Swedish ID Card and BankID for Newcomers: What Changes in 2026–2027

In Sweden an electronic ID such as BankID is used to log in to many e-services, from authorities to banks. Banks issue BankID to their own customers, and each bank decides what identity documents it accepts. For many non-EU newcomers the first Swedish identity document is a Skatteverket ID card, and that system is changing.

The usual order

1. Personnummer, from registering in the population register (how to register).
2. An ID card: Skatteverket's, applied for at a state service centre, or from 1 December 2026 the Police's (see below).
3. Bank account, opened with your bank.
4. BankID, issued by the bank. Ask your bank what it needs.

The Skatteverket ID card in 2026

• Fee: SEK 400, paid before your visit. You can't pay at the service centre.
• Who can get one: people who are registered in the population register with a personnummer, are 13 or older, and can prove their identity. Under-18s need written consent from their guardians.
• Proving who you are: Skatteverket accepts, among others, a Swedish passport or driving licence, or a valid EU, Icelandic, Liechtenstein, Norwegian or Swiss passport issued from 1 September 2006. Non-EU citizens can instead rely on their Swedish residence permit, which Skatteverket checks with Migrationsverket. Someone who knows you well can also vouch for you. Bring your passport and your residence permit card.
• Waiting time: normally about two weeks. You then collect the card yourself at the service centre within two months.

What changes: Skatteverket ID cards are being wound down

In June 2026 the government published a proposal (memo Fi2026/01416) to wind down Skatteverket's ID card service, with the changes taking effect on 1 March 2027. Separately, the Police plan to start issuing a state electronic ID, Sverige-id, from 1 December 2026. For people who are not Swedish citizens, the Police say it will be linked to an ID card without a travel function.

On 22 October 2026 Skatteverket's ID card page said that from 1 December everyone should apply for an ID card at the Police instead, because the Police will issue ID cards both to Swedish citizens and to people registered in Sweden who are not citizens. If you are not a Swedish citizen, the Police say you can book a time from 1 November by calling 114 14 and apply from 1 December at certain police stations; the card has no travel function and is linked to SverigeID, and you pay the fee at the police station.

Eight service centres stop taking ID card applications on 1 December (Stockholm Globen, Stockholm Kista, Malmö Värnhem, Göteborg Järntorget, Eskilstuna, Helsingborg, Norrköping and Trollhättan); the others still issue Skatteverket's card. If your personnummer arrives before 1 December, you can still get Skatteverket's card. After that, apply at the Police, and read both authorities' pages first: they were still being updated when we checked.

Getting BankID

• BankID is issued by banks, so you first need a bank account and an ID document your bank accepts. Ask your bank what it needs.
• Book a meeting with the bank as soon as your ID card is ready, and try more than one bank if the first can't see you soon.
• If you live in Sweden or elsewhere in the EEA, you have the right to open a basic payment account at a Swedish bank. Under the anti-money-laundering rules a bank can still refuse, for example if it can't verify your identity.

US citizens: US tax reporting rules (FATCA) mean Swedish banks have to identify accounts held by US persons. See our US guide.

Until you have BankID

• Ask HR for an employment certificate (anställningsintyg). It shows banks and landlords that you have a job.
• Use your payroll bank details as soon as the account is open. Ask payroll whether a first salary can go to a foreign account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get BankID without a personnummer?

BankID is issued by banks, and each bank decides what it needs from new customers. Ask your bank. If you live in Sweden or elsewhere in the EEA, you have the right to open a basic payment account, though a bank can refuse under the anti-money-laundering rules, for example if it can't verify your identity.

How much does a Swedish ID card cost?

SEK 400 at Skatteverket in 2026, paid before your visit to the service centre. For the Police's ID card, from 1 December 2026, you pay at the police station when you apply.

Is Skatteverket stopping ID cards?

From 1 December 2026 Skatteverket says everyone should apply for an ID card at the Police instead, and eight service centres stop taking applications. The government has also proposed winding down Skatteverket's ID card service from 1 March 2027; that was still a proposal when we checked. The Police start issuing the state e-ID SverigeID on 1 December 2026, linked to an ID card for people who are not Swedish citizens.

Moving for work? How Settio helps

Settio helps employers and immigration and relocation agencies run the whole move in one place, so the person moving can focus on settling in:

• Before the move: one plan for the permit and the move, with every step and deadline. A partner and children get their own steps in the same household.
• After arrival: the employee portal shows the newcomer their next steps on their phone, in their language, from registering after arrival to help for settling in.
• When the permit runs out: permit monitoring flags the extension in good time.

HR teams and agencies can start for free. Moving yourself? Try our free tools for life in Sweden.

Sources

6 official sources

• Skatteverket: How to apply for an ID card
• Regeringen: Phasing out Skatteverket's ID cards (June 2026)
• Polisen: State e-ID (SverigeID)
• Skatteverket: Skatteverket's ID card (apply at the Police from 1 December)
• Finansinspektionen: The right to a bank account
• Skatteverket: FATCA