Getting your Swedish personnummer as an EU citizen
The steps in the right order, and the mistakes that slow people down.
Based on official guidance from Skatteverket and other Swedish authorities, last checked October 2026.
Quick reference
- Who it is for: EU/EEA citizens who plan to live in Sweden for one year or more.
- What you do: Notify Skatteverket online, then visit a service centre in person for an identity check.
- How long: Skatteverket says it takes about 5 weeks before your case is assigned to a caseworker. The full process can take longer.
- Common trip-ups: an address that is not accepted, an incomplete employment document, and missing applications for family members.
Steps
Step 1 – Check that you qualify
Skatteverket expects you to register if you plan to stay in Sweden for a year or more. Registration gives you a personnummer.
- Staying less than a year? You generally should not register. You may be able to apply for a samordningsnummer (coordination number) instead, but you must show a need and a connection to Sweden.
- Looking for work? You can stay up to six months to look for a job. You normally cannot be registered during that time, unless you can show a strong likelihood of employment and intend to stay at least a year.
- You need a right of residence. For longer stays it is based on work, self-employment, studies, or being able to support yourself.
Step 2 – Gather your documents
If you are employed:
- A contract or certificate of employment signed by you and your employer. It should normally show your name and address, the employer's name, address and corporate identity number, your working hours, and other terms such as start date, notice period, annual leave, salary and benefits, plus a description of your tasks and any collective agreement.
- If you have already started work: a work schedule and payslips or a salary specification.
If you support yourself:
- Proof that you have enough money to support yourself for at least one year in Sweden, for example a bank statement, confirmation of a pension, or an employment contract and salary specifications from your previous country. If family is moving with you, your assets must cover them too.
For everyone:
- Passport or national ID card. In the online form you upload all passport pages that contain information.
- Documents for your civil status and family (marriage certificate, divorce decree, birth certificates) where relevant.
Step 3 – Get the address right
This is where many applications get stuck. Skatteverket needs:
- The full address where you live and sleep, including the four-digit apartment number if there is one.
- Your name on the door or the mailbox.
- "c/o" addresses are not accepted.
Step 4 – Notify Skatteverket online
Use the "Flytta till Sverige" (Moving to Sweden) e-service. It is available in English, Swedish, Arabic and Ukrainian.
- Log in with an e-ID (e-legitimation) or the Freja app.
- Submit no earlier than 14 days before you move.
- Every family member needs their own application, including children.
- Keep your receipt.
Step 5 – Identity check in person
After you arrive in Sweden, book an appointment at a service centre (servicekontor), for example via Statens servicecenter.
- Bring original identity documents, and any residence card from Migrationsverket if you have one.
- Each adult moving with you must attend in person. For children, check on skatteverket.se how the identity check works.
- Keep your booking confirmation.
Step 6 – Wait for the decision
Cases are handled in the order they arrive. Skatteverket currently says it takes about 5 weeks before a case gets a caseworker. If they need more information, they contact you by letter, email or phone. You receive a decision letter, and once you are registered you have your personnummer.
Step 7 – After you are registered: your Swedish ID card
With a personnummer you can apply for an id-kort from Skatteverket. Citizenship does not matter; you must be at least 13.
- Pay the 400 SEK application fee before your visit. It cannot be paid at the service office.
- Book a time via Statens servicecenter. Not every office issues id-kort.
- Bring proof of payment and an approved ID document (or an approved witness who knows you). A photo is taken at the office.
- Processing usually takes about two weeks. Pick the card up in person within two months, with the receipt you were given.
While you wait for your personnummer
Working: EU/EEA citizens do not need a work permit, and you do not need a personnummer or samordningsnummer to start working. Without a personnummer, your tax is handled with a samordningsnummer and a tax decision, which you apply for through Skatteverket. You can start working before the decision arrives, but show it to your employer as soon as you receive it.
Banking, BankID and Swish: Plan for this early, because these services depend on your bank.
- Each bank sets its own rules for new customers. As of October 2026, for example, Swedbank and Nordea say you can become a customer at a branch with a valid passport or EU ID. Other banks have their own routes for EU citizens, and the options can differ by account type. Ask your bank what you can get before your personnummer arrives.
- BankID is issued through your bank, and your bank decides which type you can get.
- Swish is set up through your bank too: you connect your mobile number to your bank account in your online bank, then verify yourself with Mobile BankID. Swish works only with participating banks.
- Depending on your bank, full access to BankID and Swish may only be possible once you have your personnummer and Swedish ID. Ask your bank early.
Health and social insurance: Once you are registered in the Swedish population register, you have access to healthcare on the same terms as other people living in Sweden. You only need to give Försäkringskassan information about your move if you want benefits (for example child allowance) or a Swedish EHIC. You can do this with the e-service or with form FK 5456. If you do not have a personnummer yet, the form asks for alternative information plus a copy of your passport.
FAQ
Do I need a personnummer or a samordningsnummer?
If you will live in Sweden for a year or more, register for a personnummer. A samordningsnummer is for people who are not (or not yet) in the population register, for example short-term workers. It is valid for five years and is replaced by a personnummer if you are later registered.
Can I apply before I arrive?
You can submit the online notification up to 14 days before your move. The identity check must be done in person after you arrive.
Does my partner or child need to apply too?
Yes. Each family member needs a separate notification, including children. Each adult must attend the identity check in person. For children, check on skatteverket.se how the identity check works.
Can I start working before I have a personnummer?
Yes. EU/EEA citizens do not need a work permit and do not need a personnummer or samordningsnummer to start working.
