To ask how to move to Scandinavia?

[Vikingintraining]

Doing the shameful "posting here for traffic" thing, apologies, and with a changed username for anonymity.
It's just me, no DH or DP or any kids, mid 40s.
I want to move to Norway, Denmark or Sweden, no preference, I love them all and know them very well through holidays. You know when you just feel at home somewhere, like you belong there. How do I make the move to live over there? Has anyone done this who could offer me useful and practical advice?
I've learned some language and can hold a basic conversation in each language but nowhere near to fluency.
Work is an obvious area of difficulty, I need to earn enough to live comfortably but without fluent language do I have a hope? I have looked online for jobs but not had any luck.
I work in media/communications. And I do work full time from home so in a sense I could be anywhere. Can I be employed by a UK company but live overseas?
Help me people of Mumsnet, I want to emigrate!

[Saralyn]

In Norway there is a an independent income rule for EU countries, that might be what you are thinking about Circles? For Non-EU citizens there is no such rule.

[CirclesWithinCircles]

Isn't there an independent income rule in most countries, that enables you to apply for a residence permit a year at a time? So its usually around 1200 euros per month after tax from a pension, trust fund, rental income, etc with proof of income going back at least 10 years.

[melodypondisasuperhero]

[quote Vikingintraining]@melodypondisasuperhero Thanks for the comment. When you say if I am experienced enough in my field (I am very experienced!) I wouldn't have a problem getting a job as an English speaker, do you mean that English would be the language spoken at work? I have heard that a lot of international companies use English as a working language in all offices but I wasn't sure if it was true as I've never worked for a large international company.
I don't think it would work to split time between two countries, thanks to brexit there is now a limit of the number of days.[/quote]
It wouldn’t necessarily be the language spoken but people would likely be happy to switch to English around you (depending on the company of course) A Swedish speaker would probably be preferable all things being equal but if you have more to bring to the job than other candidates I would expect most places would be happy to work around the language barrier.

[Providora]

[quote Vikingintraining]@melodypondisasuperhero Thanks for the comment. When you say if I am experienced enough in my field (I am very experienced!) I wouldn't have a problem getting a job as an English speaker, do you mean that English would be the language spoken at work? I have heard that a lot of international companies use English as a working language in all offices but I wasn't sure if it was true as I've never worked for a large international company.
I don't think it would work to split time between two countries, thanks to brexit there is now a limit of the number of days.[/quote]
In my experience (Volvo) it was company policy to speak in English anytime there were non-Swedes present.

[Catflapkitkat]

Think hard. I live in mid Sweden with Swedish husband. Living here is so very different from holidaying. Moving here from London has proved to be one of the worst decision I have ever made. I am now outpriced for moving back to the UK and the children are locked into an inferior local school system.

It always amazes me that Scandinavia has
a this Nirvana type reputation.

Well done though to the posters above who have made it work. Hats off to you.

[PandoraP]

In Norway we say Danes speak Norwegian with a hot potato stuck in the throats

[Apocalyptichorsewoman]

I'd love to live in Sweden - wonder if they need any nurses? Asking for a friend....

[LesserBother]

There was a case recently in Sweden where they found someone staggering about, they spoke to them and thought they were Danish initially but later discovered it was just a very drunk Swede

My SIL lives north of Copenhagen within walking distance of a lovely beach. So many beaches up there it's never what an English person would consider crowded. I'm most jealous

[PandoraP]

@LesserBother, the Danes are more relaxed about everything. Shame it’s impossible to understand what they are saying, but I love the Danish beaches and Copenhagen is cool!!

[LesserBother]

Denmark is the most relaxed about alcohol if that's important to you :-)

I'd personally choose Norway over Denmark any day of the week though. Again, unfortunately I married a Dane. He'd also choose Norway over Denmark!

[LesserBother]

What other languages do you speak? Do you speak them at a professional level? Wondering if that might be the skill that would give you a step up?

[PandoraP]

@Vikingintraining, I also love a cabin and deep snow. The reality though is that is starts getting dark around 2-3 pm in winter, you have to get up early to dig your car out of the snow, when the snow starts to melt the roads get icy and you have weeks of just trying not to fall over on the ice.

The main reason I left Norway for London was the price of good wine and my DH, but have you checked out the price of alcohol in Norway? Uninhabitable for me

[Vikingintraining]

@CopenhagenMummy Good website, thanks, and thank you!

[Vikingintraining]

@PandoraP I love Norway in the winter! Put me in a cabin in the deep snow and I'm in heaven!
I can also speak four other languages so it must come naturally. I've found the three easy to pick up so far. I've studied linguistics in the past and love to come across links between current language and old Norse/old English.

[sonjadog]

Yes, there are some companies that have their working language as English, mainly big international ones. The competition for those jobs is fierce though. If you have a teaching qualification, you could try finding work in an international school or a language school. But sort out a job before coming here, you won't get residency without a job. You may be able to study, but it might also be hard now you are a non-EU citizen. I have heard of a few Americans who had that idea but didn't get visas. It is hard to get a residency permit in Norway in general.

[LesserBother]

I am also impressed you can hold a conversation in all 3 Scandinavian languages. You must be some linguist. I cannot hold a long conversation with a Dane just impossible to understand and I actually doubt they understand themselves

Lol, I always think it would be easier if I'd married a Swedish or Norwegian person rather than a Dane. I can read/write a little, understand a fair bit but still completely incapable of holding a conversation. I know the words but pronunciation is impossible, pretty much everyone would switch to English if I try, except sometimes on the west coast when they might switch to German instead!

[Saralyn]

And yes, some private companies (such as petroleum sector, technology) use English only at work, but you won’t have loads of options in communications if you are not fluent in Norwegian.

I found one communication job advertised in English:

www.finn.no/job/fulltime/ad.html?finnkode=214213931

This is the official job ads site:

arbeidsplassen.nav.no/stillinger

[Saralyn]

For Norway:

It is pretty hard to immigrate as a non-EU citizen.

You need to have higher education (or vocational training), you must have a job offer, the job must be directly relevant to your degree (so if your degree is in English literature, you would normally not be able to get a job in communications), and the pay must be at a certain level.

You can read about the requirements here: www.udi.no/en/want-to-apply/work-immigration/skilled-workers/?c=gbr#link-816

[Lndnmummy]

I wouldn’t worry about the language too much. In Sweden at least everyone is so keen to practice their English on you anyway. I think really learning a language is very hard. Words and grammar is only part of it but culture is actually a lot more important. So is focus on leaning and understanding the culture, norms and values of the country you decide on. By doing that you’ll be able to settle in and connect with people; even if you speak a English to them. The language,
Culture and norms are actually pretty different in each Scandinavian country.I’m Swedish with family in Norway and I still don’t speak Norwegian. I have friends in Denmark and we speak English as otherwise we don’t understand eachother. So that would be my advice. Learn about the culture before words/grammas.
L

[Vikingintraining]

@JimLaheysWhiskeyBottle Thanks for the advice, that's very helpful. Actually I have been interested in post-grad study for a while so perhaps that could be a good way in, I hadn't thought of that. Everyone is different of course but just out of interest which did you prefer living in?

[CopenhagenMummy]

ihcph.kk.dk/

You find most info here and welcome if you chose Denmark 🇩🇰

[Vikingintraining]

@Rubyupbeat I've never been to Finland, it's on my travel wish list!

[Vikingintraining]

@Alaimo That's interesting and useful to know, thanks. I really do like a lot of social interaction and I would hope my language ability would rapidly improve once I lived somewhere, but I'd be disappointed to only have international friends rather than also some local friends.

[Ridgere]

I've lived in four countries and deciding exactly what city/region to live in and how to prepare for that is hard enough when you're thinking about one specific country, let alone three.

Have a proper think and decide more specifically where you want to live. That will make it MUCH easier to focus on learning the language and researching visa requirements, the job market, costs of living, etc.

[Vikingintraining]

@Phrenologist Yes I've been lucky to spend a really significant amount of time in each of them, enough time to really get to know each country. They are all three different countries, yes, but I could imagine myself living in each of them so therefore have no preference, no puzzle.