Uddevalla

Housing

The biggest agency for rented flats is Uddevallahem, a municipal housing company. On the municipality's website is a list of all landlords in the municipality. 

Language groups in the locality

Languages spoken in Uddevalla include Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian, Finnish, Norwegian, Arabic, Somali, German, Polish, Spanish, Persian, Thai, Danish and Turkish.

Associations and organisations

There are many associations in Uddevalla. You can search for associations in your areas of interest via the association register.

What is available in the immediate area

Central Uddevalla has a citizens' service centre whose staff will answer questions of a general nature and help you in your contacts with other public authorities. There is also a social welfare office, a library, a local employment agency, a social insurance office and a tax office. In the centre are shops, a pharmacy, banks, restaurants, pizzerias and cafés. North of Uddevalla is one of Sweden's largest and newest shopping parks, which includes IKEA. There are two second-hand shops in Uddevalla. One is run by the municipality and sells second-hand clothes and some furniture.

Childcare

Uddevalla offers a wide range of preschool activities. There are municipal and independent preschools, municipal and independent pedagogic care, as well as open preschools. "Pedagogic care" refers to activities carried out by a family child minder.

Compulsory schools and upper secondary schools

Uddevalla has both municipal and independent comprehensive schools offering many different specialisations, particularly during years 7-9. You are entitled to specify your school preferences before preschool classes and year 7.

Uddevalla gymnasieskola (upper secondary school) has all the national programmes and apprenticeship programmes. For newly arrived young people between the ages of 16 and 19, there are opportunities for studying Swedish, English and maths, as well as other subjects on the Introductory programmes.

Native language lessons

The municipal schools provide native language lessons once a week after school, free of charge. They offer the opportunity to maintain and deepen knowledge of one's native language. Study guidance may also be offered during the school day, to help the pupil understand Swedish schoolbooks. In this way, the pupil can continue the learning process he or she was involved with in his or homeland.

Uddevalla has classes for new arrivals who are going to attend year 3 until year 6, as well as for those who are going to attend years 7-9. Pupils in these classes get intensive Swedish language practice as well as practice in some of the other subjects in Swedish schools. Here too, pupils are offered study guidance by teachers who speak their native language and can explain things in it.

Education opportunities

Uddevalla Vuxenutbildning (adult education) provides the possibility of finishing secondary or upper secondary education to anyone who has not done so. You can also receive extra support and help to begin your studies from our support service, Kärnan. If Sweidsh is not your native language you can study Swedish for immigrants, Sfi.

We also have special needs education for adults and large number of vocational programmes in everything from care and nursing to welding or haulage. Higher vocational education is post-upper secondary education, in which we currently have four different specialisations. At Vägledningscentrum (the Guidance Centre), in the heart of the town, are study and vocational counsellors who receive people with or without a prior appointment.

Health and medical care

There are five medical care centres in different parts of Uddevalla. You can turn to these if you are ill or if you need advice and support. Obstetric and paediatric consultancy services are also available, as are emergency care and dental health services. There are hospitals in Uddevalla and Trollhättan.

Interpreter assistance

Interpretation services are arranged through Tolkförmedling Väst.

Public transport

Västtrafik runs the public transport services in Västra Götaland county.

Work and entrepreneurship

The municipality plays an important role in the labour market and business community in Uddevalla – as employer, through various labour market measures and in business development. Information is available about the municipality as employer, about vacant premises and industrial lots and about starting your own business. You can also search for companies in the municipality's company register.

The biggest areas of employment in Uddevalla are in commerce, municipal administration and nursing and care. Other common employment areas are construction and company services.

Gothenburg is one hour away by commuter train and has job opportunities in all areas.