<aside> 💡 You can proceed after you get Personal Number. Some banks/employees might as for Swedish ID-Kort for opening a bank account.

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Sweden is not a cashless society, but it is in the verge of becoming one. In a cashless society, it might be difficult to pay bills and make purchases without a Bank card or bank related mobile applications. It might be expensive for you in the early days considering the international fees. Since you plan to stay in Sweden, it might be good to open a bank account in Sweden as soon as possible. This will make it easier for you to pay bills.

Since most bank ask for a Swedish ID-Kort, it might take several weeks before you can open a bank account.

Opening a bank account helps you to

• Receive your PhD salary/scholarship
• Get a Bank ID
• Access to Swish

How to open a Bank account

Things you need to open a bank account:

• Personnummer (Non-negotiable in most cases)
• Swedish ID-Card (Sometimes exempted but not always. Contact your fellow PhD students for more information)
• PhD contract

Banks

There are several banks where you can open a bank account. The most common ones are

• www.nordea.se

• www.swedbank.se

• www.handelsbanken.se

• www.seb.se

<aside> 💡 Most of the banks charge a minimum monthly fee to maintain your account. However, some banks have special student discounts. Don’t forget to ask about it.

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