BankID in Sweden: how to set it up as a newcomer
When you move to Sweden, there's one sentence you'll hear again and again in your first few weeks: "Do you have BankID?" At the doctor's. At the bank. At the housing office. At the tax authority. In your electricity supplier's app.
In many countries there's nothing like it. Germany, for example, has no single digital system that controls so many different everyday processes. That's exactly why BankID is one of the biggest blind spots for people moving to Sweden, and at the same time one of the most important things to sort out in your first weeks.
This article explains what BankID is, why you need it, how to get it, and how to bridge the gap until you have it.
What exactly is BankID?
BankID is Sweden's dominant system for digital identification and authentication. It was developed jointly by several Swedish banks in 2003 and has since become the de facto infrastructure for digital identity in the country.
More than eight million people in Sweden use BankID. That's practically the entire adult population. Few countries have rolled out a digital identity so comprehensively.
The principle works like this: you log in to an app on your smartphone and use it to confirm your identity to authorities, banks, companies and platforms. Instead of codes sent by text or lists of transaction numbers, Sweden simply has BankID.
Where you'll actually need it
The list is long. Here are the main areas where BankID is practically indispensable in Sweden:
Authorities and public offices
- Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency): tax return, viewing your personal details
- Försäkringskassan (Swedish Social Insurance Agency): reporting sick, parental benefit, sickness benefit
- 1177 Vårdguiden: booking doctor's appointments, viewing your medical records
- Mina meddelanden: receiving official post digitally
Housing and everyday life
- Boplats Väst: applying for rental flats in the queue
- Hemnet: saving property listings and making enquiries
- Signing up for electricity, internet and mobile phone contracts
Finances
- Using a Swedish bank account with online banking
- BankID is mandatory for every Swedish banking app (Swedbank, Handelsbanken, SEB, Nordea)
- Swish, Sweden's mobile payment app, can't be used without BankID
Work and contracts
- Signing collective agreements and documents digitally
- Accessing personnummer-related services online
- Many employers' HR systems and payslips
In short: if you live in Sweden without BankID, you're living in a country that exists digitally all around you, but won't let you in.
The problem: no personnummer, no BankID
And here's the crucial restriction that many people only run into once they're already in the country.
BankID is issued by Swedish banks. And Swedish banks generally only give BankID to people who already have an account with them, and to open an account you usually need a Swedish personnummer (personal identity number).
That means the order of the steps matters.
- Move to Sweden and register with Skatteverket
- Apply for folkbokföring (population registration) and receive your personnummer (realistically three to eight weeks, sometimes longer)
- Open a Swedish bank account
- Apply for BankID at your bank and set it up
Altogether, this process can take several weeks. In the meantime, a lot of things you'd normally do online are out of reach.
What you can do in the meantime
Wise as a stopgap
Wise (formerly TransferWise) lets you open an account with a European IBAN without a Swedish personnummer. With it you can pay in Sweden, transfer money and sign your first contracts. No BankID, but at least a working account.
Foreign eID (limited)
On some authorities' portals you can log in with a foreign eID system, but it's very limited and unreliable. Skatteverket, for example, now supports some EU eID systems, but that doesn't fully replace BankID.
Go in person
Many things that require BankID online can also be done in person. Especially in the first few weeks, it's worth going straight to the authority or the bank rather than trying online and failing.
How to apply for BankID, step by step
Once you have a personnummer and have opened a Swedish bank account, you're ready to go.
Step 1: Open an account with a Swedish bank
The banks currently most accessible to newcomers are Handelsbanken and Swedbank. Both require a personnummer but have experience with expats. Nordea and SEB tend to be more restrictive. An appointment in person at a branch is a good idea; many branches have English-speaking staff. More on this in my article on opening a bank account in Sweden.
Step 2: Get your bank to activate BankID
After opening the account, you apply for BankID directly at the branch or through the bank's online banking. You'll receive a code or instructions for activating the Mobilt BankID app.
Step 3: Download and set up the app
Download the official "BankID" app from the App Store or Google Play. The app is free. You link your account to the app and choose a six-digit PIN or activate biometric unlocking.
Step 4: Test your first login
Test BankID straight away on 1177.se or with Skatteverket. You'll quickly notice how much opens up that wasn't accessible before.
Which version of BankID do you need?
There are two forms:
Mobilt BankID is the app on your smartphone. It's the standard and what almost all Swedes use. Flexible, always with you, works on iOS and Android.
BankID på kort (BankID on a card) is an older version based on a physical chip card reader. It's hardly used any more and most banks no longer actively issue it.
For newcomers: Mobilt BankID is the only relevant option.
A personal note
I still remember my first weeks in Gothenburg without BankID very clearly. I wanted to book a doctor's appointment through 1177: no BankID, no online appointment. I wanted to download my registration certificate from Skatteverket: no BankID, no login. I wanted to add something to a flat application on Boplats: no BankID, no chance.
It's not that you don't exist without BankID. But you exist a lot more awkwardly.
If you're planning your move right now: put applying for a personnummer and opening a bank account as early on your list as you can. BankID isn't a nice-to-have. It's the digital key to Sweden.
Summary: the key points
- BankID is Sweden's universal digital identification system: for authorities, banks, housing, contracts.
- It's tied to a Swedish personnummer and a Swedish bank account.
- Without BankID, a lot of things you'd normally do online are out of reach, so plan for the gap in advance.
- Once you have a personnummer and a bank account, setting it up takes a few minutes.
- Wise is a good stopgap for the first few weeks.
Do you have questions about applying for a personnummer or opening a bank account in Sweden? Write to me, or read my complete personnummer guide first.
Buying a house in Sweden: practical guide, the in-depth guide on this topic, is currently available in German: view it in the shop.
I'm Sebastian Schiefner, a photographer in Gothenburg, and I help people who are moving to West Sweden with finding a home and buying property. Free intro call.
