Operator websites stop at “enter your personnummer”, and that isn’t a mistake. Here’s why, what works on day one, how home broadband usually comes with the flat, and the rights Swedish law gives you once you sign.
When you need this
- You’ve just moved to Sweden and need a Swedish number for work, school or landlords
- An operator’s website asks for your personnummer and you don’t have one yet
- You’ve just got your personnummer and want to swap prepaid for a contract
- You’re moving into an apartment and don’t know whether broadband is already included
- Your fibre doesn’t work after move-in and the provider says the port is blocked
- You want to bring your foreign number or keep your home EU SIM for months
Prepaid first, contract later
Swedish phone service comes in two forms, and only one is open to you on day one.
| Kontantkort (prepaid) | Abonnemang (monthly contract) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you need | A valid ID document — a foreign passport works | In practice a personnummer (Swedish personal identity number) |
| Why | The law demands an identity check, and the ID-number field accepts a coordination number “or other identification number” | Operators may run a credit check before a binding contract, and the check runs on the personnummer |
| Legal basis | Registration duty since 2022 (Electronic Communications Act) | Operator terms, not statute |
| When | Day one | After you’re population-registered |
The credit check — a kreditupplysning — goes through a Swedish credit bureau and can show your income, any betalningsanmärkningar (payment-default records) and registered debt. Without a personnummer, there’s nothing for the check to run on. That’s why the state’s own newcomer portal, Informationsverige.se, lists the phone subscription among the things to do after you receive your personnummer, alongside the ID card, bank account and BankID.
Nothing in the statute requires a personnummer for a contract; it’s each operator’s terms. If you have a coordination number, ask in a store. But don’t wait for an answer to get connected: a prepaid SIM gives you a Swedish number immediately, and you can move that number to a contract later.
Your first weeks, step by step
- Check your phone before you move. Make sure VoLTE (“4G calling”) is supported and on; older handsets that place calls over 2G/3G are being blocked by regulator order.
- Day one: buy a prepaid SIM and register it with your passport. Online registration usually goes through BankID; without a personnummer, do it in an operator store or at a retailer that registers with foreign ID. Telia, for example, registers passport holders in its stores. The details of where to buy are in our SIM and eSIM guide.
- Find out what broadband your home already has. Ask the landlord or housing association (see the next section).
- Need home internet before you have a personnummer? Ask the network’s providers whether they’ll take you, or use prepaid mobile broadband meanwhile. Prepaid internet access is registered exactly like a prepaid SIM.
- Register with Skatteverket and get your personnummer if you’ll live in Sweden for a year or more — the order is explained in moving to Sweden for work and personnummer explained.
- Sign a contract once you have the personnummer. Expect a credit check; the bureau sends you a free written notice of what it disclosed.
- Read the contract summary before you confirm. The operator must give you a short, plain summary free of charge, and the contract applies only once you’ve received it and confirmed.
- Move your prepaid number to the contract if you want to keep it. Order the transfer from the new operator; the number must be registered to you.
- Diary the end of any binding period. You can’t be required to give notice earlier than one month before it ends.
Home broadband: check what’s already in the wall
Most Swedish apartments already have fibre. Often it’s a stadsnät (city network): the majority of municipalities have one, and about nine in ten are run by municipal companies. Before you order anything, find out which of three situations you’re in.
| Your building has | What it means | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Gruppavtal (group agreement) | The landlord or association buys broadband for every flat; it’s often ingår i hyran (included in the rent) or the monthly fee | Nothing — plug in; you may buy extra services |
| Öppet nät (open network) | One fibre network, many competing service providers | Pick a provider for your address and order |
| Single-operator fibre, or none | One provider, or no fibre yet | Order from that provider, or use 4G/5G broadband |
Fibre or mobile? Fibre is commonly 100 to 1,000 Mbit/s, stable and without a data cap, but needs installation. 4G and 5G broadband is portable and quick to set up, but has data limits and 5G coverage thins outside larger cities. A 4G or 5G router on prepaid is the usual bridge for a few months without a personnummer.
Fibre dead on move-in? Often the previous tenant’s service still blocks the port. Tell your new provider; it asks for the old service to be shut down, and the previous resident has 14 days to object if that’s a mistake.
Houses in the countryside are a different story: no operator has to offer you fibre, and the price of a new connection isn’t regulated, so get quotes from several providers. Paying a connection off in instalments may legally run longer than 24 months. And beware sellers who use Telia’s area-by-area removal of the old copper network to rush you — households affected should have been told. Telia says the whole copper network will be gone by the end of 2026 at the latest.
Your rights once you sign
The Electronic Communications Act (lagen om elektronisk kommunikation, Lag 2022:482) gives consumers firm rules.
| Right | Rule |
|---|---|
| Maximum binding period (bindningstid) | 24 months |
| Maximum notice period (uppsägningstid) | One month; never earlier than one month before binding ends |
| After an automatic renewal | Leave at any time on one month’s notice |
| Operator changes your terms | One month’s warning; cancel without cost within three months (unless the change only helps you, is administrative or is required by law) |
| Number transfer (nummerflytt) | Active within one working day of the agreed date; max one working day without service |
| Broadband switch | No interruption where technically possible; max one working day |
Two limits matter for movers. Moving doesn’t end a binding period: if your operator can’t deliver at the new address, you usually keep paying until it ends. And leaving early costs the remaining months, usually as one lump sum on the final invoice. So don’t sign a 24-month deal weeks before a possible move.
For number transfers, the exceptions trip people up: you can’t move a number between a fixed line and a mobile, you can’t move a number registered to someone else (a family plan, say), and if a prepaid card lapsed because you stopped topping up, the number may be gone. Don’t lend your prepaid SIM to someone long-term either — the operator must cut off a card used by another person without new registration.
If something goes wrong, complain to the operator in writing so there’s a record. If that fails and the operator is a member, Telekområdgivarna (the telecom consumer advisers) can help.
Bringing a phone or SIM from abroad
Check this before you pack: Telenor, Tele2 and Tre closed their 2G and 3G networks in December 2025, Telia’s 3G is gone too, and Telia’s 2G is scheduled to close at the end of 2027. PTS ordered the operators to block phones that can’t call 112 over 4G. A phone without VoLTE may be unable to make any call, including an emergency call.
Your EU SIM is for travel, not for living. Roam Like At Home lets you use it at home prices in Sweden for a while, but your home operator can check over four months whether you mainly use it abroad, warn you, and then add surcharges. Our roaming guide explains the check. Once you live here, a Swedish number is the stable choice.
Practical information
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Prepaid SIM registration | Free; passport or other valid ID; SIM and bundle prices in the SIM guide |
| Contract requirement | In practice a personnummer and a passed credit check |
| Credit-report copy | Free, sent automatically by the credit bureau |
| Group-agreement broadband | Included in rent or fee; no contract of your own |
| Binding / notice | Max 24 months / max one month |
| Number transfer | Max one working day without service |
| Leaving a contract early | Remaining months, usually as a lump sum |
| New fibre to a house | Not price-regulated; instalments may exceed 24 months |
| Plan and broadband prices | Vary by operator and address — compare live |
FAQ
Can I get a phone contract in Sweden without a personnummer?
Usually not. Operators may credit-check you before a binding subscription, and Swedish credit checks run on the personnummer, so most sign-ups require one. Each operator sets its own terms, so ask in a store if you have a coordination number. Until then, buy a prepaid SIM: the law accepts a passport for registration, and you can move the number to a contract later.
Do I need ID to buy a prepaid SIM in Sweden?
Yes. Since 2022 every prepaid phone or internet service must be registered with your name, address and an identification number, checked against a valid ID document or reliable e-ID. A foreign passport works. Without BankID, register in an operator store or at a retailer that handles foreign ID; Telia, for example, registers passport holders in its stores.
Is broadband included in Swedish rentals?
Often, yes. Many landlords and housing associations sign a group agreement with a broadband provider, so every flat gets internet included in the rent or monthly fee and you need no contract of your own. Other buildings have an open fibre network where you pick a provider from a list. Ask the landlord which applies before ordering anything.
How long can a Swedish phone contract bind me?
At most 24 months for a consumer, under the Electronic Communications Act. The notice period may not exceed one month, and after an automatic renewal you can leave at any time on one month’s notice. If the operator changes your terms to your disadvantage, you may cancel without extra cost within three months of being told.
Can I keep my phone number when I switch operator?
Yes, for a Swedish number registered to you. Order the transfer from the new operator; it must activate the number within one working day of the agreed date, and the interruption may not exceed one working day. You cannot move a number between fixed and mobile services, and a lapsed prepaid card may lose the right.
Why doesn’t my fibre work in my new apartment?
Often because the previous tenant’s service still blocks the port. Tell your new broadband provider; it asks for the old service to be shut down. The previous resident then has 14 days to object if the shutdown is wrong. If your provider cannot clear the block and is a member of Telekområdgivarna, you can ask them for help.
Can I keep using my EU SIM after moving to Sweden?
For a while, but not as a permanent arrangement. Roam Like At Home is meant for travel. Your home operator can check over four months whether you mainly use the SIM abroad, warn you and then add surcharges. Once you live in Sweden, a Swedish number also makes you easier to reach for landlords, employers and healthcare, so switch when you can.
Related guides
- SIM cards and eSIMs for Sweden — where to buy the prepaid SIM you’ll start with
- Personnummer explained — the number that unlocks contracts, banks and BankID
- Moving to Sweden for work — the registration order from permit to BankID
- Coordination numbers and bank accounts — the number you may get first
- Wi-Fi in Sweden — staying online while home broadband is being set up
Facts verified 2026-10-06. Sources: Sveriges riksdag (Lag 2022:482 om elektronisk kommunikation), PTS, Telekområdgivarna, Informationsverige.se, European Commission, Telia and Comviq — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.