What You Need to Know When You’re Moving to Malmoe

Relocating to Malmoe

About the City

Malmoe is the capital and largest city in Skåne County, and is the third largest city in all of Sweden. It is also a major part of the Øresund Region, the transnational area shared with Denmark, which is one of the most densely populated metropolitan areas in Scandinavia.

Although traditionally a city of industry, it has now transitioned to a post-industrial economy, and is a major player in the Swedish economy. Its population of nearly 700,000 is one of the most inventive in the world, and is made up of a mix of different nationalities. In fact, 41% of its population is of foreign origin, and 30% were born outside of Sweden. The largest foreign groups are from Iraq, Denmark, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In total there are 74 countries and 150 languages represented in the city. Although the main language is Swedish, many people also speak Danish and English as second languages.

The Climate in Malmoe

Like the rest of Sweden, Malmoe has an oceanic climate, which is characterised by temperate, mild weather throughout the year. Despite its location in the north of Sweden, it has a warmer average temperature than many southern areas of Sweden due to the warming Gulf Stream. This means that expatriates living in Malmoe will experience mild summer temperatures, with highs of 20 to 21°C (68 to 70°F); in the winter, the temperature drops to between −3 and 4°C (27 and 39°F). Snow is common between December and March, but rarely settles and usually melts away each day. Malmoe’s northern location also means it gets around 17 of sunlight in the height of midsummer, but this falls to only 7 hours during the winter months.

Visas for Sweden

As Sweden is a member of the European Union, EU and EEA citizens do not need a tourist or short term business visa to stay in Sweden for up to three months. After three months, they will need to apply for a residence permit (uppehållstillstånd), which will not be refused and is free of charge.

Scandinavian citizens can live in Malmoe without a residence permit or visa indefinitely. Non-EU citizens, on the other hand, will require a visa to live in Malmoe – this visa must be obtained before entering Sweden. They will need to submit an application to their local embassy or consulate and be interviewed – this process can take up to eight months to complete.

Typically expatriates are awarded temporary residence visa, which can be renewed without resubmitting the entire application. Permanent residence visa do exit, but are less commonly given to expatriates.

For more detailed information on Swedish visa, please take a look at our dedicated article on Moving to Sweden.