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Persons residing in Sweden need to register at the Swedish Population Register.[1]
When a child is born in Sweden, the maternity ward gathers information about the child and parents and sends a notification to the taxation authorities. If one of the parents is registered in the Registry, the taxation authorities will register the birth and give the child a unique personal identity number which gives access to the welfare system etc.[2] If the parents are not registered, the taxation authorities will ask for additional information from the parents before registering the child. Thereafter the Tax authority will notify the Migration Agency who informs the parents that they must apply for residence permit for their child.[3]
To register an existing marriage that took place outside Sweden, the taxation authorities have to be notified and evidence of the marriage submitted. If the Tax authority deems the marriage to be valid in Sweden, it is registered in the population register. Marriages that take place in Sweden require that the couple first go through a procedure with the taxation authorities to prove that there are no impediments to marriage (hindersprövning, such as marriages with underaged persons, polygami, or marriages between siblings). A certificate from the taxation office has to be shown before any marriage ceremony. The person effecting the marriage ceremony must testify that a marriage took place and fill in the requisite form.[4]
Without civil registration a person will have problems with: opening a bank account; working in Sweden; obtaining medical treatment; registering for social insurance. Civil registration is not necessary in order to attend Swedish language courses for a person who has a right to reside in Sweden.[5]
If civil registration does not take place promptly and the beneficiary of international protection needs Health Care then there is a risk that the care giver may bill the patient for health care that is not urgent or cannot be postponed. In practice this has not been reported to be a problem.
Delayed registration with the social insurance office can also cause problems for access to health insurance and the right of a parent to be at home with a sick or newly-born child and get paid the appropriate rate.
Persons who are not residing in Sweden but need to have contact with Swedish authorities could be assigned a Coordination number by the Tax authority. For example, asylum seekers who are working in Sweden will need a Coordination number.[6] Coordination numbers are assigned upon requests from other public authorities or upon request from the concerned individual. In 2022, the Swedish Government proposed changes in the registry system and to introduce three different types of coordination numbers, clarifying whether the identity has been assessed as proven, probable, or uncertain. For the highest level of coordination number, proven identity, the applicant must appear in person at the Tax authority, this may include registering fingerprints. The Parliament approved the proposed changes that will enter into force in 2023.[7]
[1] Skatterverket, ‘Moving to Sweden’, available at: http://bit.ly/1U1ljcY.
[2] Migration Agency, ‘Children born in Sweden’, available at: http://bit.ly/2FbnVt1.
[3] Skatterverket, ‘New parents’, available at https://bit.ly/3f1ZAWM.
[4] Embassy of Sweden in London, ‘Getting married in Sweden’, available at: http://bit.ly/3Jf4gJb.
[5] Ch. 22, Section 13 and Ch. 29, Section 2 Skollag Svensk författningssamling (2010:800). See National Board of Trade, ‘Without a personal identity number in Sweden’, available at: http://bit.ly/2t2f0Fq.
[6] Skatterverket, ‘Coordination numbers’, available at https://bit.ly/3lGTvTf.
[7] Riksdag Skatteutskottets betänkande 2022/23:SkU4, available in Swedish at: https://bit.ly/3j4Imhb.