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Created December 15, 2017 15:29
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new_phd_memo.md

General estimates

(assuming that you already have a residence permit card)

TIME

(from the day when you have your residence permit)

  • ~2-3 weeks to get a Chalmers student union card
  • ~2-3 weeks to receive personnummer
  • ~1 month to receive a personal ID card
  • ~1.5 months to get your bank account (until then, you'll receive your salary as a check)
  • ~1 month 3 weeks to get your deposit card
  • ~3.5 months to get a local SIM-card (not prepaid)

MONEY

(assuming you aren't able to transfer your checks to your old bank account)

  • ~2 months of salaries in checks (you can cash it, see below, but it would be hard - if possible - to transfer money anywhere without ID card). Everything that follows in this subsection is basically a consequence of this point.
  • ~3-4 months of rental payment from your own savings (first month + deposit right upon arrival, second month - you don't have your local bank account yet, third month - notification about your salary account may - or may not - arrive too late)
  • ~1.5 months of paying for Chalmers' lunches from your own savings. Around 80 SEK / lunch. (you cannot refill your Chalmers Student Card with cash, neither can you pay there directly in cash, so your salary checks won't be of any use)
  • ~0.5 months of paying for food/transport etc. from your own savings (you can pay these with cash, so you just need to wait for your first salary and cash it).

QUESTS

  • Residence permit (Migrationsverket): TO BE FILLED BY SOMEONE ELSE (I've received my residence permit card from Swedish embassy in Russia, so I don't know the local procedure)

  • Personnummer (Skatteverket #1 - https://goo.gl/maps/TTxeq73ui1o): You'll need to bring with you:

    • passport
    • residence permit
    • marriage certificate (translated to English, if any)
    • proof of employment (admission letter from Chalmers) You'll be asked to fill the application document. Wait for ~2-3 weeks, then mail (sic!) with your personnummer will arrive at the address you've provided.

  • ID card (Skatteverket #2 - https://goo.gl/maps/5w6bvrPToWw): Next, when you have a mail with residence permit number, go to second Skatteverket and order an ID card

    • first, pay a ~400 SEK fee and bring a payment proof (a receipt) with you. You need to pay at least one day in advance!
    • bring a mail with personnummer, residence permit, passport, marriage certificate, proof of employment - basically everything you needed for your personnummer application
    • a photo, height, signature, fingerprints (?) will be taken (no, they cannot use one that you've provided for your residence permit card for some reason)
    • wait for 2-3 weeks. When your card is ready, you'll receive a SMS on the number you've provided.
    • come back upon reception of the SMS and grab your ID card.

  • First salaries:

    • You will receive your first salary(-ies) as check(s).
    • You cannot transfer that amount to another bank without an ID card
    • You can cash your check without an ID card (just with passport and residence permit), but only up to 15000 SEK per week and only in Nordea Molndal (https://goo.gl/maps/2i5dGzheHx32). You can also cash your check at ForEx Bank offices for 50 SEK.
    • Once you get your bank account (see below), you'll be able to transfer that check to it.
      • go to the office of your bank for that.
    • Beware: if you decide to cash your check, you won't be able to pay with it on campus. Campus is "cash-free"!

  • Banking:

    • In order to open a bank account, you need an ID card
    • Go to bank of your choice, fill the form, wait for 2-3 weeks (high dispersion, I had to wait for 3 days only, even if they said to wait for 2-3 weeks), receive an SMS
    • Go back to bank, order a debit (credit?) card, wait for 2-3 working days, receive the card by mail. The PIN-code for the card will arrive in a separate mail 2-3 working days after the card.
    • You need to also receive a Mobile BankID ("Mobile" here is important, because there is also a "non-mobile" BankId that you plug into your computer), which will be very useful for authentication at online services like vårdcentral (hospitals)
    • You can ask to enable Swish service (money transfers by phone numbers) as well. Bank needs to link your account and your phone number together.
    • When you have your bank account number, you can organize the transfer of your salary to it. Ask Agneta for the document to fill
    • Once you already have your account, you can transfer your money in check there. In order to do that, go to your bank (i.e. not to Nordea, in general!) and give them your check.
    • You can put cash on your debit card at the ATM of your bank.

  • SIM card:

    • You will receive a working phone and a working SIM-card in it from Chalmers. You can make calls and use mobile data
    • If you want your own SIM-card, you can have a prepaid one (faster to get, more expensive in the long run?)
      • go to 7/11 Willy's or any other local store
      • buy a SIM-card and a plan: you'll get 2 checks
      • send an SMS to activate your plan (follow the instructions on a check!)
    • Non-prepaid one. You get charged automatically every month.
      • you need to have an ID card AND you need to be registered in some place at Sweden for at least 3 months (which is pure madness, apparently designed to filter out 'temporary residents')

  • Public Transport:

    • You can buy transport tickets and cards at 7/11, Willy's etc. or at vasttrafik office.
    • You can buy a refillable card. One ticket costs 26 SEK and is valid for 1.5 hours (you can change buses/trams etc. - its time-bounded, not hop-bounded).
    • You can buy a season ticket. Different prices for different areas.
    • Once you have a local bank card (or Swish), you'll be able to pay online. (search for vasttrafik to go) NB: you cannot pay online with a bank card from another country (at least, not with a russian one) To pay online, download a vasttrafik app.
    • TIP: There's a 'reseplanerare' app by vasttrafik where you can type your source and destination points and get options, schedules (like in Google Maps), but also prices and areas (areas are useful to find the appropriate season ticket - Gothenburg, Gothenburg+, Gothenburg++ etc. etc.).
    • PhD students can buy a cheap 6-month bus card valid for only bus 16 and 55: https://student.portal.chalmers.se/en/studentlife/ourcampusareas/Pages/The-Chalmers-bus-pass.aspx

  • Health service:

    • You need to enlist yourself in a vårdcentral (clinic). You'll need to have a personnummer and
    • When you feel like you need medical help:
      • You can always call 1177 (always open) to get medical information and advise (non-emergency) https://www.1177.se/Vastra-Gotaland/Other-languages/Engelska/
      • For emergency call 112
      • Check the rules at the vardcentral you've inscribed yourself to. Where to call and at what time when you want to visit vårdcentral depends on which vårdcentral you belong to. Some of them have drop in, so you don’t need to call in advance.

  • Accommodation Queues:

Accommodation-related payments

After you've got your first accommodation

  • TV fee:

  • Home insurance: It is important for everyone to have a home insurance. It covers fire, burglary, water damage etc., but it also contains a travel insurance (45 days for non-work related travel), loss or damage of personal belongings (stolen bike), some accidents, etc. The four biggest home insurance companies are:

UNIVERSITY

  • Chalmers card:

    • Chalmers student union. Order and wait for it to appear in your working mailbox (~2-3 weeks). If it doesn't arrive after 3 weeks (which happened in my case), go back and order a new one.
    • with that card, you'll be able to pay at the Chalmers stores and cantinas with reduced price
    • you can refill the card at student union cantina or online (there is an app for that, called "Chalmers Card", where you can check the balance. But to enable that, you need to first register your card at the card bank's website - link provided here: https://chalmersstudentkar.se/the-union-card/

  • Pass card:

    • go to the library

  • Chalmers Reimbursement:

    • flight compensation. Fill the form in Primula (ask Agneta), print the result and your flight receipt and mail it to LRS (this can be done at the office, ask Agneta for details)
    • sports compensation. Log in into Chalmers Plus (link to Chalmers plus is to be found here; http://www.chalmers.se/insidan/EN/tools/e-services), you'll have to provide your receipt details. The amount of compenstation you get is automatically calculated.

Useful Links

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