Forsakringskassan (Swedish Social Insurance Agency)
5. Getting your personal number.

1. How to arrive in Linkoping:

2. Preparing for Travel:

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3. Finding an apartment:

Few things to keep in mind while looking for apartment:

1. In Sweden, there is no deposit required to get a rental apartment, if someone asks for this then don’t fall for it as it can be a scam.

2. It is very common that you can get options for a rental apartment as a second-hand contract. A first-hand contract is when you rent the apartment directly from the rental agency while the second-hand contract is when someone who has rented the apartment from the rental agency is subletting the apartment to you. This is legal but the renter must give you a contract. Always ask for the contract.

3. It is very common that the rental apartments are provided non-furnished (unless it is mentioned specifically about the furnished apartment), this means that there will be no bed, table, chairs, sofa, lights in the room, etc. Only wardrobes and lights in the kitchen and bathrooms. One needs to arrange this stuff by themselves.

How to find the apartment?

Well, you will not like the system here for renting an apartment. In Sweden, everything goes on a queue system (In most of the stores you will find a token machine in a corner and you need to take your token and wait for your turn) so once your dates of arrival are finalized register yourself to one of the housing websites to earn queue points. Normally it takes around 3 months for a person to get an apartment on rent. However, the jugaad system is present here in this case. If you ask your employer for it then they might help you in this or if your employer knows any landlord directly then he can help you in making a deal.

Like India, there is no 2 months or 3 months rent as a security amount system here. You just need to pay the rent for next month by the 30th or 31st of every month. The house rent normally includes laundry, a heating system, heated water, and drinking water.
Below are the links which may help you in finding an apartment in Linkoping:-

You can also contact these websites and send in your work contract to show them that you have a job here and you will have a regular income to be able to pay the rent.

If you do not find any apartment before your arrival then you can try some temporary accommodation options.

Check with Sky Hotel apartments, Sky Hotel apartments provide two types of accommodation, one is the Hotel and the other one is an apartment in the town.

Hotel apartments:

These are the furnished apartments with most of the basic facilities like kitchen, bed etc provided.

Check out their page for more information:
http://www.skyhotelapartments.se/Linkoping/Hotel_apartments/default_en.aspx

Town apartments:

Minimum rental period one month, Fully Furnished

Check out their page for more information:

http://www.skyhotelapartments.se/Linkoping/Town_apartments/default_en.aspx

4. There is also another studio apartment rental agency named Apartdirect

4. Register yourself at Skatteverket, Forsakringskassan (Swedish Social Insurance Agency):

As soon as you arrive in Linkoping,  the first you must do is to register yourself and your family members at the Swedish tax office which is Skatteverket http://www.skatteverket.se. The tax office is in downtown near the bus stop Kungsgatan, check their website to find the exact address. During the same visit, they will register you at Försäkringskassan, which is the agency that ensures that you get the benefits and allowances you are entitled to. The Swedish social insurance covers everyone who lives and works in Sweden. It provides financial protection for families, children, persons with disabilities,  if you fall sick and can not work, etc
Visit this link:  http://www.forsakringskassan.se/sprak/eng

Note: There are no charges for these registrations, however, I would recommend you to take someone known or a colleague from your workspace with you to help you as some staff at the Skatteverket does not speak English.

5. Getting Your Personal Number:

6. Getting a Phone number:

7. Opening a bank account in Linkoping:

As soon as your bank account is open and the internet banking is activated, you can activate a Bank ID and Swish from your Internet Banking.

Bank ID and Swish are very important and are used in day-to-day life in Sweden. Bank ID is like a method to identify you digitally on any digital platform, you need it to login to the bank website, to declare your income tax, to send money to someone, to pay the bills, etc almost for everything.

Swish is a quick payment app like UPI, it is connected to your phone number and using this app, you can make payments or send money to someone to their phone number.

10. Vegetarian Restaurants:

If you are a vegetarian then you don’t have to worry much, you will get limited vegetarian options in restaurants here.

1. Mc McDonald/ Burger King / Max: McDonald's has vegetarian/vegan options in all over Sweden. You can find many outlets in Linkoping.

2. Pizzeria: Every pizzeria in Linkoping has some options for vegetarian pizza. Note that the flat pizza (Italian pizza) is the most common type of pizza available here, the American pizza (the thick base pizza) is rarely available here.

3. Yogi: The only Indian restaurant which is present downtown at Platensgatan 5. 
Despite of only Indian restaurant in city it does not has good reviews for Indian food.

4. Subway: Vegetarian Sandwich named as Veggie Biff is available in Subway.

5. Spicy India: Another Indian restaurant located in food court of Skaggetorp centrum.

6. Asoka/ Nawab: Indian restaurant located in Tannefors.

7. Indian Aroma> Indian restaurant located in down town.

11. Shopping Stores:

11.1.1 Second hand stores:

5. Myrorna: A second-hand store. People donate their used things in this store which is sold at the cheapest price and the money goes to the Salvation Army of Sweden. You can get used stuff but in good condition like Sofas, furniture, textiles, and clothing at nonbeatable prices. It’s good for buying furniture and household decorative items. Check www.myrorna.se

6. Heart to Heart: A second-hand store like Myrorna but it is much bigger as compared to Myrorna. Check www.hearttoheart.se

7. Linkopings Stadsmission: an another second hand store at St. Larsgatan 43A,58224 Linkoping. It’s across the street to Coop in downtown.

8. Erikshjalpen: www.erikshjalpen.se

11.2 Stores where you can buy general grocery stuff:

The good thing here is that you will get most of the things in terms of vegetables and fruits and one thing to keep in mind is that every store has its own price for the same product,so if you find something expensive in one store then you may like to take a chance to look for that same thing in another grocery store.

Hemköp:

Ica Maxi/Nara:

Tel :+4613176901

You can get Indian Masala, daal, and other stuff here as well but it is a bit expensive as compared to Salam. You will get Poha, soozi, and good variety of Haldiram’s Namkeen. This shop is in a mall on the ground floor which is just behind the bus stop of Ryd Centrum. It is a fourth or fifth shop from the entrance on the right-hand side. This shop also has a flower shop so you can recognize it.
You can take bus number 3 from Resecentrum to Ryd Centrum and vice versa.
Tel: +4613172205
Address: Mårdtorpsgatan 27, 584 32, Ryd Centrum, Linkoping.

NGroceries, Valla:

NGroceries is the only store in Linkoping which is run by an Indian. This store is very focussed on bringing raw vegetables and stuff which suits the Indian diaspora in Linkoping. The store is located here

Stores where you can buy clothes:

Lindex and H&M are two good stores downtown. Go to town and you will find them.

Lager 157: In Tornby for every type of clothing.

Stadium outlet: In Tornby for sports-related stuff.

Stadium: In Tornby for sports-related stuff.

Stores where you can buy shoes:

There is a shop called Diechmen in Granden Mall at Downtown. Here you will get shoes at a reasonable price with lots of variety.

12. Doctor and Medicines:

Once you get your personal number you will be allotted to a clinic based on your residential area. You can call the clinic’s phone number from 8am to 5 pm to talk about your problem and make an appointment to see the doctor. You have to pay an initial amount ~ SEK 1200 in a year and if your expenditure goes beyond that then it is covered automatically by your health insurance. So no more payments in the hospital for any kind of hospitalization after SEK 1200.

You will not be able to purchase prescribed medicines without a doctor’s prescription and you will also not get any medicines with your Indian doctor’s prescription. You need to pay ~SEK1200 for medicines in a year after which you will get it for free. So, it is better to bring your stock of medicines for at least the first six months. Note that, the doctors do not prescribe antibiotics here until they feel a real need for it.

Prescribed Medicines for Children till the age of 18 years are free.

PS: There is also a second part available of this post which you may also like to go through, please visit it here