Sweden Moves ID Cards to the Police: Registered Foreign Residents Can Book From November 1
Sweden's government submitted a bill to Parliament on October 27 that would move the Tax Agency's (Skatteverket) ID-card service to the Police. Registered residents who are not Swedish citizens, including Chinese residents registered in Sweden, can book appointments from November 1 by calling the police number 114 14, with applications handled at selected police stations from December 1.
Under the bill, Skatteverket would stop accepting new ID-card applications from March 1, 2027. Cards already issued by the agency would remain valid until they expire, and applications submitted before March would still be processed under the old rules, with appeal rights preserved. Skatteverket cards are normally valid for five years.
The police-issued replacement is a physical ID card carrying SverigeID, the state's electronic identification, and has no travel function. Swedish citizens already obtain their national ID cards from the police; from December, newly issued national cards can also carry SverigeID.
Separately, Skatteverket says eight of its service offices will stop taking ID-card applications on December 1 and cannot be selected for collection from November 1, with arrangements for pending cards set out in the agency's guidance. The bill has not yet been approved by Parliament.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 位于 Stockholm 的瑞典警察大楼（Polishuset），瑞典警方负责护照与国民身份证发放。图源：Wikimedia Commons（CC BY） / Stockholm's Police House (Polishuset), Sweden. The Swedish Police issue passports and national ID cards. Source: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY)
