International Training Programme on Sustainable Urban Water and Sanitation

– Integrated Processes

Practical information for Phase 2,

Scheduled Course in Sweden, September 23 – October 11, 2019

This document provides some information on practical matters, to help you prepare for the
Scheduled Course in Sweden in September/October 2019. Please take the time and read through the
material carefully since even if it doesn’t give you all information needed, it is a good start! We also
suggest that you use the websites listed in the end of this document to seek additional information.

Schengen Visa
You need to obtain a Schengen visa to enter Sweden and you must apply for it before leaving your
country.

Please visit the following site for visa information and the specific requirements for your country:
http://www.swedenabroad.com/ Some Embassies have specific information about “International
Training Programmes, ITP”. In the Schengen visa application I think you should tick the
business/conference, but do mention somewhere that it is a Sida ITP. Different Embassies have
different regulations, so you need to ask them the following: - Which documents are needed for the
visa application?

Please make sure the visa is valid from the time you LEAVE your country until you ARRIVE home.
Also check so that the number of days for the period is correct. Please consult the Embassy already
now to make sure you have everything needed for your visa application or to book a visa
appointment. Do note that the visa application can take time!

Travel to Sweden
Phase 2 of the Training Programme begins on Monday morning, September 23rd, 2019.
We will reserve your international air tickets to and from Sweden. I will soon send you individual
preliminary itineraries, for you to check and confirm. Please note that the itineraries will be subject
to change since there will be new time tables coming later this year. You cannot choose a specific
airline or route, since we have a strict budget from Sida to keep. You are supposed to arrive and
depart in Sweden as follows:
ARRIVAL DATE: Sunday September 22nd, 2019
AIRPORT OF ARRIVAL: Arlanda Airport, Stockholm (Sweden)

DEPARTURE DATE: Friday October 11th after 7 PM OR Saturday October 12th, 2019
(depending on available flights, not a matter of choice)
AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE: Arlanda Airport, Stockholm (Sweden)
NIRAS will arrange transfer for you from the airport to the hotel when you arrive in Sweden and
from the hotel to the airport when you depart. You will receive detailed information about this just
before the course in Sweden begins and everyone’s arrival times have been confirmed.

We cannot longer cater for private tourist trips in relation to the trip to Sweden. We do understand
that some of you would like to do that, but due to issues in the past, we regret to inform you that we
cannot support this any longer.

Passport
During the full programme, we will at some occasions need your passport details, so please send me
a copy of your passport as soon as possible.
Luggage
You will have to finance any extra costs for over-weight on the flights yourself. The restriction on the
flights is usually around 20-23 kgs and one piece of checked in luggage and one piece of carry-on
luggage (hand luggage). But this vary so please check with your airline (check their website or your
ticket/itinerary).
IMPORTANT: During the study tour to Norrtälje and Uppsala in week 2, there will be an opportunity
to leave your large luggage behind and only bring a weekend bag. If you prefer this, please bring a
suitable weekend bag as hand luggage (do note the size regulations of your airline).

Please also note the restrictions when it comes to liquids in the carry-on luggage. You cannot bring
any liquids in larger containers than 100 ml in the carry-on luggage. These containers have to fit in a
1 litre plastic bag. Toothpaste, body lotion, water, cerate etc. count as liquids.

Kindly note that due to company policy, the programme organisers are not in a position to accept
any gifts.

Expenses and currency

Hotel accommodation and meals will be provided for by the Training Programme during the full
three weeks. The hotel accommodation includes breakfast and is always arranged for by us. Some of
the meals will also be pre-arranged, however, for meals that are not arranged for, you will be
provided with an allowance to cover the cost of buying your own lunch or dinner (for your
information: a normal lunch at a restaurant is around 80 SEK and a dinner is normally around 120-
200 SEK). We will calculate a total amount each participant will receive, based on Sida’s (Swedish
government’s) regulations, to cover the meals that are not pre-arranged. You will receive this
allowance at the hotel on the first day of the Training Programme. Also note that this amount will
not cover other expenses, it’s only sufficient for meals. So please bring additional money to be able
to eat on Sunday when you arrive (depending on your arrival time).

Swedish money is called ‘KRONOR’ (crowns) and is abbreviated SEK, at Banks and Bureaux de change
etc. Currency units are 1 krona = 100 öre. All major credit cards are widely accepted. (100 SEK =
approx. 9,4 USD (June 2019)).

Please note that Euro or Dollars are not used in Sweden, if you wish to bring it you can change into
Swedish “kronor” at a Bank or Exchange Bureau in the city centre, for example at the Central Station.
You can normally not change at the hotel.

Insurances
In case of sudden illness or an accident, an insurance company called “Kammarkollegiet” insures you.
Your insurance will pay necessary and reasonable expenses in case of an accident or acute illness. It
does not cover e.g. routine medical or dental check-ups and are valid during the time of the course
including direct journeys to and from Sweden. This insurance does NOT include any “travel
insurance”, i.e. it does not cover for lost luggage, delayed flights etc.

Do note that the insurance doesn’t include pregnant women after week 27 in the pregnancy. And
this goes for both the course in Sweden and Nepal. So it’s very important that you inform us if you
would be pregnant in week 28 during any of the courses. Also because of the flight restrictions.

In any case of emergency, dial 112! Tell the operator what service you require and he/she will
connect you to the fire brigade, the police, the ambulance or the doctor on duty etc. Speak very
slowly in English. Any emergency call can be made free of charge from any phone.
If it’s not an emergency don’t just go to the hospital, but talk to some of the staff first and they will
help you out.

Making phone calls from Sweden

Remember that all phone calls are on your own expense. We recommend you not to make any
international phone calls from your hotel room, since this is extremely expensive. Through the
Internet you can instead find good alternatives such as Skype; What’s App, Viber or FaceTime, which
you could use when connected to WIFI at the hotels.

To be connected outside of the hotel you can buy a SIM-card to your mobile and add a price plan
including a certain amount of data 1 GB/5 GB and so on. You can choose to have only mobile data or
to also have a pot for making “normal” phone calls/sending text messages. The SIM-cards can be
bought at Newsagents, for example at Pressbyrån.

Internet and computer access

If you have a laptop we ask you to bring it, as you will use it extensively to work on assignments, etc,
throughout the three weeks. (Please remember the cables for your laptop and check so that it has
WiFi!) The programme does not provide computers.

The hotels provide free Internet access (wireless access, WiFi).

Hotels and Contacts

Please see the document “Hotel list” for information and contacts to the Hotels we have booked for
you.

Here is some other useful contact information:

Adm. Coordinator:
Ms. Helena Cederberg
Mobile: +46 (0) 73 028 06 62
(Also available on What’s App and Viber)

Other information about Sweden

Public transportation
In Stockholm there is public transportation that we will use to get around. We will try to use public
transportation as much as possible since we want to show it to you and since it’s a more
environmentally friendly alternative (buses, underground and trams).

The sessions will be at the hotel, when we’re not on study visits. More information will follow.

Food and hotels

People have different preferences when it comes to food and in a large group with people from
different cultures it can be very hard to cater for everyone according to your preferences. But we will
ask you to inform us about any allergies or food restrictions and adapt thereafter. But then you need
to tell us and there are limits in what we can do and we kindly ask you to be understanding. In
Sweden we traditionally eat a lot of pork, fish, potatoes and vegetables, due to the climate, but there
will be other options. Today though, with influences from the whole world I would say that it has
changed and besides the Asian cuisine there is a large Mediterranean influence. Please also be
aware of that the breakfast might be different and more of the “continental” style, especially during
the study trip.
Regarding the hotels, in Sweden we normally use 3 and 4 stars hotels, and you will notice that in
Sweden we have fewer staff in general and this means that there is hardly any hotel in Sweden
where you have hotel staff carrying your bag to your room. Normally you have only 1 or 2 staff
working in the Reception at the same time. We also have a different system when it comes to beds –
so a “normal” bed for one person is 90 cm wide, however in many hotels they try to have beds that
could be used as single or double beds and then it is wider, but still - some of you might get this kind
of bed.

It is a different climate and a different culture to what you are used to and we will try to guide you,
but you will also have to try to be prepared for culture clashes.

Tea kettle in the rooms

At Scandic Ariadne there are no hot water kettles in the rooms.

Laundry
Laundry can be expensive at the hotels so be prepared to do it in the sink and plan what to bring.

Water
Tap water is safe to drink.

Time Difference
Swedish time is known as CET (Central Europe Time) and is one hour ahead of GMT.

Electricity
Electrical current in Sweden is 230 Volts and 50 cycles (Hz). The socket has two round holes;
Northern Europe. If you have an international adapter please bring it!!
Please also note that you have to stick the plug in to a round socket, so the actual plug cannot be
too big or square-shaped.

Religious activities
There are several different religious centres in Stockholm e.g. for Protestants, Catholics, Hindus,
Moslems and Buddhists. Please do ask before or on your arrival in Sweden and we will find out for
you. There won’t be time during the training days to go to church or the mosque etc.

Cultural activities
Some information about cinemas, theatres and other cultural activities can be found in the tourist
information material that you will receive when you get here, as well as in the daily papers. There is a
free daily paper called Metro supplied Mondays to Fridays at various public places.

Getting physical
There are also many in- and outdoor public baths and gyms, as well as badminton, tennis and squash
courts. Racquets and other necessary equipment can usually be rented. They are however quite
expensive.

Weather and clothing

Sweden is located in Northern Europe, so far north that the Arctic Circle crosses its northernmost
province. However, Sweden is NOT an arctic country thanks to the mild winds blowing off the warm
Gulf Stream Drift in the Atlantic. But it is almost 1600 km from the north to the south and the climate
varies a lot depending on where in Sweden you are.

You will arrive in the autumn. The weather in Sweden is always unpredictable so it’s hard to know
what the weather will be like. It can change in one day. It could be around 10 degrees, but it could
also be around 18 degrees. But you might find it cold. So a good suggestion is to have layers of
clothes so that it doesn’t get too heavy in the luggage. And you can then decide to take something
off or put something on. An umbrella would be good to have and you will need shoes that are
comfortable to walk in and that cover your feet, since it could be wet outdoors. But I will send more
updates regarding the weather closer to the weeks in Sweden. We will provide you with a sweater
(to keep).

In Sweden we dress very casual. There is therefore no need to dress formal during your stay.

Smoking
In Sweden smoking is not permitted in any restaurants, inside or outside any public areas or public
transports. It is strictly forbidden to smoke inside the hotel (hotel rooms, lobby and restaurant).
Smoking is only allowed outdoors, but not in front of any public area such as entries to restaurants,
hotels, public transports etc.

Web-sites
Here are some links to webpages that you can read if you wish to find out more about Sweden:
NIRAS: www.niras.com/dc
WaterAid www.wateraid.org/se
Sida: www.sida.se
Stockholm: http://international.stockholm.se/
Visit Stockholm: https://www.visitstockholm.com/
Sweden: www.sweden.se
The Sweden Institute: https://si.se/en/

Some Do and Don’ts

Please read Sida’s General Rules, which has been sent out to you earlier and take note on particularly
this:
- As a visitor to Sweden you are at all times obliged to follow Swedish national legislation and
regulations. Breach of regulations might lead to penalty.

- Show respect in all your contacts with citizens, but also with other participants, regardless of
sex, age, ethnic background, political or religious belief. Be aware that all forms of
discrimination and sexual harassment are strictly prohibited.

- Import, sale and possession of narcotic drugs are illegal and results in heavy prison
sentences. Hashish, khat, marijuana, amphetamines, morphine, heroin, cocaine, PCP, ecstasy
are all defined as narcotic drugs according to Swedish law.

For other information about Swedish legislation, please visit www.sweden.se

Finally
Please do not hesitate to ask if you need any advice. Although your first priority will be your studies,
we hope you will find time for some exploration, too.

We hope you will enjoy your stay in our country!!

The Programme Secretariat

Stockholm 2019-07-09