Guide: Swedish coordination number
This information is for EU/EEA citizens only
What is a coordination number?
A Swedish coordination number is your access to several services in Sweden and is used to verify your identity. The coordination number differs from the Swedish "personnummer" as the coordination number is only for citizens who are not registered in the Swedish Population Register. If you have a coordination number and later become registered in the Swedish Population Register, you will receive a personal identity number that replaces your coordination number.
A coordination number is structured like a personal identity number, i.e. with year, month and day + 4 digits. However, the birthday digit is increased by the number 60, which is how you recognise a coordination number.
Who needs a coordination number?
The coordination number is only for citizens who are not residents in Sweden.
However, if you have a connection in and to Sweden, you need a coordination number to confirm your identity. There may be different reasons why you need a coordination number. Read about the most common ones below.
If you get a job in Sweden, you need a coordination number so that you can receive salary and pay tax e.g. To get a coordination number faster, you can apply for one yourself by visiting one of the Swedish Tax Agency's service offices, where you must identify yourself and bring your application for a coordination number and documentation such as an employment contract.
To work in Sweden, you must also be registered for tax purposes. When you visit the service office, you can also apply for either SINK tax or regular income tax in Sweden.
If you or your employer apply for SINK or ordinary income tax without applying for a coordination number at the service office, you will receive a summon to appear at the service office to identify yourself in connection with the Tax Agency's processing of the tax registration application. (The process is faster if you apply and identify yourself on your own).
If you are going to study in Sweden, your educational institution must apply for a coordination number for you, which you will need for identification and to facilitate the exchange of information with other authorities and organisations.
When your educational institution has applied for a coordination number for you, you will receive a summon from the Swedish Tax Agency for a personal visit and identification at a service office.
If you own a holiday home in Sweden, you need a coordination number to, for example, set up an internet connection or to register your household for waste collection from the municipality. As a holiday homeowner, you apply for a coordination number yourself and go to one of the Swedish Tax Agency's service offices to identify yourself. It is important that you bring documentation that shows that you have a connection to Sweden, such as your "lagfart" (deed) for your holiday home.
Read more about coordination numbers on Skatteverket's website
The coordination number is registered with three levels of identity
A coordination number is registered in the Swedish Population Register with one of three levels of identity. This means that a coordination number can be either confirmed, probable or uncertain. If you have applied for the coordination number yourself, you can only get it by proving your identity at a service centre.
To get a coordination number with confirmed identity, you must prove your identity by visiting the Swedish Tax Agency in person. You prove your identity by showing a authorised ID, such as your passport.
If you cannot prove your identity during a personal visit, the Swedish Tax Agency can assess whether your identity is probable based on the documentation you have submitted. This only applies if an authority or educational institution has requested a coordination number for you. As documentation, you can send copies of authorised ID, such as your passport or other documentation.
In some special cases, you can be assigned a coordination number even if your identity is uncertain. This is only possible if an authority has requested a coordination number for you and submitted available information about you. The Swedish Tax Agency will then assess your identity based on this information.
If you have been assigned a coordination number with an uncertain identity, it can be strengthened by either submitting documentation to the Swedish Tax Agency or by presenting identification in person at a service office of the Swedish Tax Agency.
A coordination number can be marked as active or inactive
A coordination number is valid for five years at a time, after which it can be renewed if needed. If you move from Sweden or stop working in Sweden and therefore do not need contact with the Swedish authorities, it may be a good idea to inform the Swedish Tax Agency so that your coordination number is registered as inactive.
If your coordination number has been declared inactive, you can have it reactivated. All information previously provided will be stored in the Swedish Tax Agency's database. You must prove your identity again in person at one of the Swedish Tax Agency's service centres to renew your coordination number.
Apply for renewal of your coordination number on Skatterverket.se (in Swedish)
How long does it take to get a coordination number?
If you apply for a coordination number yourself, the processing time is up to six weeks.
If an embassy, consulate, or passport authority has applied for a coordination number on your behalf, the processing time is up to four weeks.
If the application for a coordination number is requested by another authority, it can take up to four weeks. If you are summoned to appear in person, it may take longer.
Read more about Skatteverket's processing times in Swedish on Skatteverket.se
