Sweden Basic Guide For Business Travel

Time: GMT +1 (GMT +2 from the last Sunday in March to the Saturday before the last Sunday in October).

Electricity: 230 volts, 50Hz. Standard European two-pin plugs are used.

Language: Swedish is the main language, with Lapp being spoken by the Sami population in the north. Most Swedes speak and understand English. Many also speak German and French.

Health: There are no health risks associated with travel to Sweden, but visitors should guard against ticks when travelling to forested areas or the southern coast, including the Stockholm archipelago. Medical care in the country is excellent, and reciprocal health agreements exist with other European Union countries, including the United Kingdom. UK citizens in possession of a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will be entitled to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Swedish nationals. Outbreaks of bird flu have been detected in wild birds around the country, but the risk to travellers is low and no human infections have been reported. As a precaution all egg and poultry dishes should be well cooked and close contact with live birds should be avoided.

Tipping: Service charge is included in restaurant bills, but an additional tip of 7 to 10% is expected for evening meals. Generally customers round off the fare when using a taxi. Tips are welcome for exceptionally good service in hotels, but are not expected.

Safety: Sweden is an extremely safe country to visit. There is some petty crime during the summer months in the cities where tourists congregate, but crime is at much lower levels than elsewhere in Europe. Most visits to Sweden are trouble free.

Business: The Swedish pride themselves on punctuality and it is considered rude to be late for a meeting. It is important to schedule an appointment in advance and have it confirmed shortly before any engagement. A formal dress code is observed for men and women and bright colours are avoided. Handshakes for men and women are common after introduction and often first names are used instead of surnames. A general egalitarian attitude will hide any observable hierarchy and all members at a meeting are generally treated with the same level of respect. Business hours are generally 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday.

Communications: The country code for Sweden is +46, and the outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the UK). City/area codes are in use, e.g. (0)8 for Stockholm. Public telephones are available and there is good coverage across the country for mobile telephones, which use three different GSM 900 and 1800 networks. Internet cafes can be found in all the cities and towns.

Duty Free: Travellers to Sweden over 18 years arriving with goods purchased in the EU for personal use do not have to pay duty on the following items: 800 cigarettes, 400 cheroots, 200 cigars and 1kg pipe or cigarette tobacco. For passengers over 20 years the following alcohol is duty-free: 10 litres spirits with alcohol volume higher than 22%, 20 litres of intermediate alcohol products such as fortified wine, 90 litres wine, (but no more than 60 litres sparkling wine), and 110 litres of beer. Travellers to Sweden over 18 years from non-EU countries and residents who arrive on a commercial flight, from a trip exceeding 20 hours do not have to pay duty on the following items: 200 cigarettes, or 100 cheroots, or 50 cigars, or 250g tobacco, or a proportional mix of these. For travellers over 20 years, the following alcohol is duty-free: 1 litre spirits with alcohol content higher than 22%, or 2 litres fortified or sparkling wine, or a proportionate mix of the two, and 2 litres of non-sparkling wine and beer; and other goods to the value of SEK 1,700. Prohibited items include drugs, other than those for medical or scientific purposes; and potatoes that are grown outside the EU.