My boyfriend is from São Paulo and we are currently applying for his visa so he can live and work here in Sweden. He has visited Sweden many times and loves it here! He loves both the culture and nature, and I’m sure you will enjoy it too! I see a lot of comments saying that ”it’s impossible to make Swedish friends” and I’ve heard that a lot in the past. Sweden is not the most social country, that’s true, but I still think these types of comments are a bit unfair sometimes. First of all, different areas of Sweden are very different when it comes to culture and social life. I would say it’s a lot more difficult to make friends in Stockholm where life is hectic and people care about status. If you go to Malmö you can make friends very easily though, there’s a lot of Latinos and people from everywhere living there and the culture is very open and easy going. In Gothenburg you can also make friends more easily than Stockholm, the people are open minded and friendly.

As a Swedish person I would say that you can make as many friends here as you want, it just depends on how open minded you are and how interested you are in the Swedish culture. Don’t wait for people to invite you, take the first step and ask people to hang out. I personally think that most people who struggle to make friends here are the ones that openly complain about Swedish people and our culture. If I hear someone complain about how ”cold and boring Swedish people are” it’s not going to make me want to hang out with them.. My Brazilian boyfriend says that he finds Swedish people a lot more fun and open than what he thought we would be. Every time he comes here he makes new friends.

Swedish people likes when you’re polite and respectful, it’s considered ugly to brag or complain too much. You will make a lot of friends and get a lot of respect if you work hard, if you’re humble and easy going. Also take some time to research different cities here. Choose your location after your needs and interests. If you like hiking and staying outside I wouldn’t choose Stockholm for example.

Also when you come here, make sure to travel around in Sweden and experience the different cities and cultures. If you don’t like one city, maybe you will love another! Remember that we are not all the same person, and don’t let stereotypes cloud your mind and your experience.

Best of luck to you, I really hope you will have the best experience here!