Personal number & ID card

If you are staying in Sweden at least a year, you will be required to get a personal number (personnummer). Also you would need a Swedish national ID card.

Requirements for Personal number

The personnummer is your personal identification number from the Swedish Tax Agency (AKA Swedish social security number). It is widely used in daily life, for banking, memberships and subscriptions, and with it, you can access the same healthcare as Swedish citizens healthcare.

To apply for a personal number, you must register as living in Sweden with the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). Registration is done in person at one of the Skatteverket service offices (servicekontor) and you must take along the following documents:

  • Passport or national ID card (for EU/EEA citizens)

  • Your Swedish residence permit card (if a citizen of a non-EU or a non-EEA country)

  • Employment certificate from your employer specifying that you will be working in Sweden. The employment certificate must be signed (electronic signatures are also accepted) by you and your employer and include the following details:

    • Your name and address

    • Your employer’s name and address

    • Your employer’s corporate identity number (Organisationnummer)

    • Whether you have employment (Salary) or stipend contract (Scholarship)

    • Other employment details including employment data, working hours and salary

    • Description of your duties

  • Documents detailing civil status e.g., marriage certificate (if applicable)

  • Birth certificates of children (if applicable)

Once you are registered you will receive your Swedish personal number.

Note: Postdocs on a stipend holding an EU/EEA citizenship or EU residence permit need to present comprehensive health insurance in order to get a personnummer.

ID Card

After receiving your personal number, the next step is to apply for a Swedish ID card. A national ID card can greatly simplify your life in Sweden. For example, it can serve as an approved form of identification for proving your age, collecting packages from the post office, or opening a bank account in Sweden.

When travelling abroad, even within Europe, non-EU citizens should also carry their residence permit for border control.

Moving with family

Your family members can also register as living in Sweden with the Swedish Tax Agency. This can be done by visiting one of the Tax Agency service offices (servicekontor). When you visit the tax agency, all family members planning to relocate to Sweden must be present, including children.

In order to prove that you and your family member(s) are related, you must provide evidence such as a marriage or birth certificate, or a certificate demonstrating that you lived together prior to moving to Sweden.