Nordic Region’s oldest information service turns 25
The EU decided to introduce euro as a common currency, the Swedes introduced a new pension system, the Norwegians opened Oslo Gardermoen Airport, the Little Mermaid lost her head, Google was founded, and Fucking Åmål hit the cinema screens. The year was 1998 and Sweden’s Minister for Nordic Co-operation, Leif Pagrotsky, inaugurated the first Nordic hotline to help those living in the Nordic Region.
The national systems were and are still so different between the Nordic countries that it can be difficult to understand the differences in taxation, pensions, education and family policies. Back then, we knew that the Øresund Bridge would soon bring several million people closer to each other, meaning the time had come to take Nordic co-operation up a notch. There’s still a lot of work to be done before day-to-day life can function smoothly for people living and working in different Nordic countries.
For 25 years, Info Norden has provided information on what you should think about when you want to live, work or study in another Nordic country. The idea was to offer good information to mobile Nordic residents and at the same time get an overview of situations where people can get stuck and their freedom of movement in the Nordic Region restricted.
What did those residing in the Nordic Region want to know then and what do they want to know now?
25 years ago, people requested information about tax, pensions and credits for jobs and studies. These are still relevant topics for those living in the Nordic Region. However, with digitalisation, border controls, war in Europe and changing movement patterns, requests for new information arise every day.
People want to know what regulations apply to social security and taxation when working remotely from another home country, how they can identify themselves digitally using e-identification between the countries, why they can’t apply to a Nordic high school on an equal footing with other Nordic residents if they have finished their primary education in an EU country outside the Nordic Region, and much more.
Info Norden’s web pages are viewed up to 3 million times a year, and more than 5,000 people turn to us each year for specific information. Every year, more and more Nordic people seek information in order to leverage the opportunities of the Nordic Region.
Info Norden puts the needs of those residing in the Nordic Region on the Nordic agenda
For 25 years, Info Norden has ensured that politicians and civil servants are aware of the problems that hinder freedom of movement in the Nordic Region. These can be small problems concerning day-to-day life, or structural obstacles which create long-term inequality.
Every year, Info Norden collects examples of what’s difficult for people who want to participate in the common education and labour market in the Nordic Region. This concerns, for example, issues with using e-identification across borders, recognition of education and long case-processing times to obtain a personal identification number.
Info Norden plays a central role in our shared Nordic vision for the Nordic Region to be the most integrated and sustainable region in the world by 2030. By creating results which are visible in the day-to-day lives of those residing in the Nordic Region, Info Norden creates added value.
Info Norden – specialist in mobility in the Nordic Region
Info Norden is the Nordic Region’s largest provider of information on mobility in the region and continues to look ahead with shared aspirations for those residing in the Nordic Region, for the region itself and for Nordic co-operation in terms of freedom of movement.
Targeted efforts on strengthening Info Norden’s position as a specialist service and the ongoing development of digital solutions gives those residing in the Nordic Region better and faster routes to making informed choices and making the best decisions.
Info Norden’s employees would like to thank the users for the trust they have shown over the first 25 years. Together with residents, Info Norden contributes to the Nordic prime ministers’ vision of making the Nordic Region the most integrated region in the world to live and thrive in.
Facts about Info Norden
Info Norden
- The Nordic Council of Ministers’ information service for people who want to live, work, study or start a business in another Nordic country.
- Opened its first office in Stockholm in 1998 and has since opened offices in all the Nordic capitals.
- Disseminates public information about all the Nordic countries and the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland on websites which are available in Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish and English.
- Collates information on obstacles to freedom of movement and other challenges that citizens encounter in order to promote freedom of movement in the Nordic Region.
