This is the second part of an ongoing series of posts on “moving to Sweden”. Part one dealt with finding a house.

Resident permit

Of course – Sweden being part of the European Union – things are different for EU citizens (and their relatives) and non-EU citizens. We have direct experience only with the first case that we can gladly share.

As an EU citizen one has the right to stay in Sweden for up to three months without doing any kind of paperwork. Same applies to a family member with an EU residency permit. If however you like kanelbullar, sill and hjortronsylt so much that you decide you would like to stay longer than 3 months, you have to register “your right of residency” with the Swedish Migration Board. You can either send the form by post or visit their office.

[Note by Mac: I am unsure about the legal status of the registration requirement. One of the three basic freedoms of EU is freedom of movement, so I don't think Swedish authorities could throw a EU citizen out of their borders just because he/she doesn't have registered, nor do I think that one would be considered as "illegal migrant" in that case. It is true - though - that without the registration one won't be able to have access to many of the public services. Besides the legal status, I find the idea of registering a right silly (you don't register your right of free speech or religion, why should you register your right of free movement?)]

Is it better to send the application by post or submit it myself at the office?

If you are sure that you have all the required documents (you can find a list here), go ahead and send it by post: you will save some time. On the other hand, if you have doubts or questions, you could have an employee check your papers on the spot if you go in person to the office. In the latter case, don’t forget to bring along a good read, for it can take up to 3 hours to talk to an employee, at least in Stockholm. The Stockholm offices are however well kept, with clean toilets, coffee machines, and a few toys freely available for the kids roaming around the hall. Migrationsverket also offers a good chance to taste some of the multikulti Sweden.

How long does it take to receive my right of residency?

In our case, we applied in July and we got it in October! To be fair to Migrationsverket, it was partly my [Nadia's] mistake, for I forgot to bring along one very important document. We had to send it later by post and this we think (but we can never be sure) prolonged the process.

Another factor that affected the long waiting time was the summer break! Do not ever underestimate the importance of the summer vacation in Sweden (something we really respect by the way). Lots of government (but also private) offices operate at a very leisurely pace during the summer months. [But we don't blame them... You would be crazy not to enjoy the beautiful long, sunny, fragrant and lazy summer days in Sweden!]

How much does it cost to apply for right of residency?

It is free.

Personnummer

What is a personnummer, and how much it is important to have one? Personnummer roughly translated is a “civic registration number”, but while in many countries CRN’s are not that important, in Sweden they mean EVERYTHING!  Without it you cannot start attending language classes, cannot open a bank account, cannot visit a doctor, cannot even apply for an IKEA family card!!!

Personnummer are to official paperwork is what underwear is to clothing (with the notable difference that you keep the first for life, but you should change regularly the latter).

A personnummer is composed of 10 digits grouped in two (6 and 4 characters respectively). The first six digits are your year, month, and day of birth. The latter 4 digits are a code assigned by the authorities, the last digit being odd for men and even for women. The two groups are normally separated by a minus (-) but on your hundredth birthday the minus is changed to a plus (+). For example, the number “880209-2346″ would be the one of a girl born on the 9th of February 1988, while “091023+3321″ would be the number for a man born on the 23rd October 1909.

Where do I apply for a “personnummer”?

At Skatterverket (the tax agency), where else?! You have to go yourself with your passport and any documents proving your civil status, birth certificates for any children who are moving with you, and your residence permit. One is normally registered where one lives, since the amount of tax differs from one municipality to another.

What happens if I change address?

When you change address in Sweden, you are to report the move within one week to the Tax Agency, the Social Insurance Agency, a postcenter run by Posten AB or online at www.adressandring.se.

They also handle requests for post forwarding. If you want your newly registered address to begin to apply from the actual date of moving, your notification must have been received by the Tax Agency, the Insurance Office or Posten AB at least one week before the actual move.

How much does it cost to change the address?

It is free. You have to pay though if you want your post to be forwarded to your new address.

Identity Card

Is the identity card the same as the personnummer ?

No. But you cannot have the ID card until you have a personnummer

Why do I need an identity card?

For European citizens, there is probably not a great need. However for citizens whose passports are deemed invalid as an ID document (like both the Egyptian and Russian passports), this is a very important document. You can find all the regulations here.

[Note by Mac: silly bureaucracy... since Nadia did not have a "valid" ID document, she needed a "trusted party" to witness that she was who she claims to be. So, she was initially denied the possibility to apply for an ID card as I was not "trusted enough" because I did not have non-Swedish documents yet. When I got my Swedish ID card - somehow - I become "trusted" and could witness. Have they ever thought of the fact that in this way it takes just one felon to let whoever else get a Swedish ID document?]

Where can I apply for the ID card?

At Skatterverket (tax office).

How much does it cost to issue and ID card?

At time of writing, 400 kronors (and you thought this is also going to be for free?!). Money can’t be paid on spot, so you must provide evidence of a bank transfer when you apply for the document.

This is what we consider the essential paperwork for moving to Sweden. If you have further questions, post them in the comments section and we will do our best to update the post with the missing information.

In our next post will cover: Learning Swedish!