A beautiful European country that’s home to some of the most picturesque islands, lakes, and mountains has been named the easiest for British expats to move to.
The Scandinavian nation, Sweden has secured the top spot in the survey that examined the easiest and hardest countries for Brits to move to.
Renowned as one of the best countries in the world for quality of life, it outranked the likes of France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy, and came with an “acceptance rate” of 9.3 percent, as per the data collated by the Canadian immigration agency CanadaCIS.
Lenient citizenship rules, a lack of language barrier, and a happy lifestyle are some of the contributing factors that made Sweden the top choice for expats.
The other countries that easily welcome the expats included Norway, Netherlands, Portugal and Iceland with the UK taking the eighth spot on the list.
Sweden has some of the easiest citizenship rules in Europe. Newcomers don’t have to learn Swedish and only need to live in Sweden for five years to become citizens.
If they are married or living with a Swedish partner for two years, this time can be shorter, as long as they show they have adapted well to Swedish life.
Although speaking Swedish isn’t needed for citizenship now, this might change. There is a plan to introduce a Swedish language test in the future, but some exceptions could apply to those trying hard to learn.
These plans will take time to become law. Right now, citizenship is mainly about proving who you are, how long you have lived in Sweden, and having a clean record.
While you can become eligible for citizenship quite quickly, the process itself can be slow. On average, it takes about 39 months after applying to become a Swedish citizen. But some people say it can take anywhere from a few weeks to almost three years.
In Sweden, the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance is valued more than in many other countries. If you are considering relocating to Sweden, anticipate enjoying an average of 35 days of paid annual leave, surpassing the UK’s average of 28 days, granting you an additional week of valuable vacation time for yourself and your family.
Moreover, family benefits extend beyond this. Childcare is significantly subsidised, with the government’s monthly child benefit effectively covering the £120 monthly costs.
Students also fare well in Sweden. With 53 universities and colleges, all offering tuition-free education, students enjoy substantial benefits.
Regarding healthcare, Sweden’s system ranks among the best globally. Universal healthcare, funded through taxes, ensures that residents receive high-quality medical services.
While Sweden is renowned for its scenic beauty and welcoming inhabitants, the expense of living there can be quite daunting. The cost of living in Sweden is 1.95 percent higher than in the United Kingdom, suggesting that it might be wise to save up a bit before considering a move.
A thread on Reddit talks about the pros and cons of moving to Sweden and many raised their concern about the reduced sunlight hours.
One said: “The darkness isn’t for everyone, and you’ll need to like the culture. While there’s no language requirement now, there could change, and you’ll want to learn the language. If you’re saying that you can apply for citizenship in 5 years keep in mind that it takes about 3 years to get it so that’s a total of 8 right now. I have a couple friends who live there for work and it took them a long time to become citizens. Another con is that there isn’t enough housing in the cities. You’ll want to have a solution for that. With all that said, I’d move there. The quality of life is very high.”
A second user commented: “Northern Sweden has places with zero light In a day during the darkest time in the year. Some months are so dark, you don’t see the sun in över a month.”
