Gotlands län

Last updated: 2/12-2022

Sweden is divided into 21 counties and 290 municipalities. All counties except Gotland comprise several municipalities. Gotland has one municipality, Region Gotland, which is responsible for things such as education, social services, care for the elderly, and health care issues.

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Municipalities in Gotlands län

Choose the municipality in Gotlands län that you want to read more about below.

Gotland is often described as the hub of the sea, an island that gathers and unites. That's how it's been historically, and that's how it still is today. Gotland is Sweden's largest island, and has around 58,000 inhabitants; a number which is multiplied every year thanks to hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers and other visitors. On Gotland, you'll have town and countryside, as well as fantastic nature and a blossoming supply of culture and leisure activities close at hand. You can get to and from the island easily by ferry or plane. There are many reasons to move here, not least a good learning environment for children, many active associations and organisations, and a strong labour market. Gotland has a coastal climate with mild winters and pleasant summers. Welcome to Gotland!

Housing situation

There are different kinds of homes, both in countryside villages and in the county's biggest town, Visby. Many people want to live in Visby, which is why there are greater chances of finding a year-round home elsewhere in the county. Municipal housing company Gotlandshem, which owns properties all over Gotland, has the highest number of rental homes. Registering in their housing queue is free.

There are also private property owners who rent out homes. You'll find a list of them on Gotland's Tourist Information Office's website, for instance. There, you'll also find contact details for Inflyttarbyrån (the Moving-In Agency), which can help with information about moving to Gotland. Inflyttarbyrån also organises various regular events where people who have recently moved in can meet.

Business and employers

Gotland has a strong tradition of entrepreneurship which is constantly producing and developing business ideas in a multitude of different industries. There are many small businesses on the island – around nine out of ten Gotland businesses have fewer than five employees.

Agriculture, stone, and food have long since been important industries on Gotland. Gotland's food producers work with local produce, and the end products have a high quality.

Tourism is an important part of the growing service sector. The large number of visitors has meant that many businesses, jobs and summer jobs have come from this industry.

Associations and organisations – civil society

Gotland is home to many organisations that work with integration in different ways. Some of them are: the Red Cross, Demokrati för Barns Framtid (Democracy for Children's Future), churches and other faith organisations, Gotlands Idrottsförbund (Gotland's Sports Association) and the island's many sports clubs, ABF (the Workers' Educational Association), Bilda, Studiefrämjandet (Study Promotional Society),Folkuniversitetet (People's University), Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan (Study Association Adult School), Sensus and Mångkulturella Föreningen (the Multicultural Association).

Volunteer organisations and networks are established in many villages. Many of them organise activities and meeting points of different kinds. The Red Cross meeting point Kupan, for instance, is available in many villages.

Schools and education

There is one university on Gotland; Uppsala University's Campus Gotland. The university has many courses and education in various areas, such as biology, economics, and programming.

The Folk High School and Municipal Adult Education provide compulsory school and upper secondary school education, as well as courses with special vocational focuses. Korta Vägen (Short Route) Visby is a preparatory labour market course aimed at academics with foreign backgrounds who live on Gotland. It's run by Stockholm University. Adults who have been granted residency permits and who are registered as living on Gotland can study Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) via Region Gotland.

Medical care

Gotland has several care centres. This is where you should go, in the first instance, for advice about health care. If needed, the care centre can refer you on to the hospital. Visby has a modern hospital with broad medical competence.

There are dentist's surgeries in many different places on Gotland.

Advice about medical care and directions to the nearest medical care centre are available on the Vårdguiden website or by phoning 1177. In emergency or life-threatening situations, call the 112 emergency number.

Culture and leisure

Gotland has many study associations which organise courses and other activities. There are also many active associations in various areas, such as sports and culture associations. Institutions such as Gotlandsmusiken (Gotland Music), Länsteatern (the County Theatre) and Länsmuseet (the County Museum) also contribute to a rich cultural life.

At the libraries, borrowing books, reading newspapers, borrowing computers, looking for information and asking questions is free. Language development activities, language cafes, children's story time in several languages, books in easy-to-read Swedish, and language courses are also available. The libraries organise many events where you can meet and socialise with others. There are libraries in many villages across the island.

The youth recreation centres are important meeting points, offering a large number of free activities for young people aged 13 – 19.