Life in Gothenburg

Education in Gothenburg

Sweden is known for its excellent public education system, which is funded through taxes and social security contributions. Schooling is free and compulsory for children between the ages of seven and 16, however many parents also send their children to voluntary pre-school from the age of one or two. As an expatriate living in Gothenburg, you will be entitled to send your children to a local public school.

As the curriculum is taught in Swedish, however, many expatriates instead send their children to international schools in the city, where they will be taught in English. Gothenburg has a number of international schools, including the International School of the Gothenburg Region and the English School Gothenburg. Gothenburg has two universities, the University of Gothenburg, which is one of the largest institutions in Scandinavia, and the Chalmers University of Technology.

Healthcare in Gothenburg

Expatriates looking to live in Gothenburg will be pleased to hear that Sweden has one of the best public healthcare systems in the world, including the best doctor-to-patient ratio in Europe. It is funded by taxes and social security, and provides free and equal access to everyone living in Sweden. However, there are some nominal fees for certain treatments.

As an expatriate living in Gothenburg with a residence permit, you will be entitled to use the public healthcare system, and will be pleased to hear that almost all of the doctors and staff will speak some English. There are some issues with waiting times for particular services, but overall, the public healthcare system is of excellent quality. Some expatriates living in Gothenburg still take out private healthcare insurance though, which means they can be treated at one of the many private healthcare facilities in the city without incurring large fees.

Transportation in Gothenburg

The road infrastructure in Sweden is one of the best in Europe, and even in large cities like Gothenburg, roads are in good condition and are usually free of congestion. If you wish to drive while living in Gothenburg, you may use the driving license from your home country for the first year, after that you must apply for a Swedish license. By law, you must drive on winter tires from December to March, and your headlights must be on at all times throughout the year.

The public transportation in Gothenburg is clean and efficient, and consists of an extensive bus network, and the famous Gothenburg tram system. Many citizens prefer to use public transportation as opposed to driving, especially in the city center. There is one international airport, Göteborg Landvetter Airport, as well as a port, which has services to Newcastle in England, Frederikshavn in Denmark, and Kiel in Germany.