If you’ve arrived in Sweden on a visa that doesn’t allow for you to obtain a personal number, all is not lost. It can be a challenge to access certain services, such as banking, the library, and signing up for a gym. With a little effort and the right provider, you can not only survive but thrive in Sweden without a personal number.
What is a Personal Number?
A personal number (personnummer in Swedish) is the Swedish national identification number. It is a 10 or 12 digit number used throughout the country to identify individuals. It is obtained when a person is entered in the Swedish population register by the Swedish Tax Agency.
Similar to the American Social Security number or the Canadian Social Insurance Number, Swedish personal numbers are used by government and educations institutions, as well as healthcare organizations.
But that’s not all. Personal numbers are also used by banks, insurance companies, utility providers, gyms, and even grocery stores to record membership. In many cases, you will be asked to provide your personal number instead of giving an address, phone number or even membership number.
Basically, a personal number is your golden ticket to life in Sweden.
But what happens if arrive in Sweden on a short-term visa that won’t allow you to obtain a personal number? When you first arrive, it will seem as though you can’t do or sign up for anything.
When I first arrived in Sweden without a personal number, I tried to access many services only to be denied. I was frustrated as my Swedish dream was quickly turning into a nightmare. But I persevered. Over the past five months, with a little research and a lot of trial and error, I’ve learned you can not only survive but thrive in Sweden without a personal number.
How to Survive in Sweden Without A Personal Number
Banking
Opening a bank account without a personal number is a challenge. Many banks will flat out deny your application if you arrive without all the necessary pieces of information.
SEB is a great option for foreigners. Instead of signing up with a personal number, many branches will allow you to open an account using your passport.
To sign up for an account, pop into your local branch with your passport and the necessary documents ready, explain your situation and they should be able to get you up and running.
The Gym
Signing up for any gym membership or fitness program is fraught with hurdles when you’re without a personal number. For starter, you most certainly won’t be able to sign-up for classes online. Instead of giving up and counting yourself out, pop down to your local SATs (or any other gym of your choice) and speak with a manager. Explain your situation and they may be able to offer you a temporary membership. In these cases, you will most likely have to pay for your 6- or twelve-month membership upfront, but that beats not having access to the facilities at all.
If you’re looking for a more specialized form of fitness, such as yoga, barre or pilates, contact the studio to see if you need a personal number to sign-up for classes. Many of these private organizations don’t require you to have a personal number to purchase a membership.
Swedish Lessons
Even without a personal number, European Citizens can still access Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) classes. SFI classes are an awesome option as they are free and intense, so you’ll learn the language quickly.
For those of us not from the continent, SFI classes are not an option until you have a personal number. Thankfully there are other options. Schools like Folkuniversitet and Grow Internationals offer Swedish language classes to those of us without a personal number. Unfortunately, they aren’t free, but they are a great way to immerse yourself in the language and meet new people.
Life in Sweden without a personal number can be a challenge. From opening a bank account to obtaining a gym membership, you may feel like you’re facing hurdles around every turn. But with a little bit of effort and by contacting the right people, you can not only survive but thrive in Sweden without a personal number.
Written by: Kate Slean
Kate Slean is a Canadian freelance writer and graphic designer who has spent the last three years living throughout Europe. She moved to Stockholm in 2017 and has since been indulging her inner Scandophile and immersing herself in Swedish culture.
Hello
I’m originally from Bangladesh but living in Italy with Long-term residence permit EC .
I’d like to come in sweden so how can I apply for Swedish personal number ? What type of documents I should submit for obtain a Swedish personal number ?
Can anyone explain me please .
You need to be a Swedish resident, in order to get a personal number.
No not true.. If you have a visa for more than a year, you can apply to get a personnumber
You Can have a look at Skatteverket(tax agency) site.
For sure, you need work and accommodation contracts and proof that you will stay for more than a year.
I missed the PN only for special offers at the supermarket. I got all the health care included an offer for an operation. I was able to open a bank account at Handelsbanken, got a cheap offer for my phone, can buy train tickets online, be a member of an association which supports tenants. I live in Sweden since 6 years. ‘There might be some hurdles though … . But PN is a means to control.
Ooh how did you go about having access to healthcare?
I missed the PN only for special offers at the supermarket. I got all the health care included an offer for an operation. I was able to open a bank account at Handelsbanken, got a cheap offer for my phone, can buy train tickets online, be a member of an association which supports tenants. I live in Sweden since 6 years. ‘There might be some hurdles though … . But PN is a means to control.
The 3 examples you gave to survive in Sweden are very funny actually: Bank, gym and Swedish Lessons?! So these are enough for a person not only to survive but also to thrive, ha? Sure, “gym” must be the most important thing in our life.
The answer is simple: You can not live without a personal number in Sweden!
You can’t rent a flat easily without it. You can’t get Internet or Insurance to your home without that number, for which you may have to wait months and months.