Cities of Refuge 1
time) to start his/her own company, there are bil
ling services that can be used at the cost of a certain percentage of the artist fee. For more information about how to start a company in Sweden, see www.verksamt.se Further information about work permits can be found at www.migrationsverket.se Studying at the university An artist’s residence permit allows them to attend any university training course without cost, provided that the artist is accepted to the university during the time their residence permit is valid. This means that if an artist is accepted during that period, but the education continues after the residence permit expires, the education continues to be free of charge. Before applying, it is important that the artist sends the page containing the decision from the Swedish Migration Board—the UT card alone will not suffice. For more information about studying in Sweden, see www.universityadmissions.se Swedish language instruction There are various options for learning Swedish, but the most common way is through SFI—Swedish For Immigrants. In addition to language learning, SFI provides information about Swedish law and society. An artist in residence may participate in SFI once they have been registered as a resident in Sweden. The municipality where they live is responsible for providing this education. The instruction should be available as soon as possible and commence within three months unless there are special circumstances. Many municipalities also have language cafés—usually at the library— where participants can meet and practise their Swedish. 29/49