'The biggest shock in Sweden was how little people talk to each other'
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In this week's episode we hear from Canadian entrepreneur Francisca Leonardo as she explains how she first came to Stockholm as a tourist and immediately felt it was a place she could see herself living in.
In her recent conversation with The Local's editor Emma Löfgren she talks us through how she went from being a master's student in biotechnology to setting up a flourishing tour company showing visitors sides of Stockholm they might otherwise miss.
And what was it like working through culture shock as first impressions gave way to a more nuanced understanding of how Sweden works?
Membership+ subscribers can listen to the interview in the latest episode of Sweden in Focus Extra, out June 4th.
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Local Sweden
4 days ago
- Local Sweden
How Sweden and Denmark could actually make life easier for cross-border workers
As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Öresund bridge connecting Copenhagen and Malmö, the prime ministers of both countries pledged to make it easier to live and work across the Swedish-Danish border. The Local Sweden's Deputy Editor, Becky Waterton, has a few ideas. Advertisement I'm a big fan of the Öresund bridge. I literally wrote an article about how much it means to me in The Local a few weeks ago. For those of us here in southern Sweden, it really has connected Sweden and Denmark. A trip to Copenhagen feels less like visiting a foreign country to me than a trip to Stockholm (maybe I've been living in Skåne for too long). Despite this, I am constantly frustrated by the barriers that are still associated with the bridge thanks to the Swedish and Danish governments, whether that's the high cost of crossing it or the border checks on the Swedish side. I'm glad to see the leaders of both countries pledging to do something about this – although the declaration they made seems vague and not legally binding, so I don't have high hopes. So, Ulf Kristersson and Mette Frederiksen, here are some concrete tips for what you could do to improve things for those of us who actually use the bridge. Advertisement Make it cheaper Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan revealed last month that the Öresund bridge is the most expensive bridge crossing per kilometre in the world. The current price for a single crossing in a private car is 510 Danish kroner or 750 Swedish kronor, making it the most expensive bridge toll by some distance. Even train crossings are expensive, with a return ticket from Malmö to Copenhagen costing 300 Swedish kronor (200 Danish kroner) for an adult. A day trip from Malmö to Louisiana for a family with two adults and two children will set you back just shy of 1,000 Swedish kronor (670 Danish kroner), and that's just the cost of transport. The bridge isn't owned by some private company looking to make a quick buck, but it's co-owned by the Danish and Swedish governments who are ultimately responsible for setting the ticket prices. For the past 25 years the argument for the high prices is simple – the bridge was financed by a loan which needs to be paid off. The loan was due to be repaid in 2030, but the two countries have agreed to extend the repayment time to 2050, keep the price high and use the profit from the bridge to finance other infrastructure projects. Another argument for keeping the price high is legal constraints – when the bridge was built, the two sides agreed that they would keep prices competitive with the Helsingborg-Helsingør ferry connection so as not to undercut them. The ferry crossing costs under 100 Swedish kronor (66 kroner) each way for a pedestrian (off-peak prices are as low as 69 kronor/45 kroner) and under 500 kronor (340 kroner) for a car. Surely they could lower the bridge fee to match these, which would still be a significant discount? Create permits for cross-border workers Denmark is crying out for foreign labour, and Skåne has high unemployment – you don't need to be a genius to realise that there's an opportunity to be had by increasing the number of cross-border workers. EU and Nordic citizens can freely work on both sides of the border, living in one country and working in the other. But those of us who are not from the EU who want to work in Denmark and live in Sweden don't just need a residence permit for Sweden, but a work permit for Denmark, too. Even if you already have a work permit in one country you can't just move with it to the other one. Why is this? Cross-border workers are nothing but good news for the country they work in, where they pay tax and contribute to the economy without using any public services. Their kids go to school in their country of residence and they use healthcare there, unlike workers who live and work in the same country. Would it really be so hard to create some form of cross-border permit allowing people to work freely between the two countries on the same terms as EU citizens? Or in any case, better terms than they do currently? Advertisement Simplify bureaucracy between both countries Bureaucracy isn't just an issue for non-EU people looking to make the most of the proximity to another country. Nordic and EU workers travelling between Sweden and Denmark struggle with issues like accessing eID services in both countries, and until recently rules around both countries' instant payment services Mobilepay and Swish meant that these services were unavailable to cross-border workers. Working across a border means navigating two countries' rules when carrying out basic life admin, including issues like pensions, unions, unemployment insurance and parental leave. Especially on the Swedish side, it often feels like cross-border workers are an afterthought for Swedish politicians who don't understand just how much of a benefit the Öresund connection could be if they made the most of it. Get rid of border checks Do you know what else celebrates an anniversary this year? The border checks in Hyllie, the first stop in Sweden, which were introduced for six months back in 2015. Since then, the six month periods have been renewed by successive Swedish governments. These border checks – which nine times out of ten don't even take place – lengthen the travel time of anyone getting the train from Denmark to Sweden by around ten minutes as timetables are set to allow enough time for police to move through the train checking passports. This is a journey that usually takes less than an hour. How would Stockholmers react if the government set up an arbitrary border control stopping the train for ten minutes every time they pass Slussen* that does nothing but delay their commute each morning? Advertisement Develop even more infrastructure to connect the two countries The Öresund bridge is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, but the situation for commuters is still the same as it was back in 2000 (if anything, it's worse, as prices have risen even with inflation taken into account). There's clear local interest in Helsingør and Helsingborg for a tunnel connecting the two countries between those cities, and a potential metro line between Malmö and Copenhagen is also under discussion. However, political discussions over who is paying for what have stalled those projects for years. 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Local Sweden
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Help us create the ultimate Swedish summer bucket list
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Sweden raises work permit salary threshold to almost 30,000 kronor
Statistics Sweden has released fresh median salary figures, pushing up the work permit salary threshold for all new applicants with immediate effect. Advertisement Sweden's median salary rose to 37,100 kronor in 2024, according to new figures posted by Statistics Sweden at 8am on June 17th. This means there's a new minimum monthly salary non-EU workers have to earn to be eligible for a work permit, as the work permit salary threshold is tied to 80 percent of the median salary. It previously stood at 28,480 kronor before tax, but as of June 17th it's gone up to 29,680 kronor. Salaries also need to be in line with industry standards or collective bargaining agreements to qualify for a work permit. It's the most recently published median salary at the time of your application (not the time of a decision) that determines how much you need to earn in order to be eligible for a work permit, so the new figure does not affect applications which are already in progress. The next median salary update will be published by Statistics Sweden in June 2026. Are there any plans to raise the salary threshold further? Yes. The government plans to raise the work permit threshold for new permits to 100 percent of the median salary at the time of application, with exemptions for some categories of workers. This is still winding its way through the legislative process, which means it is not yet a done deal. The proposed starting date for the widely criticised proposal was originally June 1st, 2025, but that deadline wasn't met. Sweden's Migration Minister Johan Forssell told The Local in May that 'no formal decision' has been made on where the final salary threshold will actually end up. The government in February asked the Migration Agency to present a list of which professions should be exempt from the salary threshold by August 1st, suggesting that the original plan to roll out the new threshold on June 1st will be postponed until at least the autumn. Advertisement This isn't the first time that we've seen an indication that the government hasn't fully committed to raising the threshold to 100 percent of the median salary. In January, Employment Minister Mats Persson said that his party, the Liberals, would even be willing to lower the threshold. There would be a one-year grace period for work permit renewals, so the current rule (80 percent of the median salary) would continue to apply for any applications for extensions submitted to the Migration Agency for twelve months from the date the law is implemented.
