Information for people coming from Ukraine to Olofström
In Sweden, you are entitled to different types of support. Exactly what you are
entitled to depends on the basis on which you are in the country. Here we have gathered information that may be good for you to know.
Welcome
Olofstrom is one of fi ve municipalities in the region of Blekinge. 13 200 residents live here.
We are sorry about the situation in your country. We’ve gathered some information that
may be good for you to know.
Apply for a residence permit
The EU has decided to activate the Temporary Protection Directive. The directive applies to you who are a Ukrainian citizen and were a resident of Ukraine before February 24, 2022 you who have a residence permit as a refugee or have subsidiary protection status in Ukraine family members of the above two.
To be covered by the directive, you must have left the country on 24 February 2022 or later. This means that if you come from Ukraine, you can get a temporary residence permit in Sweden.
To apply, you must register and present a biometric national passport or other Ukrainian identity documents. You will also need to provide your fingerprints and be photographed as part of the registration process. You will receive a decision about your application for a residence permit within a few days. You will then receive a residence permit card.
Once you have received your residence permit in accordance with the Temporary
Protection Directive, you are entitled to:
- some financial assistance,
- basic healthcare,
- food and accommodation,
- work or go to school in Sweden.
Find out more about residence permits on the Swedish Migrations Agency’s website:
Information regarding the situation in Ukraine, The Swedish Migration Agency
External link.
Apply for a placement in preschool and school
Once your children have received a residence permit under the EU Temporary Protection Direction or have applied for asylum, they will be eligible to attend preschool or school. You need to fi ll out one application form for each child.
Application to preschool and school for children newly arrived in Sweden External link.
Preschool
Children who turn 3 in the autumn until the spring of the year in which they turn 6 are entitled to public preschool. The hours for public preschool are Monday to Thursday from 8 to 12 am every week except on holidays. Children may also be entitled to preschool from the age of 1 if, for example, their caretakers are gainfully employed, but in that case the service is not free of charge, see the link below.
More information about the preschool, translated into several languages, including Ukrainian, Russian and English, can be found here: https://utbildningsguiden.skolverket.se/languages/english-engelska/forskolan
School
If you choose to attend a Swedish school you will study according to the Swedish curriculum. If you want to continue your Ukrainian schooling at distance, you can do so, but unfortunately you cannot get help through the Swedish school system.
Gymnasium
To apply for upper secondary school (Gymnasium), you must start your education before the age of 18.
Information about school and education translated into several languages, including Ukrainian, Russian and English, can be found here: https://utbildningsguiden.skolverket.se/languages/english-engelska
Education for adults/SFI
The Mass Refugee Directive does not give the right to receive SFI. People from Ukraine who have been granted a residence permit with temporary protection are considered residents of Sweden under the Education Act, but as with asylum seekers, their right to education is limited. They are not entitled to SFI or other education in Komvux.
General information
Everyone who is eligible for preschool/school/gymnasium will be offered a school place. Our goal is that everyone who applies will be contacted as soon as possible. However processing time can take up to 2 weeks, and sometimes even longer.
Open Preschool
Open Preschool is an open form of childcare, a natural meeting place for parents with children. We meet here to play, talk and socialize. At the Open Preschool, you decide when and how often you want to come. There is no need to register in advance. The activities are free of charge. See also attached information.
Opening hours are:
Monday 13-16
Tuesday 13-16
Wednesday 8.30-12
The open preschool is located at Ekeryds förskola, Sturevägen 17, Olofström.
Work related questions
If you are 16 years or older you have the right to work. Contact The Swedish Public Employment Service if you have questions about applying for a job.
How to seek medical care
If you get ill, the website 1177.se offers information about what you can do in order to feel better and recover more quickly. You can also find necessary contact details to the healthcare services. When you call +46 771 1177 00 you will receive advice from a nurse about what you can do and where you should turn if you need medical care. The number works 24/7 all over the country.
You can visit a healthcare centre to receive help if you have injured yourself or if you are not feeling well. The staff at the healthcare centre has experience and knowledge when it comes to most injuries and illnesses. If necessary, you will be referred to a hospital. When the healthcare centre is closed you can seek medical care by calling +46 771 1177 00.
At the emergency room you will receive help if you become seriously ill or injured in an accident. Patients with the most urgent need of medical care will always be tended to first. The emergency number 112 is available if you or someone nearby is in need of immediate emergency care.
Medical care in Blekinge county is free of charge if you are a refugee from Ukraine. In other parts of Sweden, this may be different.
How to seek medical care, 1177.se External link.
Collective information about 1177.se in english,1177.se External link.
112 – emergency number
The emergency number 112 is used in emergencies when there is a danger to life, property or the environment. You can call the emergency number 112 around the clock, from a landline or mobile phone, wherever you are in Sweden. Your call will be answered by an SOS operator who will ask questions in order to provide the necessary assistance.
114 14 - non-urgent police matters
Call 114 14 for all non-urgent police matters, such as providing information or reporting crimes that are not ongoing. Those who answer on 114 14 speak Swedish or English. If you are calling from a foreign mobile in Sweden, call +46 77 114 14 00.
Bringing pets to Sweden
If you are a pet owner, you must report your animal to customs staff when you arrive at the border. If your animal do not meet the import requirements, customs staff will contact the Swedish Board of Agriculture. They will ask for documentation and may ask questions about the animal’s health status in order to make required assessments.
If an animal from Ukraine is in Sweden without having been checked by customs staff upon arrival, it must be taken to a veterinarian as soon as possible. Depending on the situation, different measures may be relevant. The Swedish Board of Agriculture is responsible for costs related to the veterinary visit.
Find out what rules to follow when bringing pets to Sweden on the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s website:
Movement of dogs, cats or ferrets to Sweden, Swedish Board of Agriculture External link.
Traveling in Blekinge
From November 1 2022, refugees from Ukraine who need to travel must contact the Migration Agency of Sweden or buy a ticket.
Free WiFi in Olofström
You can connect for free WiFi to the municipality's open network and take part in fast internet both indoors and outdoors.
The network is called WiFi4EU and is located in the following places:
• Folkets hus, Östra Storgatan 24, Olofström
• Bridge, by the large playground in the center
• Holjebadet
• The square in Olofström
Service in our library
Everyone is welcome to access the library as a place to meet during opening hours. You can also can get help with borrowing computer, books and more.
The library has:
- Computers and free Wi-Fi
- Books for children and adults in different languages
- Newspapers in different languages·The library
- Staff to ask if you need help
- Grammar books and dictionaries
- Easy-to-read books and audio books
- Printers and copy machines
Borrowing books
Borrowing books is free but you need a library card. The staff at the library will help you get one. You can keep what you borrow for a certain period of time. If you return the books after due date, you will have to pay a fee. If you do not return the book at all, you will have to pay for a new book.
You can do more than borrow books at the library
You can meet other people at the library. You can sit at the library and study. You can borrow a computer. Sometimes the library has storytelling for children and a language café for adults.
This page will updated regularly.
Publicerad: 11 April 2022
Uppdaterad: 6 March 2023