Moving to a new country is never easy, as you’ll no doubt face new customs and a new culture. You might be working on acclimatizing to the Swedish life, but how do you integrate into Swedish society?
Here are a few important tips to help you tackle the unwritten rules of the Swedish lifestyle. If you understand these aspects of Swedish daily life, you’ll avoid a few embarrassing moments and proudly blend into the Nordic environment you’ve moved to.
DISCLAIMER: Yes, yes, Swedes are individuals. Many Swedes won’t fit into the following stereotypes at all. These guidelines are simply here to help you understand some quirks of the Swedish way of life that you will come across.
First: a note on speaking Swedish
Before getting into the ways to integrate into Swedish society, we’d like to address the language. Most people are aware of how many Swedish speak English. Because of that, a lot of people who are planning to relocate to Sweden will ask: “Can I live in Sweden without speaking Swedish?”
And the answer is yes. You can live in Sweden without learning the language. But the question is: Can you integrate into Swedish life without understanding Swedish?
As with most countries, the language is a huge part of the culture and mindset. For a full integration, learning Swedish really is instrumental.
1. Informality—“Call me Johan”
If you’ve ever tried to call someone in Sweden “Mr. Svensson” or “Mrs. Berg”, you’ve probably gotten the reply: “Please, call me Johan” or “Oh no, call me Hanna”.
Swedes are unusually informal when it comes to names. People are hardly ever addressed by a title. People will simply expect you to call them by their first name.
Kids in school call their teachers by their first name. Employees call their bosses by their first name. You’re expected to do the same.
EXCEPTION: Naturally, if you find yourself in a courtroom, or stumble across a member of the Swedish royal family, you’ve found the exception to the rule. Sticking to titles would probably be best in these scenarios.
2. Punctuality: Not early, not late–just on time
Swedes are informal when it comes to names, but sticklers when it comes to punctuality. If someone tells you to arrive at 7 PM for dinner at their place, you’re often expected to arrive at 7 PM.
This also goes for meetings, interviews, and appointments. Yes, that famous Swedish work life balance wants you to have life outside of work, but you’re expected to arrive to work on time.
Also, bad weather isn’t an excuse. In some countries, work or school is canceled because of bad snow. But this is Sweden, snow days are part of everyday winter here. So, put on your boots and head to work!
3. Etiquette—Take off your shoes!
If you’re invited to a Swedish friend’s home for a peek at Swedish family life, don’t forget to take off your shoes. In many countries, shoes are always worn at home, but in Sweden, the shoes stay at the entrance.
If asking someone to take off their shoes is considered rude in your country, this might take some getting used to. In Sweden, not taking off your shoes is what would be considered rude.
4. Humility—Jantelagen means no bragging
If you’ve done your research on Swedish mentality, you might have heard about Jantelagen (The Law of Jante). Jantelagen has the general idea that you should never think you’re better than everyone else.
Swedes don’t want to be regarded as being too successful, or not successful enough, of having too much money or too little money–you get the idea. Because of this, bragging about your possessions or success in any area, might earn you more than a few frowns.
5. Taboo topics and actions to avoid
Another way to integrate into the Swedish way of life is avoiding superlatives. Yes, it’s not enough that Swedes dislike bragging, they dislike exaggerating too. In comparison to many countries, Swedish people are less inclined to stretch the truth.
What are other topics to avoid? In general, Swedes try to be “politically correct”. That means, avoiding sensitive topics like religion or politics. Jokes that might be perceived as racist or sexist will likely not get you many laughs.
WARNING: One final taboo: don’t take the last piece of cake. Trust us, just leave it.
Integration complete
The key to integrating into a new society is learning and understanding. Keep learning, and don’t be disheartened by the differences.
Check out the e-book “I’m moving to Sweden! Everything you need for your new Swedish life” for more tips on acclimatizing and integrating to Swedish life.