Why the First 90 Days Matter
The first three months in Sweden set the pace for everything that follows. Get the admin sequence right early — SIM card, Skatteverket registration, bank account, BankID — and the rest of your move gets dramatically easier. Get it wrong, or leave it too late, and you can end up stuck for months waiting on a domino that should have been tipped over in week one.
This guide picks up exactly where our Moving to Sweden guide leaves off. That guide covers the "what" — visas, personnummer, housing, healthcare. This one covers the "when": the actual order to do things in, based on what trips up most new arrivals. If you haven't read the visa and housing guide yet, start there — this is the follow-up checklist for once you're actually on the ground.
Week 1: The Essentials
Your first week is about triage, not perfection. Get a local SIM card immediately — you'll need a Swedish number for almost every account and appointment booking that follows, including Skatteverket's own systems. Prepaid SIMs from Sweden's major carriers are widely available at convenience stores and don't require a Personnummer to activate.
Secure temporary accommodation with a registerable address — a sublet, a room, or a short-term rental — even if it isn't where you'll end up long-term. You need a real address to register with Skatteverket, so this step blocks almost everything else. If you're going the andrahandskontrakt or inneboende route covered in the Moving to Sweden guide, this is the week to lock it in.
💡 Pro Tip
Book your Skatteverket appointment the moment you have an address — before you've unpacked, before you've explored the city. Appointment slots are often the longest lead-time item in your entire first 90 days, so it should be the very first thing you do, not something you get to eventually.
Weeks 2-4: Skatteverket
This is the block that everything else depends on. Depending on your visa type, you'll be applying either for a full Personnummer or a temporary samordningsnummer (coordination number) — the Moving to Sweden guide covers which one applies to you. Bring your passport, residence permit card, and proof of your address; Skatteverket's own website lists the current exact document requirements, and these do change, so check directly rather than relying on secondhand advice.
While you wait for Skatteverket to process your registration, use the time productively: research neighborhoods for your longer-term housing search, start browsing Blocket Bostad or Qasa, and join the Lost Kiwi Facebook group if you haven't already — it's the fastest way to get real-time, crowdsourced answers to the small logistical questions that come up constantly during this stage.
Month 1: Banking & BankID
Once your Personnummer or coordination number comes through, open a bank account immediately — this is the domino that unlocks BankID, which in turn unlocks nearly everything digital in Sweden: healthcare bookings, signing a lease, online purchases, and government services. The Moving to Sweden guide covers the BankID setup sequence in detail; the key point for your first 90 days is not to delay this step once you're eligible for it.
Ask your bank about Swish at the same time — Sweden is heavily cashless, and Swish (a mobile payment app tied to your phone number) is used everywhere from splitting a dinner bill to paying a private landlord's deposit. Setting it up alongside your bank account saves a second trip.
Month 2: Healthcare & Settling In
With your Personnummer active, register with a local Vårdcentral (health centre) — you don't need to wait until you're sick to do this, and having it sorted in advance means you're not navigating an unfamiliar system for the first time while unwell. Save the 1177 healthcare advice line number (available in English) and download the 1177.se app, which uses BankID login for bookings and prescription renewals.
This is also the point where most Kiwis start looking seriously at longer-term housing, having used the first month's temporary arrangement as a base. Register your permanent address with Skatteverket once it's confirmed — your address on file affects everything from healthcare region assignment to voting eligibility in local elections.
Month 2-3: Building Your Life
Once the admin is handled, this stage is about actually settling in. If you're not working yet, consider registering for SFI (Swedish for Immigrants) — free Swedish language classes available to residents, and genuinely useful even for English-speaking workplaces, since day-to-day life (post office notices, tenancy paperwork, small talk at fika) runs in Swedish far more than official channels suggest.
Lean on the community at this stage rather than figuring everything out solo. The Lost Kiwi Facebook group and the Network here on the site both exist specifically for the small, unglamorous questions — which supermarket has the best price, which dentist takes new patients, where to find Vegemite — that don't have a clean government webpage answering them. Check the Events page for upcoming meetups; a Kräftskiva or a casual coffee catch-up is often the fastest way to turn "living in Sweden" into "having a life in Sweden."
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do in my first week in Sweden?
Get a local SIM card, sort out temporary accommodation with a registerable address, and book your Skatteverket appointment as early as possible since slots can take weeks to open up.
How long does it take to get a Personnummer or coordination number after arriving?
Processing times vary and change over time, so always check Skatteverket's current published guidance directly — but budget for several weeks at minimum, and treat your Skatteverket appointment as the first thing to book, not the last.
Can I open a bank account before I have a Personnummer or coordination number?
Most Swedish banks require a Personnummer or coordination number before opening a full account, which is why registering with Skatteverket early is the critical first domino — banking, BankID, and most day-to-day admin depend on it.