Opening a Swedish bank account

To open a bank account in Sweden you need to identify yourself properly. A valid passport or Swedish ID-card is usually required, and in some cases, your home country bank may need to confirm your identity as well.

Before your Swedish bank account is set up, we recommend that you keep your existing bank account in your previous country so we can pay out your salary without delay. If you do not provide a bank details to the payroll office, your salary will be paid out as a lump sum once we receive your account information. 

Your right to open a bank account

If you have a residence permit and can identify yourself properly, you should, according to law, be entitled to open a bank account in Sweden. You must also be able to answer the bank’s questions satisfactorily as part of their standard procedures. 

Although banks sometimes overlook these rules, being patient and persistent usually helps. IF a bank refuses to open an account despite you fulfilling all requirements, we recommend you to appeal the decision to The National Board for Consumer Disputes (see the Payment Service Directive, “lag om betaltjänster” Ch. 4 A, §1, or the EU directive 2014/92). 

The Universities of Sweden together with the Swedish Bankers' Association have produced documents that explain this process and that can support you during your bank visit.  You can find the documents "To open a bank account in Sweden" and "Opening a bank account, Swedish bankers association" on the right side of this page.

If you still experience difficulties after following all these steps, please contact newstaff@kau.se for further assistance.

Swish

We also recommend that you register for a Swish account. Swish is a widely used mobile payment service in Sweden that links your bank account to your mobile phone number through your internet bank. Swish is a cooperation between all Swedish banks and allows you to send money instantly to other Swish users via their mobile phone number. Swish is commonly used in Sweden to payments between individuals, as well as for purchasing goods and services.

To learn more about Swish, visit their website: swish.nu
In order to use Swish, download the app “Swish Betalningar” on your mobile phone. 

Bank Offices in Karlstad

There are several bank offices in Karlstad, including:

  • Swedbank
  • Nordea
  • Handelsbanken
  • Danske bank 
  • Länsförsäkringar. 

To open an account, please visit a branch in person.