u/slowmorningcoffee

I'm moving abroad soon and I'm trying to figure out the best way to keep my Canadian phone number without paying for a monthly plan while I'm away.

Right now I'm with Public Mobile, but as far as I can tell, you can only pause your plan for up to 3 months before you have to reactivate it to keep your account/number. Since I'll be gone long-term, that doesn't really work for me.

Ideally, I'm looking for something similar to what I had when I lived in the UK with giffgaff. I could basically leave the SIM inactive and then top it up or use it every 9–12 months to keep the number active. Whenever I came back to the UK for a visit, I just reactivate it and use it as normal (I've been doing thisbfor about 4 years now).

I don't need my Canadian number to be active while I'm abroad as I'll get a SIM there. I just want to keep the number for when I come back to visit, deal with the occasional account that still has my Canadian number attached, etc. A pay-as-you-go or very low-cost/low-maintenance option would be ideal.

Has anyone else been in this situation? What provider did you end up using, and were you able to keep your number long-term without paying every month? I'm based in Ontario if that has any relevance.

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I'm moving to Stockholm this fall from a non-EU country to start a PhD, and I'm trying to figure out how healthcare works during the first few months after arriving.

I take a few prescription medications regularly, and I have a few questions:

• How many months' worth of medication would you recommend bringing from home before I can access the Swedish healthcare system?
• What's the process for registering for healthcare as an international PhD student? I know I'll need a personnummer, but I'm not sure what the steps are after arriving.
• Roughly how long did it take from arriving in Sweden to being able to see a doctor and get your prescriptions filled?
• Since PhD students in Sweden are considered employees at the school, are they covered by any employer-provided or extended health insurance for things like prescription medications, dental care, vision, etc., or is everything covered through the public healthcare system?

I'd also appreciate any tips on documents I should bring (prescriptions, a doctor's letter, medical records, etc.) to make the transition smoother.

Thanks in advance! I'd love any advice and to hear about your experiences settling in.