Coordination Number

A serious post for any EU citizen needing to reside in Sweden part time.

You cannot even buy a pay as you go mobile phone here unless you have a personnummer. That is a social security number. You can't get an electricity supply without one. That help manage immigration I imagine. If you are an EU citizen from one of the other member states, and your main country of residence is not Sweden, you are entitled to a Coordination number that does the same as the personnummer. The other part of the criteria for a coordination number is that you are not working here and therefor not a Swedish tax payer. Don't be put off. A coordination number appears to be easy to get if you are entitled (let me confirm when mine arrives in the post).

I went to the Jonkoping Tax office to request my coordination number. It is not an application because if entitled the provision of one is not in question. I was however at the wrong office. Everything I do revolves around the excellent city of Jonkoping. Everything except where I actually live. I crossed over into the next county by a British mile and a half. I should have been in the Tidaholm office. NO problem! They all end up in the same place and since you are here now I might as well do it for you. !! Can you imagine that happening in the UK? I don't speak Swedish (much) so could not fill in the one page form. No problem, the lady just helped me fill it in. The whole process from entering the building to leaving took 20 minutes. I'm staying on in Jonkoping for this evening. Spring celebrations to attend. A brass band outside the church then a bonfire and fireworks. Drive the winter back. Shame it is so bloody cold! Sorry, miserable little English man.

Today is Labour day and if I understand correctly there is trouble in Jonkoping city centre. A rally got over heated and curb stones were hurled through office windows. Did I understand that one correctly? VMCK this evening. With a day off and sunshine, Ernst and crew dusted down the bikes and went for a ride out. I'm very jealous. Darwin doesn't care.