Home and Life

Sweden uses 220 volts and 50 cycles (Hz), which is the European standard. You may need a transformer and/or an adapter for your electrical appliances, since Swedish outlets differ from, for example, both American and British ones.

Most international students in Sweden choose to use apps for international voice and video calls. Mobile telephones with pay-as-you-go SIM cards from Swedish companies can be topped up online or at a newsagent. If you don’t want to buy a mobile phone in Sweden, it is often possible to use your existing phone from your home country with a Swedish SIM card. Make sure that the phone is not locked to your previous operator.

For international students who do not have a Swedish personal identity number or a coordination number, it is possible to buy a pay-as-you-go SIM card at Pressbyrån (newsagent) from the phone company Comviq by identifying themselves through a valid passport and have an address in Sweden.

The telephone operator Telenor has a shop at the Asecs shopping centre where it is also posible to buy a pay-as-you-go SIM card by providing a valid passport for identification and an address in Sweden.

If you want to call Sweden from abroad, the country code is +46. The area code to Jönköping is 036. If you dial from abroad, you exclude the zero, and just dial 36.

If you want to call abroad from Sweden, the code is 00 followed by the country code.

There are very few launderettes in Sweden as most private households and blocks of flats will have laundry facilities in the building. Check in your building where they are located and ask the landlord to help you if you do not understand how they work.

Dry cleaning is rather expensive in Sweden, so always check the prices first!

Tap water in Sweden is of very good quality, tastes good and is safe to drink.

See the information about the Swedish Drinking water External link, opens in new window..

Sweden is one of the countries that sorts and disposes of waste in categories as part of the country's sustainability efforts along with recycling to reach the goal of zero waste.

As of 2024, you are legally obliged to separate food waste in Sweden – this applies to households and businesses alike.

The collected food waste will be used to generate biogas, but also organic fertiliser.

Read about Swedish recycling and beyond External link, opens in new window. as well as the Sweden recycle guide External link, opens in new window. from The Newbie Guide to Sweden.

Allemansrätten, or the right of public access, gives everybody the right to use private as well as public land and waterways for certain activities such as hiking, jogging or boating provided that no damage is caused to the land.

As long as you show consideration to other people and animals, the general rule is that visitors are allowed to walk across lands at a reasonable distance from houses, yards, gardens, and fenced-in areas.

Landowners can put up signs to exclude visitors from certain private lands.

Areas that are particularly vulnerable to damage are always off-limits as are gardens, yards, and other fenced-in areas.

Learn more about the Right of Public Access at visitsweden.com