What is a Personnummer? Sweden's Personal Identity Number Explained

A personnummer is Sweden's personal identity number: a unique 10-digit number that Skatteverket (the Swedish Tax Agency) gives everyone entered in the population register. It is made of your date of birth plus four digits. You get one when you are first entered in the population register through folkbokföring, which normally applies when you plan to live in Sweden for one year or more.

How a personnummer is built

Part	Example	Meaning
Birth date	900215	Six digits: year, month and day of birth (YYMMDD)
Separator	-	A hyphen, replaced by a plus sign (+) in the year the person turns 100
Birth number	123	Three digits. The last one is odd for men and even for women (legal sex)
Control digit	4	The last digit, a control number

Who gets one

• Everyone who is registered in the Swedish population register.
• People who move to Sweden and plan to live here for one year or more are normally registered. Non-EU citizens must also show a valid Swedish residence permit.
• People who plan to stay less than a year should not be registered. They can get a samordningsnummer (coordination number) instead.

How to get it and how long it takes

1. Find a home in Sweden. You give the full address where you live and sleep, and your name must be on the door or postbox. Skatteverket can't register a c/o address.
2. Report the move in Skatteverket's "Moving to Sweden" e-service, with proof of identity, your residence permit card, your reason for moving and your address. You can send it at the earliest 14 days before you move.
3. After arriving, visit a service centre in person for an identity check. Every family member moving with you must go too.
4. Wait for the decision by post. Skatteverket currently says about five weeks before an officer picks up a move to Sweden.

Full guide: folkbokföring after arrival.

Why it matters

Many services in Sweden ask for a personnummer. Skatteverket's own ID card, for example, is only for people who are registered and have a personnummer. See ID card and BankID in 2026.

Common problems

• A stay planned for less than a year. You should not be registered, so no personnummer.
• No real address yet. Skatteverket needs the address where you actually live.
• Family details take longer. Skatteverket currently says about 22 weeks before an officer picks up a registration of family relationships, and about 14 weeks for a marriage entered abroad.

For HR: onboarding while the number is on its way

• Check before arrival how long the employee plans to stay. Under a year means no registration and no personnummer.
• Help the employee find a real address early: Skatteverket registers people where they actually live.
• Make sure the move is reported and the identity check is booked soon after arrival, for every family member.
• Remember your own duty: an employer must inform Skatteverket when it hires a non-EU citizen.
• Follow up if no decision has arrived after about five weeks.

Related terms

• Folkbokföring: the registration that gives you a personnummer.
• Samordningsnummer: the number for people who aren't registered.
• Longer comparison: samordningsnummer vs personnummer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a personnummer before I arrive in Sweden?

No. You can send the notification at the earliest 14 days before you move, but you must also visit a service centre in person for an identity check after you arrive, and give the address where you live in Sweden.

Does a personnummer ever change?

Normally you keep the same number for life. Skatteverket can give you a new one, for example if your date of birth is corrected or your legal gender changes. You then need new ID documents.

Can I work in Sweden without a personnummer?

Yes, if you have the right to work. People who are not registered can use a coordination number for tax. For short stays, the employee or employer can apply for SINK, a special income tax for non-residents of 22.5%.

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: Personal identity numbers
• Skatteverket: Moving to Sweden as a citizen of a non-EU/EEA country
• Skatteverket: Processing times for folkbokföring
• Skatteverket: New in Sweden? Book an identity check
• Skatteverket: New in Sweden and will be employed here
• Skatteverket: How to apply for or renew an ID card