You don’t need a personnummer to open a Swedish bank account, whatever the branch says. You do need to answer the bank’s questions well, and you need a Swedish ID document before BankID. Here is the order that works, and the rules behind it.
When you need this
You have moved to Sweden, or will soon, and your salary, rent and bills need a Swedish account. Maybe a branch has already told you to “come back with a personnummer”. Maybe you are a non-EU citizen with a residence permit and aren’t sure the rules cover you. Or you have the account, but BankID, the e-ID behind Swish and most Swedish logins, still won’t work.
If you live outside Sweden and need an account for a summer house or short job, read coordination numbers and accounts for non-residents instead. This page is for people making Sweden their home.
Your right to an account
Swedish law forbids a bank to refuse a consumer legally resident in the EEA a payment account with basic functions. There are two exceptions: opening the account would break the money-laundering act, or there are “special reasons”. Finansinspektionen (FI), the financial supervisor, says it directly: people living in Sweden or elsewhere in the EEA have the right to open a payment account.
Two consequences matter for newcomers:
- Residence decides, not citizenship. A non-EU citizen living in Sweden is covered. A Swede living outside the EEA is not.
- No personnummer is required. Finance Sweden, the banks’ industry association, says the right applies regardless of citizenship and whether or not you have a Swedish personal identity number. The banks told FI the same. Without a number, though, the bank can’t search Swedish registers, so the checks are slower and more manual.
The right covers the betalkonto med grundläggande funktioner, the payment account with basic functions. “Basic” still means a full everyday account:
| Basic function | What it covers |
|---|---|
| The account itself | Opening, holding and closing it |
| Deposits | Paying money in |
| Cash | Withdrawals in the EEA, over the counter or at ATMs |
| Payments | Direct debits, debit-card payments (online too), transfers and standing orders |
The bank may not cap how often you use these. Credit cards, overdrafts and loans are not covered: they stay the bank’s own decision.
So should you wait for your number at all? Not for the account. If you are staying a year or more, start your folkbokföring (population registration) with Skatteverket straight away, because the personnummer comes with it. Skatteverket says a case takes about five weeks to reach an administrator. Apply for the account in parallel. The order of everything else is in moving to Sweden for work.
What to bring
Book a branch visit; banks commonly open newcomers’ accounts in person, and the questions take time. Bring:
- A valid passport or national ID card
- Non-EU/EEA citizens: your Swedish residence permit card as well
- Your employment contract, or an admission letter or study certificate if you came to study
- Statements, a balance certificate or a sale contract if you will deposit savings
- A short written note of what the account is for and what will go in and out
If you have no valid ID at all, you must prove who you are and your citizenship with other documents from an independent, reliable source. A bank may refuse if it can’t identify you securely enough.
The questions the bank must ask
The questionnaire feels intrusive, but almost every question is a legal duty. Knowing why makes it quicker to answer.
| Question | Why the bank asks | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| What is the account for? | It must know the purpose and nature of the relationship | Money-laundering act |
| Where does your money come from? | To manage money-laundering risk | Money-laundering act |
| Are you a politically exposed person? | It must check you, family and close associates | Money-laundering act |
| Which countries are you tax resident in? | Self-certification before any new account, with tax numbers | Account-reporting law (CRS) |
| Are you a US person? | It must establish US status and collect a US tax number | FATCA law |
Answer the purpose question concretely: “salary from my employer, rent, everyday bills, transfers from my home account”. A vague “various purposes” is exactly what refusals are built on. On the tax form, list every country where you are tax resident, including your home country if you still have income or a home there. For US citizens, an account without the FATCA statement is treated as reportable to the US authorities; the bank will not skip the form.
If the bank says no
Ask specifically for the betalkonto med grundläggande funktioner. For that account the bank must decide as soon as possible and no later than ten banking days after a complete application. A refusal must be:
- written, and free of charge,
- clear about where you can complain or have it tried in court,
- reasoned, where possible.
“You need a personnummer” is not a lawful ground on its own for refusing someone who lives in the EEA. Ask for the refusal in writing. Then ask the bank to reconsider: in FI’s 2020–2022 review, banks changed their decision in just over 20% of reconsidered cases. After that, go to the bank’s complaints officer, then ARN (the National Board for Consumer Disputes) or a district court. Konsumenternas Bank- och finansbyrå gives free advice.
Watch for the soft refusal: being asked again and again to “complete” your application. FI found that this leaves people without a formal decision, so there is nothing to appeal and the ten-day clock never starts. Ask in writing for a decision on a complete application.
Once the account is open, keep it open. Banks re-check customers, and an unanswered follow-up letter was the most common reason banks gave FI for closing accounts.
From account to BankID: the ID-card switch
The account does not come with BankID. Mobile BankID needs a Swedish personnummer shown on an approved Swedish ID document, and a coordination number is not enough. For most newcomers the passport is not that document. So the sequence is: personnummer, then a Swedish ID card, then BankID. The whole step is covered in getting BankID as a newcomer.
The ID document is changing during winter 2026–27. Check the dates before you pay for a card:
| Date | What changes |
|---|---|
| Until 30 November 2026 | Skatteverket’s ID card (400 kr) is the usual route for registered foreigners |
| 1 November 2026 | Polisen takes bookings for SverigeID on 114 14 |
| 1 December 2026 | Polisen issues registered foreigners an ID card linked to SverigeID, the state e-ID |
| 1 March 2027 (proposed) | Skatteverket’s card closes to new applications; still a government proposal |
Existing Skatteverket cards are meant to stay valid until they expire, but that is the government’s assessment, not law. The Swedish Bankers’ Association has warned that banks’ acceptance depends on Skatteverket keeping its card-validity check running; Skatteverket has confirmed it will while valid cards exist. Between December and February, the government expects applicants to be steered to Polisen. Compare both cards first, and check your bank’s list of accepted documents. If you hold a non-EU passport and apply for Skatteverket’s card, use your residence permit to prove identity and say so when you apply, because non-EU passports aren’t on Skatteverket’s accepted list. The details are in the Swedish ID card.
Until BankID arrives, keep a low-fee foreign card for daily spending; Swish and e-invoices wait for it. And never let anyone use your BankID or account “to help you get started”: what is signed is legally your act. See phone and BankID scams.
Fees, packages and the deposit guarantee
The basic account may carry “reasonable” fees, judged from the consumer’s point of view. Before you sign, the bank must give you its fee list on paper or another durable medium. It must also send a free fee statement at least once a year. If the account comes in a package, the bank must tell you whether the parts can be bought separately and what each costs. FI standardises the names of account services, so lists from different banks can be compared line by line. Switching banks later is simple: the new bank handles the switch on request.
Your deposits are protected by the state deposit guarantee, run by Riksgälden, the Swedish National Debt Office. The limit rose on 1 January 2026; many bank leaflets and English pages still quote the old 1,050,000 kr. The current figure is in the table below.
Once the account is open, paying Swedish bills is its own system: see bankgiro, OCR and autogiro.
Practical information
| Item | Amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Decision on a basic account | Within 10 banking days of a complete application |
| Written refusal | Free by law |
| Basic account fees | “Reasonable”, set by each bank; fee list before signing |
| Ordering Mobile BankID | Free at the issuing bank checked |
| Skatteverket ID card | 400 kr, paid before booking (prices checked 15 October 2026) |
| Polisen SverigeID card | Fee not yet published |
| Deposit guarantee | Up to 1,150,000 kr per person and bank, from 1 January 2026 |
| Konsumenternas Bank- och finansbyrå | Free advice |
FAQ
Can I open a Swedish bank account without a personnummer?
Yes, if you live in Sweden or elsewhere in the EEA. The law bars banks from refusing such a consumer a basic payment account except on money-laundering grounds or for special reasons, and Finance Sweden says the right applies regardless of citizenship or personnummer. In practice the checks are slower without the number, and BankID still has to wait for it.
What documents do I need to open a bank account in Sweden?
A valid passport or national ID card; if you are not an EU/EEA citizen, also your residence permit. Expect to explain why you need the account and where your money comes from, so bring an employment contract or admission letter and, for savings, statements or a sale contract. You will also certify your tax residence and any US tax status.
How long does a Swedish bank have to decide?
For the basic payment account, as soon as possible and no later than ten banking days after a complete application. A refusal must be written, free of charge, name where to complain and, if possible, give reasons. The deadline only runs once the application is complete, so ask the bank to confirm in writing when it is.
Why does the bank ask about my tax residence and US citizenship?
Because Swedish law requires it before any new account is opened. Under the rules for automatic exchange of account information you must list every country where you are tax resident, with tax numbers. Under the separate FATCA agreement the bank must establish whether you are a US person and collect a US tax number if so.
Can a non-EU citizen with a residence permit open a bank account?
Yes. The right attaches to legal residence in the EEA, not to citizenship, so a non-EU citizen living in Sweden is covered. Banks commonly ask to see the residence permit alongside the passport. What a non-EU newcomer meets later is the BankID step, which needs a Swedish ID document showing the personnummer.
When can I get BankID after opening the account?
Once you have a personnummer and an approved Swedish ID document showing it. Until 1 December 2026 that is usually Skatteverket’s ID card; from then, Polisen also issues registered foreigners an ID card with SverigeID, and Skatteverket’s card is proposed to close to new applications on 1 March 2027. A passport alone is normally not enough.
Is my money safe in a Swedish bank?
Deposits at banks covered by the state deposit guarantee are protected up to 1,150,000 kr per person and institution, the level that took effect on 1 January 2026. Riksgälden, the Swedish National Debt Office, runs the scheme. Older pages still quote 1,050,000 kr, the previous limit.
Related guides
- Getting BankID as a newcomer — the step after the account, and what it unlocks.
- The Swedish ID card — the document between your account and BankID.
- The personnummer explained — why every form keeps asking for it.
- Moving to Sweden for work — the first-month order of registration, ID and banking.
- Bankgiro, OCR and autogiro — how to pay Swedish bills once the account works.
Facts verified 2026-10-15. Sources: Sveriges riksdag (Lag 2010:751, Lag 2017:630, Lag 2015:911, Lag 2015:62, Lag 2015:899, folkbokföringslagen), Finansinspektionen, Riksgälden, Skatteverket, Polismyndigheten, Regeringen, Finance Sweden, Konsumenternas — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.