I might move to Sweden, looking for some help and suggestions

K

kvn95ss

Adept
Mods, please feel free to move to an appropriate section if required.

It's very likely that I might move to Stockholm for work (Solna), I've been asked to visit the Embassy regarding my Visa. I have a few generic questions -

1. I have a gaming PC with me. I am debating if I should take it to Sweden, or sell it here and buy another PC when I start working there. I already have a laptop with me, plus xbox game pass works on Sweden so Remote play can hopefully scratch my gaming itch. The cons of selling would be, building a system in Sweden might be more expensive, however ITX stuff is relatively cheaper.
FYI, my system configuration is
  • Ryzen 7 2700
  • 16 GB RAM
  • MSI B450i ITX mobo
  • 2 SATA SSDs and a 2 TB HDD
  • 600 watt SFX PSU
  • case Antec VSK10
2. I might need money to sustain myself till I get my salary, so maybe 1-2 months of expense. I would need to pay for
  • Rent + advance
  • Groceries
  • Phone number
I am pre-approved for loan from SBI, so was wondering if getting a personal loan would be a decent option. We are asking if we can borrow money from relatives and such, but not sure how it'll pan out. I was also told to look at Bajaj Flexi-Loan, essentially allows me to separate the interest and principal portion of EMI.

3. Even if I have the money, what would be a good way to use it abroad? I've heard that Niyo card is not how it used to be. I have a Jupyter free account, which on converting to pro gives me 0% forex upto 1.25L per month. Are there any other / better alternatives to spend money there? I might need it for a month or two, after which I'll be getting a Sweden bank account.

4. I am planning to take utensils like pressure cooker, strainers, some sauce pans and crockery stuff from India, stuff which will be expensive there. Is it worth the hassle or is it better to buy all exotic crockery there?
 
kvn95ss said:
I am pre-approved for loan from SBI, so was wondering if getting a personal loan would be a decent option. We are asking if we can borrow money from relatives and such, but not sure how it'll pan out. I was also told to look at Bajaj Flexi-Loan, essentially allows me to separate the interest and principal portion of EMI.
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Unless there are no other options never borrow from relatives or friends. They will become lender and your relationship with them will be changed forever. You'll be looked down upon. Getting a loan on the other hand is easy if you have good credit history. Get a personal loan from any lender who knows you. Meaning you have history (like saving account) with them. Avoid bajaj because it's bad. And do avoid mentioning that you are moving out of the country as it's a big negative. But for a personal loan, it's none of their business.
 
letmein said:
Why not ask your company for a relocation advance? This would then be adjusted against your monthly salary.
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Asked them, it’s not available.
lockhrt999 said:
Unless there are no other options never borrow from relatives or friends. They will become lender and your relationship with them will be changed forever. You'll be looked down upon. Getting a loan on the other hand is easy if you have good credit history. Get a personal loan from any lender who knows you. Meaning you have history (like saving account) with them. Avoid bajaj because it's bad. And do avoid mentioning that you are moving out of the country as it's a big negative. But for a personal loan, it's none of their business.
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I get what you mean, but this would be a relatively short duration, maybe within 6 months. I have preapproved personal loan upto 6L from SBI, thinking of checking it out.

Was also thinking of getting their CC cuz of lounge access, but not sure if it’ll be worth it. I do plan to visit India once in a year or two.
 
kvn95ss said:
I get what you mean, but this would be a relatively short duration, maybe within 6 months.
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So? Personal loans can be taken for a short duration. Short durations will have higher interest rates and I'd not suggest you to get a short duration loans as it may become a big liability. If you are a young person who has never taken a loan before then I can assure you it's actually easier than borrowing money. Anyway, it's your choice.

kvn95ss said:
Was also thinking of getting their CC cuz of lounge access, but not sure if it’ll be worth it.
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Most CC don't offer access to lounges in other countries. And Indian lounges are usually overcrowded. I couldn't use lounge at mumbai international terminal a couple of months ago because the queue was like an hour long. Also don't get any random CC just for the sake of it. Following are some of the ways I know you can save some money.

1. FI debit card has zero forex if you get their 10k minimum balance account. INR 100 for ATM withdrawal.
2. NiyoX debit card still seems to offer zero forex charges. Similar charge for ATM.
3. One Card is a credit card which has 1% forex charges but it also gives you back 1% in rewards so effectively making it 0%. Can't withdraw cash as it's a CC.
4. Niyo SBM CC has international lounge access (inside india) and also offers 0% forex.

There are other debit/credit cards which offer lower forex rate than standard 4.13% charge if you search but not zero. I'd suggest you to get at least 2 forex friendly debit cards + 1 credit card. There could be a situation when one of your cards may not work. So suggesting keeping multiple of them. This is on top of your regular cards you already have, and with enabled international transactions.

If you are getting loan and credit cards then I'd suggest you to apply for them all on one single day. That way you will get higher approvals everywhere. If you space out your applications then they can refuse you or give lower limits.
 
NiyoX debit card seems a decent option.

I also saw Revolut and N25 bank, these are digital banks with 0% rates on forex. A friend from Sweden recommended those to me, but have to check if I can open those accounts from India.

Suppose if I were to sell my system, how much could I look to get in whole? 40k or around that, or lesser?
 
Rahyro said:
Please check again and Request them.
Companies generally preload the local currency or USD on a prepaid Forex card for relocation expenses.
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I will be working as a Researcher for an institute, so was told those benefits will not be applicable. However I will try asking for it again.
 
kvn95ss said:
Asked them, it’s not available.
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Seriously? Then better dont go!
What kind of employer is this?

These day even Intrastate/Interstate relocation charges are paid well in advance so as to avoid and cater to the most common relocation issues like transport/food and accommodation and this been an international official tour so whats happening in you case is driving me nuts!

Speaking from my own exp. as well as from my official colleagues and friends!

How can someone visiting an unknown land is expected to bear all financial burden himself even if they are going to reimburse later? And what if later on they keep delaying? (This happens as well so..)

Here's what an Employer sponsors (and is supposed to) during an international relocation/visit.
Checklist:
  • Visa
  • Air tickets
  • International SIM card
  • Transport from airport to office/accommodation (after flight landing)
  • Accommodation
  • Food (per day fixed amount)
  • Local transport (to and fro Office-Home etc. and any client visits across city/ countries)
Also, these expenses are separate from your salary and falls under different allowance category.
 
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nRiTeCh said:
Here's what an Employer sponsors (and is supposed to) during an international relocation/visit.
Checklist:
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I get what you are saying, but alas I don’t work in IT or corporate, I’m doing research where support is somewhat limited. Regardless, I’ll ask around if other universities have the same MO, or if this could just be isolated to this department.

You do know how much researchers are paid, right? It’s really low. Only recently they upped the minimum wage for us people. There’s a reason many scientists eventually want to work in corporate. Clock in, clock out, work in middle and life sorted lol. Academia still has a “slave labour” mentality where the bosses believe they own the souls of their phd students and researchers.

Also, after this experience and a PhD I’ll also move to industry lol.
 
I dont know how your equation is with your relatives but usually I would say avoid if you can.
not a professional advice but if this helps....Be bold and take the opportunities best for you as they keep coming. I see you are little worried about how the loan thing will work out.

Just understand that everything gets sorted out eventually.

Also sell your pc here .It will give your some money in hand for a while and Take your time to sort out things there and then buy it. It is worth taking a chance as you might actually get good deal there too.

Take the pressure cooker( induction support too) and Indian spices instead of most other stuffs that can easily get it there.
 
The Brightest thing about Europe is they have this FLEA Market culture selling used items just by the streets around the city center.. You may even find the same configuration of your pc for cheaper prices there, and moreover you can find sites easily for used items sold in sweden soil.. here you go used 2700 PC sale in sweden. So its better sell your pc here and recreate it there, that way you reduce your luggage weight too.. hv fun!
 
So, do the below prices sound reasonable for my build?

PartPrice
Ryzen 7 2700 with stock cooler, no box10000
MSI B450i10000
Strix RX 570 4GB5000
8GB RAM ballistix, x24000
Antec VSK102000
 
kvn95ss said:
So, do the below prices sound reasonable for my build?

PartPrice
Ryzen 7 2700 with stock cooler, no box10000
MSI B450i10000
Strix RX 570 4GB5000
8GB RAM ballistix, x24000
Antec VSK102000
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Honestly one can get, 5600X for less than 10K in India, Asrock fresh boards with B550 chipset costs you around 8K, and other items looks ok, so u may hv to correct the prices for the proccy and board, but i am not looking for the items though! :p and as i hv already seen a rough price for your pc in Europe costs around 187 euro that falls approximately around 17K in Indian currencies, so you can derive an idea from this!!
 
All Forex transactions are subjected to TCS now, so I don't think there is a true 0% markup anymore. I haven't made a purchase using my 0% Forex card recently, so haven't experienced it personally.

It is true though as @eTernity2021 mentioned that items are available for cheap in flea markets. If you have GamePass then it should suffice for the games available. Also, may be, something the Rog Ally (with eGPU later) might make sense going forward.
 
t3chg33k said:
All Forex transactions are subjected to TCS now, so I don't think there is a true 0% markup anymore. I haven't made a purchase using my 0% Forex card recently, so haven't experienced it personally.
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  • TCS is 0% under 7 lakh per annum expense. And 5% after that. This is only the present situation.
  • From July 1, 23, TCS will become 20% directly without any free limits. So even basic web hosting payments or amazon.com purchase will attract 20% TCS.
  • But TCS is an advance payment for tax. It's not a tax itself. If one is not liable to pay any income tax then they will get it back in refund after filing the ITR.
  • As the OP is moving out of India for longer than 6 months, he automatically becomes an NRI and he won't have to pay income tax in India (unless he's making money in India).
  • Kindly cooperate the government to set the best communist model in the world.
  • Forgot to mention, if anyone didn't know, all of your non-inr transactions are reflected in Form 26as. Big brother is watching you. It can already see your payments to a VPN service.
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@kvn95ss open bank account abroad soon and have your money transferred before the 1st July or be ready to pay 20% in TCS.
 
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So guys, I went to embassy last week and gave my biometrics before the migration agency has taken their decision. Now I have to wait for them to take the final call. If yes, the resident card will be sent to Mumbai (Which I'll pick up).

Still wondering about the banking situation, and reading online about the 20% TDS has sorta left me confused :/

Are there any specific digital or indian debit cards which will work well in Sweden? Right now thinking of using Jupiter Pro (By maintaining 10k minimum balance) as it has 0% forex upto 1.5 lakh (This will be my backup). How is Wise bank account? Anyone has experience with it?
 
kvn95ss said:
So guys, I went to embassy last week and gave my biometrics before the migration agency has taken their decision. Now I have to wait for them to take the final call. If yes, the resident card will be sent to Mumbai (Which I'll pick up).

Still wondering about the banking situation, and reading online about the 20% TDS has sorta left me confused :/

Are there any specific digital or indian debit cards which will work well in Sweden? Right now thinking of using Jupiter Pro (By maintaining 10k minimum balance) as it has 0% forex upto 1.5 lakh (This will be my backup). How is Wise bank account? Anyone has experience with it?
Click to expand...
My office colleague who left for Finland 2 yrs ago to pursue higher education was asked for all taxation proofs and bank bal. etc for getting the visa. Unsure what was the purpose but he said its a normal process..
 
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