Getting a personnummer in Sweden: the one-year rule

In Sweden almost everything runs on the personal identity number, the personnummer. Banks, landlords, employers, phone companies and healthcare all ask for it, and the digital identity that most Swedes use, BankID, cannot be issued without it. For an American moving to Sweden, getting a personnummer is the step that turns a residence permit into a working daily life. This guide explains who qualifies, how the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) assigns it, what to do if you will be in Sweden for less than a year, and how BankID fits in.

What the personnummer is

Skatteverket assigns a personal identity number to everyone registered in the Swedish Population Register. Once you have one, you keep it for life, even if you later move abroad.

It has three parts:

• six digits for your birthdate, in year, month and day order (640823 means 23 August 1964);
• a three-digit birth number, whose last digit is odd for men and even for women;
• a control number, calculated automatically.

A hyphen separates the birthdate and birth number, replaced by a plus sign in the year the person turns 100. If all the birth numbers for a date are used, you may receive a number showing a date close to your real birthdate.

You use the number in contact with both authorities and private companies, because it is your identifier in Sweden.

Who qualifies

### The one-year rule

If you move to Sweden and plan to live there for one year or more, you are generally required to be registered in the Population Register. When you are first registered, you are assigned a personnummer. Skatteverket decides whether you meet the registration requirements.

### Americans need a residence permit first

As a citizen of a non-EU/EEA country, you must show a valid Swedish residence permit when you notify Skatteverket of your move. If you do not have one, Skatteverket refers you to the Migration Agency.

How to register

1. Notify your move using the "Moving to Sweden" (Flytta till Sverige) e-service, available in English, or at a service centre.
2. Book an identity check. You and family members moving with you must visit a state service centre in person after arriving.
3. Bring your documents: your passport, your Swedish residence permit card, documents showing your reason for moving (such as the permit decision or employment contract) and proof of your family situation.
4. Give your address. Provide the full address where you live and sleep, the four-digit apartment number if there is one, and the name of the person you live with if you stay in someone else's home. Your name must be on the door or postbox. Skatteverket does not register c/o addresses.

If you are in a hotel or other temporary accommodation, give that address and report your new one if you move before being registered.

### How long it takes

Skatteverket states that when you report a move to Sweden, it takes about six weeks for your case to be assigned to an administrator. If Skatteverket cannot reach you, it may be unable to register you or give you a personnummer, so keep your name on the postbox.

The coordination number

### For stays under a year

If you will be in Sweden for less than one year, you cannot get a personnummer, but you may get a coordination number (samordningsnummer). You can apply yourself if you have a connection to Sweden and can show you need the number. You apply in the "Coordination number" e-service, in English or Swedish, and must visit a service centre for an identity check with your passport and residence permit card.

A coordination number can also be assigned when you apply for F-tax approval or at the request of an authority or university.

### What happens later

A coordination number stays active for five years, then becomes inactive automatically, and can be reactivated. If you are later registered as living in Sweden, your coordination number is replaced with a personnummer.

### Work and tax

Skatteverket advises people newly employed in Sweden to visit a service centre as soon as possible to apply for a coordination number if needed, and to register for preliminary A-tax or apply for SINK, the special income tax for non-residents. You can start working before Skatteverket decides.

BankID

BankID is the electronic identification most adults in Sweden use. BankID's own site states that to get one you must:

• have a Swedish personal identity number;
• be a customer of a bank that issues BankID;
• be identified with a valid ID document.

You order BankID from your bank, usually through online banking. Some banks accept foreign ID documents when you get BankID digitally; otherwise, contact the bank.

A coordination number does not meet BankID's personnummer requirement, so short-stay residents without a personnummer cannot get BankID.

The Skatteverket ID card

Once registered, you can apply for a Skatteverket ID card. You must be in the Population Register, have a personnummer and prove your identity, for example with a residence permit, and pay the SEK 400 fee before your appointment. The card is valid for five years and includes Swedish e-identification. From 1 December 2026, new ID cards are applied for from the Swedish Police instead.

Registering children and family

If you move with a spouse or registered partner, bring documents confirming your civil status, such as a marriage certificate or an extract from the civil register. If you are married or have been before and move alone, you still need documents such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree or death certificate. People who have never married do not need civil status documents.

For a child under 18 moving with you, you must prove who the parents are with a birth certificate, an extract from the civil register or a family registration document, plus any custody decision. Both parents or guardians must notify the move jointly. If one cannot attend the service centre, the other needs written consent to represent the child.

If you lack documents showing family relationships, Skatteverket may ask to see the residence permit decisions from the Migration Agency instead.

Population registration certificates

Once registered, you can prove your registered details with a population registration certificate (personbevis), an extract from the Population Register that only Skatteverket issues. If you have Swedish eID and are over 16, you can download certificates about yourself from Skatteverket's e-service, including an extract with English text. Certificates with data about other people, such as children, are ordered by post to the registered address. A certificate cannot be used as proof of identity.

If your number changes

If Skatteverket assigns you a new personnummer, for example because your date of birth is corrected, you need to apply for new ID documents. A personnummer also replaces any coordination number you held before.

Keeping your details current

Report a change of address in advance or within one week of moving, so the new address applies from your moving-in date.

Common questions

Can I get a personnummer before moving to Sweden? No. You must move to Sweden, intend to stay at least a year, notify Skatteverket and attend an identity check with your residence permit card.

What if I will be in Sweden for less than a year? You can apply for a coordination number if you have a connection to Sweden and need one. It is replaced by a personnummer if you are later registered.

Can I get BankID with a coordination number? BankID requires a Swedish personal identity number, a bank that issues BankID and a valid ID document.

How long does registration take? Skatteverket says a move to Sweden takes about six weeks to be assigned to an administrator.