Samordningsnummer in Sweden: What It Is, How to Get One & When You Need It (2026)

A samordningsnummer (coordination number) is Sweden's identity number for people who need to interact with Swedish authorities, employers, or banks but don't qualify for a personnummer. It lets you get paid legally, pay tax, and appear in Swedish records — without registering as a resident. This guide covers exactly who needs one, the two very different ways to get one, and what you can and can't do with it once you have it.

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På svenska / In Swedish:

Ett samordningsnummer är ett identitetsnummer för personer som inte är folkbokförda i Sverige men som behöver ett nummer för att t.ex. arbeta, betala skatt eller få kontakt med myndigheter. Numret kan begäras av en arbetsgivare eller myndighet (ostyrkt identitet), eller du kan ansöka själv hos Skatteverket och besöka ett servicekontor för att få det med styrkt identitet — vilket ger tillgång till fler tjänster, som BankID hos vissa banker.

Format: ÅÅÅÅMM(DD+60)-XXXX — samma som personnummer, men med 60 tillagt på födelsedagen.

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What Is a Samordningsnummer?

A samordningsnummer is a 12-digit number issued by Skatteverket (the Swedish Tax Agency) to identify people who are not registered residents (not folkbokförda) but still need to be identifiable in Swedish systems — most often because they're earning income, receiving a pension, owning property, or dealing with a Swedish authority or court.

Unlike a personnummer, getting a samordningsnummer does not mean you're a registered resident of Sweden. It's purely an identity number for administrative purposes — it doesn't grant residency, and it doesn't extend or replace a residence permit or visa.

The Format

A samordningsnummer uses the same structure as a personnummer, with one change: 60 is added to the birth day.

Part	Personnummer	Samordningsnummer
Format	YYYYMMDD-XXXX	YYYYMM**(DD+60)**-XXXX
Example (born the 5th)	19900105-1234	19900165-1234
Day digits range	01–31	61–91

So someone born on January 5th, 1990 would have a personnummer starting 19900105 but a samordningsnummer starting 19900165. See our full personnummer format guide for how the birth-number and check-digit sections work — they follow the same rules for both number types.

Samordningsnummer vs Personnummer: The Real Difference

These two numbers get confused constantly, but they answer different questions:

• Personnummer = "I am a registered resident of Sweden."
• Samordningsnummer = "Swedish systems need to identify me, but I am not a registered resident."

	Personnummer	Samordningsnummer
Requires folkbokföring (registration)?	Yes	No
Who typically gets it	People staying 1+ year who register as residents	Temporary workers, commuters, non-resident property owners, asylum seekers, pension recipients abroad
Issued by	Skatteverket, after folkbokföring	Skatteverket, on request from you, an employer, or another authority
Full bank account access	Yes	Limited, bank-dependent
BankID	Yes, standard	Only with verified identity + an eligible bank relationship
Healthcare (full access via 1177)	Yes	No — emergency care only
Housing queues (Bostadsförmedlingen etc.)	Yes	No
Can receive salary and pay tax	Yes	Yes
Can it expire or become inactive	No	Yes, if identity is never verified or it's unused for a long period
Can convert to the other	N/A	Yes — you get a new personnummer if you later become a registered resident

Who Actually Needs a Samordningsnummer?

You need one if you fall into any of these groups and don't already have a personnummer:

Situation	Why you need it
Cross-border commuter (e.g. living in Denmark or Norway, working in Sweden)	To be taxed and reported correctly by a Swedish employer
Temporary or seasonal worker staying under 1 year	To receive salary and pay Swedish income tax
Asylum seeker awaiting a decision	Migrationsverket and Försäkringskassan need to identify you in the system
Non-resident who owns Swedish property	Lantmäteriet (land registry) and Skatteverket need to track ownership and property tax
Non-resident receiving a Swedish pension	Pensionsmyndigheten needs an identifier to pay out and report your pension
Board member or beneficial owner of a Swedish company, living abroad	Bolagsverket and banks require an identity number for registration
Student on a short exchange (under 1 year)	Some universities and CSN interactions require an identifier
Party to a Swedish court case or inheritance (dödsbo) while living abroad	Courts and Skatteverket need to identify non-resident parties

If instead you're planning to live in Sweden for more than a year and are going through the residence process, you likely want a personnummer, not a samordningsnummer — see our work permit guide or non-EU residence permit guide for that path.

How to Get a Samordningsnummer: Two Very Different Routes

This is the part most guides get vague about, because there genuinely are two separate processes with different outcomes.

Route 1: Requested by an Employer or Authority (Unverified Identity)

This is the most common route for temporary workers. Your employer (or another authority you're dealing with, like Försäkringskassan) submits a request to Skatteverket on your behalf so they can report your income and withhold tax correctly. You typically don't need to visit Skatteverket in person for this.

The catch: a samordningsnummer issued this way has unverified ("ostyrkt") identity. Skatteverket has taken the requesting organization's word for who you are — it hasn't verified your passport itself. This is enough to get paid and taxed correctly, but it unlocks very little else. Banks generally won't issue BankID against an unverified number, and most banks won't open a full account with one either.

Route 2: Applying Yourself with Verified Identity ("Styrkt Identitet")

If you need the number to actually be useful for banking, BankID, or other services, you need a verified-identity samordningsnummer. For this, you must:

1. Book an appointment at a Skatteverket service office that handles identity verification for coordination numbers.
2. Bring your original passport (or national ID card, for EU/EEA citizens) — no copies accepted.
3. Show your purpose for needing the number: an employment contract, a property purchase agreement, a pension decision, or similar documentation.
4. Attend in person so Skatteverket can verify your identity against your passport directly — this is the step that upgrades the number from "unverified" to "verified."

A verified-identity samordningsnummer is what makes the difference for banking and BankID — see the next section.

Route 3: Requested Directly by Another Government Agency

Sometimes you don't need to do anything yourself: Migrationsverket, Försäkringskassan, Pensionsmyndigheten, or a Swedish court can request a samordningsnummer for you directly as part of handling your case (for example, while an asylum application is being processed). In this case, Skatteverket issues the number administratively, and you'll be informed by letter.

What You Can and Can't Do With a Samordningsnummer

Can you...	Unverified samordningsnummer	Verified samordningsnummer
Receive salary and pay tax	Yes	Yes
Open a basic/limited bank account	Sometimes, bank-dependent	More often, still bank-dependent
Get BankID	Essentially never	Sometimes, if the bank offers it and you have an account relationship
Use Swish	No (requires BankID)	Rarely, and only if BankID was granted
Access full healthcare via 1177	No	No
Join housing queues	No	No
Register a company or property	No	Yes, for the specific transaction it was issued for
Get a Swedish driving license	No	Generally no — this requires folkbokföring

For the banking side specifically, our Best Banks for Expats in Sweden guide compares which banks are realistically willing to open accounts for samordningsnummer holders, and our Swish Without a Personnummer guide covers your payment options while you're in this in-between state.

Can a Samordningsnummer Become a Personnummer?

Yes — but not automatically, and not by simply "upgrading" the same digits. If you later meet the requirements for folkbokföring (typically staying in Sweden for more than a year with a valid basis to reside), Skatteverket issues you a brand-new personnummer with your correct birth day (not the +60 version). Your old samordningsnummer stays on record and is cross-referenced to your new personnummer internally, but from that point on you use the personnummer for everything. See our personnummer guide for that full application process.

Does a Samordningsnummer Expire?

A samordningsnummer itself doesn't have an expiry date, but it can become inactive. Since Skatteverket's 2023 identity-verification reform, coordination numbers that were never upgraded to verified status, or that have gone unused for an extended period, can be marked inactive in the population register. If that happens and you still need the number, you'll need to have your identity verified (Route 2 above) to reactivate it.

Common Mistakes

Assuming any samordningsnummer gets you BankID. Only a verified-identity number, combined with a bank that's willing to issue BankID to non-residents, makes this possible — and it's still the exception, not the rule.

Applying for the wrong thing. If you're actually planning to live in Sweden long-term, applying for a samordningsnummer instead of going through the residence permit and folkbokföring process wastes time — you'll need a personnummer eventually anyway.

Not bringing original documents. Just like personnummer applications, Skatteverket requires original passports for identity verification — copies are rejected on the spot.

Assuming it grants any residency status. A samordningsnummer is purely administrative. It has no bearing on your immigration status, visa, or right to stay in Sweden.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a samordningsnummer used for?

A samordningsnummer identifies people who need to interact with Swedish authorities, employers, or banks but aren't registered residents. It's most commonly used so employers can report salary and withhold tax correctly for temporary or cross-border workers.

How long does it take to get a samordningsnummer?

If an employer or authority requests one on your behalf, it can be issued within days to a few weeks. If you're applying yourself for a verified-identity number, add the time to book a Skatteverket appointment, which can take several weeks depending on the office.

Can I open a bank account with a samordningsnummer?

Sometimes. It depends on the bank and whether your number has verified identity. Handelsbanken and a few others are the most flexible; most major banks are stricter without a personnummer. See our best banks for expats guide for a full comparison.

Can I get BankID with a samordningsnummer?

Only in limited cases — you generally need a verified-identity samordningsnummer and a bank willing to issue BankID to a non-resident customer. Most samordningsnummer holders do not have BankID.

What's the real difference between a samordningsnummer and a personnummer?

A personnummer means you're a registered resident of Sweden (folkbokförd). A samordningsnummer identifies you in Swedish systems without registering you as a resident. They use the same 12-digit format, except the samordningsnummer adds 60 to the birth day.

Can a samordningsnummer become a personnummer?

Yes, if you later qualify for folkbokföring. You'll receive a completely new personnummer with your correct birth day — it isn't simply your old samordningsnummer minus 60.

Does my samordningsnummer expire?

It doesn't expire on a fixed date, but it can be marked inactive if it was never identity-verified or hasn't been used in a long time. You can reactivate it by completing identity verification at a Skatteverket service office.

Summary

A samordningsnummer is the number Sweden uses to identify non-residents who still need to work, get paid, or deal with Swedish authorities. The key things to remember:

1. It's issued by Skatteverket — either requested by your employer/another authority (unverified) or applied for yourself in person (verified).
2. Verified identity is what unlocks banking and BankID possibilities — an unverified number mainly just gets you paid and taxed correctly.
3. It doesn't grant residency and has no effect on your visa or permit status.
4. If you later become a registered resident, you'll get a new personnummer, not an upgraded version of your samordningsnummer.

If you're not sure which number you actually need, start with our personnummer guide — if you're staying more than a year with a valid basis to reside, that's the number to aim for instead.

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Already earning in Sweden on a samordningsnummer? Use our Salary After Tax Calculator to see exactly what you'll take home after tax.