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This week I finally received my new Swedish credit card! I can finally pay in Swedish crowns everywhere I go, and that is pretty useful given the amount of fees certain banks take for every payment you do. However, it is complicated to get a Swedish bank account. But I am determined to explain how you can get one.

1. Get a personal number

First, it is necessary (not required but really easier) to get a personal number – I explained how to get one here. You can definitely get a bank account without any personal number, but I don’t know how to do it,  so I will stick to my experience. Worth noting: I also waited to get my Swedish ID Card, before beginning the process (I will explain how to get one in a later post).

2. Get an appointment at the bank

This is the tricky part. I personally went to three banks to get an appointment in November, and they all inly had appointments in… January. Thus, I really advise you to begin the process really early after arriving in Sweden. I finally opened my bank account in Swedbank, but other offers for students are available in SEB or Handelsbanken. Some banks are also online, such as ICA Bank (but I never tested it).

3. Create your Mobil Bank-ID

Once you have opened your bank account – usually it takes you 30min at the bank and you have to wait for your turn since dozens of people have an appointment at the same time – you can create your Mobil Bank-ID. Swedes all have a Mobil Bank-ID directly linked to their bank account, it allows them to identify in a more secure way. The 6 digits code allows you to unlock your bank application, to pay taxes or to use Swish.

4. Get your credit card & code

Once you’ve done all previous steps, the bank will send you your card and code by mail within a week. Then, you are all set!

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Photo: Unsplash/Brigitte Tohm

Last Tuesday, I just finished writing my article complaining about the warm weather and the lack of snow… when it actually started to snow. It was still a pretty thin layer, and today it has almost disappeared. But I hurried out to take pictures in Ryd, my neighborhood, that you can see below. The temperatures have also dropped: yesterday it reached -7°C (which I think is still ok).

With the cold comes up a significant question: how to survive it. Well, first, I would advise you to buy a big and impermeable coat such as a ski jacket. Then you must multiply layers of clothes and do not hesitate to wear tights under your jeans! Regarding shoes, simple sneakers are risky. Indeed, snow tends to freeze on the road so you might slip and hurt yourself. That is why I bought some warm and impermeable hiking shoes, allowing me not to freeze when I am walking in the snow!

How can you go around the city?

At first I had thought about taking the bus. But since the cycle paths are very well taken care of despite the snow and ice – they are salted almost everyday – I keep biking. Hence the need for a ski jacket, because the wind adds up to the cold! I also wear ski gloves to avoid my fingers being frozen.

In any case, I enjoy how Sweden can offer a real winter – far from the grey rainy weather which usually happen in Paris.