Everyday life

Sweden controls alcohol sales through a state monopoly, which is unusual compared to most countries — you genuinely cannot buy wine or spirits at a normal grocery store here, no matter what time it is.

• Anything over 3.5% ABV (wine, spirits, strong beer) is sold only at the state monopoly Systembolaget — minimum age 20. Hours: roughly Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00/20:00, Sat 10:00–15:00, closed Sundays and holidays.
• Folköl (beer/cider up to 3.5% ABV) is the exception — sold in ordinary grocery stores and petrol stations during normal opening hours, any day — minimum age 18.
• ID checks are taken seriously at both.

Sweden takes recycling seriously enough to build it into daily habits — including a system where you literally get money back for returning bottles and cans, and a household sorting routine that's expected rather than optional.

• Bottles and cans carry a deposit (pant) — return them to the machine (pantautomat) at any grocery store for cash or a store voucher.
• Source separation (källsortering) is standard: food waste, plastic, paper, glass and metal typically go to shared bins in your building or nearby recycling stations (återvinningsstation); larger items go to a municipal recycling centre (återvinningscentral), often free for private cars.

Getting a Swedish phone number is one of the first practical things worth doing, because so much else in this guide — BankID, Swish, registering for services — assumes you already have one.

• Budget SIM/eSIM operators: Hallon, Comviq, Vimla, Fello — cheap, quick to set up, usually need ID to register.
• Almost everything runs on your phone number + BankID — get both sorted early and daily life gets dramatically easier.
• Post/parcels: PostNord is the main operator; parcels commonly go to a pickup point (ombud) at a local shop rather than your door.

A couple of everyday social habits are distinctly Swedish and worth knowing so you're not caught off guard — especially the coffee break that's much more than just a coffee break.

• Fika — a coffee-and-something-sweet break — is a genuine daily social institution, at work and with friends; joining it matters socially (see the Culture guide).
• Lunch restaurants often have a cheap dagens lunch (lunch of the day) special on weekdays, usually including coffee.
• Tipping is not expected; rounding up for good service is enough.