EU/EEA Citizens
EU/EEA Citizens have to right to enter Sweden and reside in Sweden without accomplishing formalities for a period of three months. If an EU/EEA Citizen wishes to stay longer than that they must have a right of residence in Sweden. Originally, EU citizens who wished to stay more than 3 months had to register themselves and their reason to reside in Sweden with the Swedish Migration Board. This obligation was discontinued on the 1st of May 2014, but EU citizens who wish to be registered as Swedish residents and receive a Swedish person number must still be able to prove their right of residence to the Swedish Tax Authority (Swe. “Skatteverket”).
In order to have right of residence EU/EEA Citizens must have a valid passport or national identity card, and be able to prove that they fall within one of the following categories before they can be given a Swedish person number:
| Category | Requirements |
| Employees | Employees are required to provide a certificate of employment from their employer, showing that they are either permanently employed in Sweden or have a temporary work assignment here which is scheduled to last for 12 months or more.
The certificate of employment must be written and signed by the employer. Apart from the name, address and telephone number of the employer, the name of a contact person at the employer must also be given. The certificate must include the company’s corporate identity number and a description of the occupation. |
| Self-Employed | Self-employed persons must be able to show the Tax Authority that they have an enterprise in Sweden. The enterprise does not need to have started or given results, but the self-employed must provide a business plan showing how the business will produce revenue and that it is likely to keep them in Sweden for at least 12 months.
The following documents are typically required, depending on the circumstances surrounding the enterprise:
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| Students | Students are required to provide the Tax Authority with the following documents to prove their right of residence:
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| Persons With Sufficient Funds | Persons with sufficient funds are required to provide the Tax Authority with the following documents to prove their right of residence:
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| Family Members | When EU/EEA citizens have right-of-residence in Sweden this right can also be extended to their close family members as long as they have means of support. In the case of any children they might have under the age of 21, and their spouse or registered partner, it is generally sufficient to prove the family relationship to the Swedish Tax Authority by showing the correct marriage or birth certificate when registering your family members for a Swedish person number. Family members of EU/EEA citizens who work in Sweden are generally covered by the Swedish social insurance system, but the family of a student or someone living on their savings will need to show that they have a comprehensive health insurance that is valid in Sweden.
If, on the other hand, you wish to register your cohabitee (Swe. “Sambo”) as a Swedish resident you will need to submit documents proving that you have recently lived together under marriage like circumstances or plan to do so in the future, for example by showing the Swedish tax authorities a joint rental contract or an extract of a foreigner census which list both of you on the same address. It is also possible to have your Swedish right of residence extended to other relatives from within the EU/EEA who depend on you for their support, for example elderly parents or children above the age of 21, but this is generally more complicated. To register such a relative as a Swedish resident you will generally need to be able to show the following documents:
In many cases it is also necessary to be able to show documents proving that the relative in question has health problems which makes them depend on you for support and assistance. |
| Jobseekers | EU/EEA citizens who have travelled to Sweden to seek work, and who, from an objective perspective, have a reasonable chance of finding one, have the right to reside in Sweden for a maximum of 6 months during a 12 month period. Since the Swedish Tax authority is only willing to register individuals whose right of residence is likely to extend 12 months or more jobseekers can not however, receive a Swedish person number unless they manage to fulfill the requirements for one of the other categories listed above (for example by becoming a student).
Jobseekers can on the other hand apply to the Tax Authorities for a temporary coordination number, which makes it possible for them to take a job if one was offered to them. The Swedish governmental Employment Agency can generally assist in such applications. |