Daily life
Personnummer
PAIR-shoon-num-mer
The ten-digit personal identity number Skatteverket issues when it registers you as resident. Almost nothing in Swedish daily life works without it.
Folkbokföring
FOLK-book-fur-ing
Population registration. The legal test is whether you intend to live in Sweden for at least a year — intent, not time already served.
BankID
BANK-ee-DEE
The electronic ID on your phone that signs you into the bank, Skatteverket, 1177, your insurer and half the private sector. Getting one is the real milestone of arriving.
Boplats
BOO-plats
Boplats Väst — the regional housing queue for Gothenburg and the municipalities around it. Register on day one; queue days are the only currency in the regulated rental market.
Andrahandskontrakt
AN-dra-hands-kon-trakt
A second-hand (sublet) contract — how most newcomers actually live. Time-limited, dearer, and lawful only with the landlord's or the co-op board's written permission.
Hisingen
HEE-sing-en
The big island north of the river, reached by bridge or the free Älvsnabben ferries. Volvo, Lindholmen and much of the new housing are there; so is the cheaper rent.
Transport
Spårvagn
SPOAR-vangn
Tram. Gothenburg runs Sweden's largest tram network and it is the default way to cross the city — the app you need is Västtrafik To Go.
Trängselskatt
TRENG-sel-skatt
Congestion tax. Charged by camera on weekdays as you cross the cordon, billed monthly to the vehicle's registered owner — there is no barrier and no way to pay at the roadside.
Social
Gôrgott
GUHR-gott
Broad Gothenburg dialect for 'really tasty'. The gôr- intensifier is the fastest way to sound like you live here rather than in Stockholm.
Fika
FEE-ka
A coffee break taken seriously, usually with something sweet. Scheduled into the working day, and declining it repeatedly is noticed.
Work
Vabba
VAB-ba
To stay home from work with a sick child on paid state benefit. A verb, used constantly, and a fair summary of how Sweden treats working parents.
Emergency
112 / 1177
—
112 for any emergency, answered by SOS Alarm. 1177 for round-the-clock nurse-led healthcare advice — the number to call before going anywhere.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.