Living in Umeå

Umeå is a city of contrasts. From snowy winters to sunny summer days, from the coast and sea to the deep forests; from the vibrant city life to quiet auroral nights. More than 135,000 people live here, adding life and colour to the city.

Find your way

All roads may not lead to Umeå, but it is easy to get here anyway – by plane, train, bus or car. Umeå Airport is one of Sweden's busiest, and is so close to downtown Umeå that you can actually get there by bike. If you want to choose something more climate friendly than air travel, you can catch a train – from Stockholm it is only a six hour trip. By car, you hit the E4 or E12 roads and have the chance to discover other nice spots on your way to, and around, Umeå.

Easy to get around

In Umeå, everything is nearby. Workplaces, entertainment, leisure activities and nature areas – most are within walking distance. You can easily take part in what the city has to offer. Cycling is often the very best way to get around, thanks to a well-branched network of cycle paths. The city buses connect the different areas of the city with good geographical coverage and frequent trips. Just a few kilometers outside the city is Umeå International Airport.

Close to nature

In Umeå, you have the untouched and wild nature of Västerbotten around the corner. The proximity to nature reserves, hiking trails, wildlife and rushing rivers means endless opportunities for outdoor life, exercise and experiences.

Take the opportunity to go fishing, skiing or hiking. Or pick your own berries in summer time. Umeå's proximity to nature offers many possibilities.

Family friendly

Umeå is a city with low crime statistics. The streets are quiet and safe and the residents are honest and helpful. The municipality invests in children and young people and there are many activities such as a skate park, ski lopes, training facilities, a curling hall, ice hockey halls and much more.

As in the rest of Sweden, children's schooling and school lunches are free of charge, and for younger children, childcare is heavily subsidised.

A green and sustainable city

Umeå is a green and sustainable city with residents and companies that respect the nature of northern Sweden and really care about protecting the environment. The city's green profile is further strengthened by the fact that Umeå is known as the "City of Birches" – an epithet that has its origins in the approximately 2,500 birches that were planted along the city's wide streets during the reconstruction after the great city fire of 1888.

City of culture

In Umeå, cultural workers and artists has gathered since the 1970s, and when such people come together – stuff happens. Here you find museums, a sculpture park, an opera and a professional symphony orchestra – but also cultural associations, music festivals, several smaller theatres and an international literary festival, among many other events. As proof of the city's vibrant cultural scene, Umeå was named European Capital of Culture 2014.

Living in Sweden

Do you want to know more about living in Sweden? Check out the website The official site sweden.se to read and learn more about the people in Sweden, our traditions, our nature and what working and studying here is like. You can also visit the website Visit Sweden to find out the best destinations to discover and what food you must try when visiting Sweden. 

Umeå, Sweden and the Swedes

Climate and seasons

There is an old Scandinavian proverb that you will probably come across: "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing". It means that the climate in Sweden is nothing to worry about as long as you dress for it!

Sweden is located so far north in Europe that the Arctic Circle slices through its northern most province, Lapland. Thanks to the warm Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, Sweden is not an arctic country. The difference between the southern and northern parts of Sweden is marginal during the summer, but greater during the other seasons. Umeå has four distinct seasons which means there is something for everyone.

Northern Sweden is covered by snow between December and March/April. Summer usually lasts from June to August with an average temperature of 17 °C.

The climate that we live in is not new to our part of the world and therefore we build our houses accordingly. All the buildings, whether they are private residences or public buildings, are well insulated and have central heating. This means that even when it is below zero outside, the temperature inside is maintained within the recommended range of 18–22 °C.

The Northern Lights

Aurora Borealis, or more commonly known as the Northern lights, is a natural light display in the sky that is visible particularly in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions. The Northern Lights are most often red, green, or purple in colour and lasts anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

In Sweden, the Northern Lights usually occur during the winter months through late March or early April. Your best chance of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights is on cold winter nights when the sky is clear and dark with little to no moonlight.

Midwinter darkness and the Midnight Sun

Due to Umeå's location, the number of daylight hours varies greatly between winter and summer. December is the darkest month with days that last only around 4.5 hours. In contrast, the sun only sets for 3.5 hours in June. By travelling a little further north, you can even experience the midnight sun.

Time

Swedes are usually very punctual. If you want to be like a Swede, it is better to arrive five minutes early than five minutes late. The exception from the rule is the akademisk kvart (academic quarter) that only exists in the university sphere. Lectures that are said to start on the hour (10 a.m.) actually start fifteen minutes later (10:15 am), unless it is an exam or if the time is stated as 10 am sharp. You will figure it out!

Social life

The saying is that Swedes are reserved and difficult to get to know. This is true to some extent, but foreigners do make comments about the Umeå population being both friendly and eager to help if you take the first step and approach them. Your colleagues and neighbours will hopefully provide you with plenty of opportunities to break the ice and to make new friends.

Religion

Even though Sweden is officially a Lutheran (Protestant/Christian) country, the Swedish people are generally not very religious. It is not so common for Swedes to regularly attend church services or take an active part in a congregation. However, Swedes have not left the church altogether. Weddings and funerals are still commonly held in church and many people have their children christened.

Dining out and picking up the tab

The concept of picking up the tab is an unknown phenomenon in Sweden. The bill is divided after what and how much you ate or drank. Tips are included, but it is always welcome if you leave some extra.

Queues and lines

Swedes are known to be law-abiding and fairly fond of standing in lines. Whenever waiting is involved; at cinemas, paying in a shop, in the library and so on, you will be expected to wait in line, or take a ticket from a number dispenser.

Arms-length distance

This is the distance Swedish people normally stand apart from each other when talking. Swedes are quite reserved about personal space and if you get too close, you will probably see that the Swede will start to back off. Do not feel offended by this, as it is just normal for us to keep some distance between each other. At the same time, embracing a friend in a warm hug when you meet is also most natural. 

Taking your shoes off

When you enter someone's house or flat, you will have to take your outdoor shoes off in the entrance. It is normal to walk around in your socks, even at someone else's house.

The number that makes our country tick

After you have lived in Sweden for a short while, you will notice that ten little numbers make the world go round, or at least make life in Sweden a great deal easier. Those are the numbers that make up the Swedish personal identity number.

In Sweden, this number is used for just about everything that involves the need to identify who a person is. Things like opening a bank account, buying insurance, using online booking systems and services are much easier if you have these ten little numbers. However, do not despair, there are usually ways around it.

Right of public access

The Scandinavian rule of Allemansrätt (Public Right of Access to Private Land) provides everyone with the right of access to privately owned land (provided they abide by the rules), and thus to the pleasures of the forests and countryside from one end of Sweden to the other.

However, this is a right that also brings responsibilities. If the right of public access is to work, we all need to be responsible for our conduct when we are out in nature, and to take care not to disturb and to damage it. Do not damage bushes, cut down trees or leave garbage behind you.

Remember that the right of public access lets you walk around on other people's property, but that does not involve their back garden. For a thorough run through of the public right of access, see the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

Public holidays

If you look in a Swedish calendar, you will notice that all Sundays and public holidays are written in red, which is why they are sometimes referred to as röda dagar (red days).

The following holidays or the equivalent are usually public holidays and you are not expected to work.

January
1 January – New Year's Day (Nyårsdagen)
5 January – Twelfth Night (Trettondagsafton)
6 January – Epiphany (Trettondagen)

March/April
Maundy Thursday (Skärtorsdag)
Good Friday (Långfredag)
Holy Saturday (Påskafton)
Easter Sunday (Påskdagen)
Easter Monday (Annandag påsk)
30 April – Walpurgis Night (Valborgsmässoafton)

May
1 May – International Workers' Day (Första maj)
Thursday 40 days after Easter – Ascension Day (Kristi Himmelsfärdsdag)

June
6 June – Sweden's National Day (Nationaldagen)
Friday between 19 and 25 June – Midsummer's Eve (Midsommarafton)

October/November
All Saints' Day (Alla helgons dag)

December
24 December – Christmas Eve (Julafton)
25 December – Christmas Day (Juldagen)
26 December – Boxing Day/St Stephen's Day (Annandag jul)
31 December – New Year's Eve (Nyårsafton)

Networks

Umeå Postdoc Society (UPS)
Faculty of Science and Technology (in collaboration with Faculty of Medicin)
Founded in 2020, the Umeå Postdoc Society (UPS) aims to shape the research environment for Postdocs at Umeå University by connecting postdoctoral researchers across departments and disciplines.

Future Faculty for the social sciences, arts and humanities
Future Faculty at the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities is a network of early-career researchers to promote the interests of and to support aspiring faculty members.

Vän i Umeå (Friend in Umeå) 
A network with the aim to create meetings and kinship between people in Umeå from different countries and cultures. They have a large number of different groups and activities that are created from the members' interest and ideas. 

Associations in Umeå
There are a large number of associations in Umeå if you are interested in a particular area, like fishing or culture. It is also possible to start your own association.