18.1 Bank services

• 18.1.1 Personal bank account
• 18.1.2 Proof of identity
• 18.1.3 Banks in Sweden

18.1.1 Personal bank account

To open a bank account and obtain a bank card requires proof of identity and an address. The account holder's address does not have to be Swedish and can be a 'care of' address. Some banks also require a reference from a bank where the person has been a client previously.

Some banks require a personal identity number (for individuals) or an organization registration number (for embassies and other international entities). Application for an organization registration number can be made to the Swedish Tax Agency. If the account is intended for the Embassy, only authorized embassy staff may sign.

Further information on becoming a bank customer is available on the following link, which is provided by the Swedish Bankers' Association (Bankföreningen): Becoming a bank customer

18.1.2 Proof of identity

Banks accept the following Swedish documents:

• The identity card issued to members of foreign missions in Sweden by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs
• Passports from EU countries
• Driving licenses issued by the Swedish Transport Agency
• Swedish identity cards issued by either the Swedish Police Service or banks (SIS marked)
• Identity cards issued by the Swedish Tax Agency (only for persons registered in the Swedish population register)

Foreign documents accepted:

• European identity cards are accepted by some banks
• A passport bearing a photograph, provided that the passport is legible and intact
• Other identity documents issued by an authority that denote citizenship, bear a photograph and are intact
• In addition, banks often require a reference document from the home country certifying the identity of the person concerned

18.1.3 Banks in Sweden

There are a number of banks in Sweden. Most banks are members of the Swedish Bankers’ Association (Bankföreningen), which provide a list of its members and contact details on its website.

Swedish Bankers’ Association

Banks in Sweden are under the supervision of the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen), which has further information on its website.  

Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority

Below you will find information about how a member of a diplomatic mission should go about opening a bank account at some of the major banks in Sweden.

Nordea

To open a bank account with Nordea, a member of a diplomatic mission can always contact one of Nordea's branch offices.

To open a bank account, the member of the mission must book a meeting at the branch office of their choice and take with them:

• a valid passport;
• an extract from the Swedish Tax Agency stating the immunity number/coordination number; and
• a contract of employment/other certificate showing where the person will receive their salary from.

Each application is examined on an individual basis.

Swedbank

A member of a diplomatic mission may contact Swedbank if the embassy also uses this bank.

To open a bank account, the person must book a meeting at the embassy's branch office and attend the meeting accompanied by the employer (the ambassador or another person who has been appointed as certifier). The person wanting to open an account must take with them:

• a valid passport;
• a contract of employment/other certificate showing where the person will receive their salary from; and
• an extract from the Swedish Tax Agency stating the immunity number/coordination number.

Each application is examined on an individual basis.

Handelsbanken

A member of a diplomatic mission may contact Handelsbanken if the embassy also uses this bank.

To open a bank account, the person must book a meeting at the embassy's branch office and attend the meeting accompanied by the employer (the ambassador or another person who has been appointed as certifier). The person wanting to open an account must take with them:

• a valid passport; and
• a contract of employment/other certificate showing where the person will receive their salary from.

Each application is examined on an individual basis.

SEB

SEB has chosen to have a separate department for these matters and one of the two contact people in this department should be contacted for information about how to go about opening a bank account with SEB.

Kenth Palmqvist Client Executive Non Resident Corporate Retail Banking, Sweden

[email protected], +46 9 763 65 69, + 46 70 355 82 04

Charlotte Söderlund Office Manager, SEB Non Resident [email protected], +46 8 763 65 67, +46 722 52 19 68