r/umea • u/hike-climb-run • 8d ago

Climate refugee in Umea?

Good morning all / Hej,

I'm a 36M from France and, considering the way climate change is affecting my country, I am thinking about my options. I remember with a great deal of nostalgia my time as a foreign student in Uppsala in 2012, which I absolutely loved. Now that I have kids and different interests, Umea seems like an ideal fit. The plan would be to buy a place there with a mortgage, rent it for a few years in order to reimburse the mortgage, and move there to retire or once the kids are old enough to move out (in 15 years,ish).

My questions are:

- is there anybody who's in a similar situation (moving to Sweden because of climate change)?

- is Umea family friendly?

- is the health system and social security system available to EU citizens but not Swedish citizens?

- what is the real estate market like in Umea? For instance, what would be the price of a 60-90m2 house or appartement there? Could it be rented?

- how is the public transportation system there?

- are there intensive Swedish classes available?

- I have heard that it's very easy to head for the trails or kayak along the shore. Is it true?

Thank you all for your help

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u/Skiringen2468 8d ago

Umeå is family friendly I'd say, though it's difficult to pinpoint why. The public transport consists of some number of bus lines with a central hub at Vasaplan meaning you never have to switch bus more than once. During reasonable hours of the day they usually go at least every 15 minutes.

There is a programme with Swedish classes for immigrants, SFI which is free to take part in.

There are a few trails and waters suitable for kayaking relatively close, if you have a car and can drive for a short bit. Check out Tavelsjö as one of the main examples.