God morgon
goo MOR-on
Good morning
Greeting someone in the morning
Travel guide
Learn Sweden before you go
Forests, lakes and islands, midsummer nights and cosy winters, coffee with cinnamon buns and a king in Stockholm.
CapitalStockholm
CurrencySwedish krona (SEK, 'kr'), divided into 100 öre. Sweden is in the European Union but does not use the euro; voters said no to it in a referendum in 2003
Official languageSwedish, named the main language of the country by the Language Act of 2009. Finnish, Meänkieli, Sámi, Romani and Yiddish are recognised national minority languages, and Swedish Sign Language is also protected
Drives on theRight, since 3 September 1967 (before that, on the left)
Calling code+46
10 phrases to learn
In Swedish (svenska). Capital letters show the stressed part. Tap the heart to practise a phrase later.
God kväll
goo KVELL
Good evening
Greeting someone in the evening
Tack så mycket
TAHK soh MEWK-keh
Thank you very much
Thanking someone warmly
Varsågod
VAR-sho-goo
Here you are; you're welcome
Handing something over, or answering 'thank you'
Ursäkta
OOR-shek-tah
Excuse me
Getting someone's attention or getting past
Förlåt
fur-LOHT
Sorry
Apologising
Talar du engelska?
TAH-lar doo ENG-el-skah
Do you speak English?
Before asking for help
Jag förstår inte
yah fur-SHTOHR IN-teh
I don't understand
When you are lost in the conversation
Hur mycket kostar det?
hoor MEWK-keh KOSS-tar deh
How much does it cost?
Shopping at a market or in a shop
Var är toaletten?
vahr air toh-ah-LET-en
Where is the toilet?
In a café, restaurant or museum
At the table
- Before eating, people may wish each other 'Smaklig måltid', enjoy your meal.
- When raising a glass, Swedes say 'Skål', cheers.
- People take their shoes off when entering a private home.
- Be on time: Swedes value punctuality, whether for dinner or a friendly fika.
- Tipping is welcome but not expected; rounding up or adding about 10 percent in a restaurant is generous.
Local tips
Bring a card, not cash
Sweden is one of the most cashless countries in the world: most people pay by card or with the mobile app Swish, and quite a few shops, cafés and restaurants do not accept cash at all. A contactless bank card works almost everywhere.
Tipping
Tipping is welcome but not expected. In restaurants people often round up the bill, and adding about 10 percent is generous. Service is sometimes already included, and then the bill says so.
Take a queue ticket
In pharmacies, at the fish and meat counters of supermarkets and in many offices, take a numbered ticket from the machine by the door and wait until your number is shown on the screen.
Wine and spirits come from Systembolaget
Wine, spirits and beer stronger than 3.5 percent alcohol are sold in the state-run Systembolaget shops and in bars and restaurants; since 2025 small producers may also sell their own drinks at the farm. You must be 20 to buy at Systembolaget, and all its shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Enjoy the right of public access
You may walk, swim, pick berries and mushrooms and put up a tent for a night in the countryside, even on private land. Keep well away from houses and gardens, stay off crops, and follow the rule: do not disturb, do not destroy.
Midsummer closes the country
Midsummer Eve, a Friday in late June, is one of the biggest holidays of the year. Many workplaces close and shops may shut at noon, and cities empty as people head to the countryside, so plan ahead.
Shoes off indoors
When you visit someone's home, take off your shoes by the door.
In an emergency, call 112
The emergency number for police, ambulance and fire brigade in Sweden, as in the rest of the European Union, is 112. The call is free from any phone.
Dishes to try
- Swedish meatballs (Köttbullar): Small, round meatballs of minced beef and pork with onion and breadcrumbs soaked in milk, fried in butter. They are served with a creamy brown sauce, boiled or mashed potatoes, sweet-sour lingonberry jam and often pickled cucumber.
- Gravlax, cured salmon (Gravad lax): Raw salmon cured for a few days under salt, sugar and plenty of dill, then sliced thinly. It is eaten with a sweet mustard and dill sauce, on bread or with boiled potatoes. The fish is cured, not cooked, so it is still raw.
- Jansson's temptation (Janssons frestelse): A creamy bake of thin potato strips, onions and pickled sprats, topped with breadcrumbs and baked until golden. It is a favourite on the Christmas buffet, the julbord.
- Cinnamon buns (Kanelbullar): Soft, twisted buns of sweet yeast dough spiced with cardamom and rolled up with butter, sugar and cinnamon, topped with pearl sugar. They are the most famous treat for fika.
- Yellow pea soup with pancakes (Ärtsoppa och pannkakor): A thick soup of dried yellow peas cooked with salted pork, onion and marjoram, eaten with a little mustard. It is followed by thin pancakes with jam and cream. Schools, workplaces and restaurants still serve it on Thursdays.
- Fermented herring (Surströmming): Baltic herring lightly salted and fermented for months, sold in bulging tins. Its smell is famously strong, so tins are often opened outdoors. It is eaten with thin flatbread (tunnbröd), boiled potatoes, onion and sour cream.
- Princess cake (Prinsesstårta): A dome-shaped cake of sponge layers, raspberry jam, vanilla custard and a mountain of whipped cream, covered with smooth green marzipan and often a pink marzipan rose.
- Semla, the cream bun of Lent (Semla): A cardamom bun with its top cut off, filled with almond paste mixed with milk and piled with whipped cream, then dusted with icing sugar. It belongs to the weeks before Easter, and above all to Shrove Tuesday.
Cities to see
- Stockholm (capital): Gamla stan, the medieval old town, The Royal Palace, The Vasa Museum.
- Gothenburg: Liseberg amusement park, Canals and seafood, Volvo, founded here in 1927.
- Malmö: The Öresund Bridge, The Turning Torso, a twisting skyscraper, Malmöhus Castle.
- Uppsala: Uppsala Cathedral, Uppsala University, Linnaeus's house and garden.
- Lund: Lund Cathedral, Lund University, Cobbled streets and old houses.
- Kalmar: Kalmar Castle, The Öland Bridge, The old town inside the walls.