Folkbokföring: How Newcomers Register in Sweden (2026)

On this page · 10 sections

Who can register?
Step by step
What to bring
Employer: tell Skatteverket about the hire
Staying under a year: the coordination number
After the personnummer arrives
Common mistakes
Frequently Asked Questions
Moving for work? How Settio helps
Sources

Folkbokföring means being entered in the Swedish population register at Skatteverket (the Swedish Tax Agency). It is the most important step after you arrive. It gives you a personnummer (personal identity number). Subsidised healthcare and the Skatteverket ID card depend on it, and so does much of daily life.

Who can register?

You generally have to be registered if you plan to live in Sweden for one year or more. Skatteverket decides whether you meet the requirement. As a non-EU citizen you also show a valid Swedish residence permit.

Staying a year or more → register and get a personnummer.
Staying less than a year → you are generally not registered. You can get a coordination number (samordningsnummer) instead (see below).

Step by step

Find your home first. You give your full address, including the apartment number and the name of anyone you're staying with. Your name must be on the door or mailbox. Skatteverket cannot register "c/o" addresses.
Report the move online in Skatteverket's "Moving to Sweden" e-service (available in English, Arabic, Ukrainian and Swedish). Give your passport, residence permit card, the reason for your move (such as the employment contract or Migrationsverket's decision), your full address and proof of family relationships.
Visit a state service centre (statligt servicecenter) in person for the identity check. Some centres need an advance booking. Every family member moving with you has to attend.
Wait for the decision. When we checked, Skatteverket said it took about five weeks before a case officer picked up a moving-to-Sweden case.

What to bring

Passport
Residence permit card
Employment contract, or Migrationsverket's decision
Family: proof of family relationships, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificates

If Skatteverket also needs to register a marriage that took place abroad, that can add time: when we checked, it took about 14 weeks before such a case got a case officer.

Employer: tell Skatteverket about the hire

Separately from the employee's registration, the employer must notify Skatteverket when it employs a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland (form SKV 1160). The deadline is the end of the third month after the calendar month in which the employment started. Before the employment starts, the employer must check that the employee has a valid residence permit, and keep a copy of it until 12 months after the employment ends.

Staying under a year: the coordination number

People who aren't registered get a samordningsnummer so tax and payroll work. Points to know:

The identity check is done in person at a service centre, and numbers are graded (confirmed, probable or uncertain) by how well the identity was proven.
A coordination number stays active for five years. After that, an unused number is marked inactive. Reactivating one needs a new visit to a service centre.
People who aren't registered in the population register pay the full cost of healthcare. Keep your health insurance for the whole stay.

More detail: samordningsnummer vs personnummer.

After the personnummer arrives

Give it to HR and payroll the same day.
Apply for a Swedish ID card. See ID card and BankID in 2026.
Choose a health centre (vårdcentral) on 1177.se.
Sign up for SFI in your municipality if you want to learn Swedish.
If you drive: most non-EEA licences stop being valid once you have been registered for more than a year.

Common mistakes

Reporting the move before having a real address. You give your full address, and Skatteverket needs to be able to reach you there.
Going to the identity check without your family. Everyone moving with you has to visit in person.
Forgetting your name on the door or mailbox. If Skatteverket can't reach you, it can't process your notification.
Moving within Sweden without telling Skatteverket. You must report a new address within a week of moving.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get a personnummer in Sweden?

When we checked, Skatteverket said it took about five weeks before a case officer picked up a moving-to-Sweden case. Check Skatteverket's processing times page for the current figure.

Can I register in Sweden with a residence permit of less than one year?

Registration is generally for people who plan to live in Sweden for one year or more, and Skatteverket decides whether you meet the requirement. People who aren't registered can get a coordination number (samordningsnummer) instead.

Do I need to book an appointment for the identity check?

It depends on the service centre. Some need an advance booking. Everyone moving with you must visit in person.

Does my employer need to notify Skatteverket?

Yes. Employers must notify Skatteverket when they employ a non-EU/EEA citizen (form SKV 1160), by the end of the third month after the month the employment started, and keep a copy of the permit until 12 months after the employment ends.

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

8 official sources

More in our guide toSettling in Sweden Relocating to Sweden

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Folkbokföring After Arrival: How Non-EU Newcomers Register in Sweden (2026)