Your first 90 days in Sweden: the arrival checklist
The visa got you in — this is what turns you into a functioning resident: the registration clock, the ID number everything else depends on, and the money, healthcare, and license steps in the order they actually unlock. Each step links the official source so you can verify the current rule.
Checked against official sources · September 2026 · how we verify
The catch that burns new arrivals
The non-EEA driving licence rule is the harshest in the Nordics: no exchange, and the clock starts at registration. If driving matters to you, get the Swedish licence process moving in the first months, because the course and test queue can itself outrun the year.
The checklist, in the order it unlocks
Register in the Swedish Population Register at a Skatteverket service office after the Migrationsverket permit
As soon as you arrive if your stay will exceed one year — the personnummer is only issued for stays of 12 months or more
The one-year threshold is the whole game: below it you get a coordination number (samordningsnummer), which works for tax but not for most of Swedish daily life. Bring the permit card, passport and marriage or birth certificates in original with apostilles.
Get your personnummer (Swedish personal identity number)
Banking, BankID, healthcare, phone contracts, gym memberships and public services all key off it — Sweden is close to unusable without one.
Issued by Skatteverket when you register as resident for a stay over one year; shorter stays receive a coordination number instead.
Open a bank account
Swedish banks (SEB, Swedbank, Nordea, Handelsbanken) will open an account for anyone with a personnummer and ID, and by law must offer a basic payment account to legal residents — but in practice they lean hard on BankID, which requires the account first. Sweden is almost entirely cashless, so this loop is the most disruptive part of arriving.
Enrol in healthcare
Once registered, you use the regional (region) healthcare system with low capped patient fees and an annual high-cost ceiling. You register with a vårdcentral (health centre) which handles primary care and referrals. Before the personnummer, you are billed as a private patient at full rates.
Sort your driver's license
EU/EEA licences remain valid indefinitely. Licences from outside the EEA are valid for one year from becoming resident and cannot generally be exchanged — after that year you take the Swedish theory and driving tests from scratch, including the mandatory risk-awareness courses.
Deadlines and requirements vary by nationality, visa type, and region, and they change — this is information current as of 2026, not legal or immigration advice. Verify each step with the official source before you rely on it.
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Information only, not legal advice — we never file anything with any government. Requirements change; verify with the official source or a licensed immigration advisor before you apply.
First 90 days in Sweden: FAQ
What do I have to do first after arriving in Sweden?
Register in the Swedish Population Register at a Skatteverket service office after the Migrationsverket permit — As soon as you arrive if your stay will exceed one year — the personnummer is only issued for stays of 12 months or more. The one-year threshold is the whole game: below it you get a coordination number (samordningsnummer), which works for tax but not for most of Swedish daily life. Bring the permit card, passport and marriage or birth certificates in original with apostilles. Verify the current rule with the official source before you rely on it.
What is the personnummer and do I need one?
personnummer (Swedish personal identity number) is Sweden's personal tax/ID number. Banking, BankID, healthcare, phone contracts, gym memberships and public services all key off it — Sweden is close to unusable without one. Issued by Skatteverket when you register as resident for a stay over one year; shorter stays receive a coordination number instead.
Can I drive in Sweden on a US license?
EU/EEA licences remain valid indefinitely. Licences from outside the EEA are valid for one year from becoming resident and cannot generally be exchanged — after that year you take the Swedish theory and driving tests from scratch, including the mandatory risk-awareness courses. Rules differ by nationality and change — check the official source before the window closes.
How do I get healthcare after moving to Sweden?
Once registered, you use the regional (region) healthcare system with low capped patient fees and an annual high-cost ceiling. You register with a vårdcentral (health centre) which handles primary care and referrals. Before the personnummer, you are billed as a private patient at full rates. See our healthcare-systems guide for how Sweden's system treats foreign residents.