Can I use Swish in Sweden without a personnummer?

No. Swish requires a Swedish personnummer, a Swedish bank account, and BankID. Until you have all three, you cannot register. Most expats wait several weeks after arrival before they can use Swish, because getting a personnummer from Skatteverket is the bottleneck.

Is BankID available to new expats in Sweden?

BankID requires a personnummer and a Swedish bank account. Once your bank activates BankID — which happens during or shortly after account opening — you can use it to log in to government portals (Skatteverket, 1177, Försäkringskassan) and many private services. Without it, most Swedish digital services are locked.

How do I download Swedish apps if my phone is set to another country?

Most Swedish apps are available globally on both App Store and Google Play. If you hit a region restriction, create a secondary Apple ID with Sweden as the country (select 'None' for payment method) or temporarily change your existing Apple ID region. Google Play is usually less restrictive.

What is the best weather app for Sweden?

Yr, from the Norwegian and Swedish meteorological institutes, is the most accurate weather app for Scandinavian locations. It uses hyperlocal station data that global apps like AccuWeather cannot match. SMHI (the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute) also has its own app with good accuracy for Sweden specifically.

Essential Apps for Living in Sweden (2026)

The apps you actually need when moving to Sweden — from Swish and BankID to SL, Yr, and Blocket. Includes what needs a personnummer and what works from day one.

Sweden runs on a specific set of apps. Some require a personnummer and BankID before they work at all. Others are usable from day one. Knowing which is which saves confusion in your first weeks — and prevents the frustration of downloading Swish only to discover you cannot register yet.

This guide covers every app that matters for daily life in Sweden, split by what works immediately and what needs your Swedish ID to activate.

Apps that work from day one

These do not require a personnummer, BankID, or Swedish bank account. Download them before or on arrival.

Yr The best weather app for Scandinavia. Run jointly by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and NRK, with data from SMHI (Sweden's meteorological institute). Hyperlocal forecasts that are significantly more accurate for Swedish locations than AccuWeather or Weather.com. The hourly forecast and wind/precipitation overlay are what Scandinavians check before any outdoor plan.

SMHI Sweden's own meteorological institute also has an app. It is particularly good for weather warnings (storm alerts, ice conditions, UV index) specific to Swedish regions. Many Swedes use both Yr and SMHI.

Google Translate Swedish is the primary language on menus, rental contracts, Skatteverket letters, and utility bills. Google Translate handles Swedish well — point your camera at text for instant translation. Essential until your Swedish improves.

Blocket Sweden's dominant classifieds platform — the equivalent of FINN.no in Norway or DBA.dk in Denmark. Used for second-hand furniture, electronics, bicycles, cars, and apartment sublets. If you are furnishing an apartment on a budget, Blocket is where it happens. The app is in Swedish but navigable with translate.

Tradera Sweden's online auction platform, owned by eBay's former Nordic operations. Used for clothing, electronics, collectibles, and household goods. Supplements Blocket for second-hand shopping.

Public transport

Each Swedish region has its own transit app. Download the one for your city.

SL (Stockholm) Storstockholms Lokaltrafik covers the Stockholm metro (tunnelbana), buses, trams, commuter trains, and ferries. Buy tickets in the app, plan routes, and check live departures. An SL access card (physical) is also available at Pressbyrån kiosks, but the app works fine. Available in English.

Västtrafik (Gothenburg) Covers buses, trams, and ferries in Gothenburg and the wider Västra Götaland region. The Västtrafik To Go app handles ticketing and route planning. Works with a foreign phone number.

Skånetrafiken (Malmö and Skåne) Covers Malmö, Lund, Helsingborg, and the rest of Skåne county — buses and the Pågatåg regional trains. The Skånetrafiken app has English support and accepts international cards.

SJ (national trains) SJ is Sweden's main long-distance rail operator. Use the SJ app to buy tickets for routes like Stockholm–Gothenburg, Stockholm–Malmö, and the night train to northern Sweden. Book early: popular routes sell out, especially around holidays and midsommar. The app has full English support.

FlixBus / Vy Bus For intercity coach travel, especially budget routes between cities. FlixBus covers most major Swedish routes and cross-border trips to Norway and Denmark.

Payments (requires personnummer)

Swish Swish is Sweden's dominant mobile payment system. It is used for splitting restaurant bills, paying rent to private landlords, buying from Blocket sellers, and donating. If someone says "Swisha mig" — they mean this.

Requirement: personnummer + Swedish bank account + BankID. All three. Without the personnummer you cannot open the bank account, without the bank account you cannot get BankID, without BankID you cannot register Swish. This chain means most expats wait 4–10 weeks after arrival before Swish works. Until then, card payments cover most situations — Sweden is effectively cashless.

For how Swish works in detail, see our Swish guide.

Your bank's app Swedbank, SEB, Handelsbanken, and Nordea each have mobile apps for transfers, bill payments (via OCR number on invoices), and account management. These also contain your BankID functionality. Download whichever matches your bank account.

Wise / Revolut While you wait for your Swedish bank account — or permanently, for international transfers — Wise and Revolut give you a multi-currency account with SEK support. Wise uses the real mid-market exchange rate and is particularly useful for receiving salary in SEK while sending money home. Revolut works well for day-to-day card payments in Sweden from day one.

Government and identity (requires personnummer + BankID)

BankID Not a standalone app — it is integrated into your bank's app and acts as Sweden's digital identity system. Once activated, BankID is how you log in to every Swedish government service, sign contracts digitally, and verify your identity online. It is the single most important piece of digital infrastructure for living in Sweden.

See our BankID guide for setup details.

Skatteverket The Swedish Tax Agency's digital services. After logging in with BankID, you can submit your annual tax return (inkomstdeklaration), check your tax account, update your address, and view your folkbokföring (population registration) status. The tax return is pre-filled — most salaried employees can approve it with a single click.

1177 Vårdguiden Sweden's national healthcare portal. Use it to book GP appointments, view your vaccination records, request prescription renewals, read your health journal, and find the nearest vårdcentral (health centre). The app requires BankID. It also has a phone service at 1177 for medical advice in Swedish and sometimes English.

Försäkringskassan The Social Insurance Agency. Handles parental leave (föräldrapenning), sick leave (sjukpenning), child benefit (barnbidrag), and housing allowance (bostadsbidrag). If you have children or plan to, you will interact with FK regularly. The app and website require BankID.

Kivra Kivra is Sweden's main digital mailbox. Many companies and government agencies send official letters (tax decisions, invoices, insurance documents) here instead of by post. Sign up with BankID and you receive documents instantly rather than waiting for physical mail. Not mandatory, but widely used and convenient.

Food and delivery

Mat.se / ICA / Coop Online grocery delivery. Mat.se delivers in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. ICA and Coop have their own apps for online orders and in-store loyalty programs. The ICA app also tracks your spending and suggests recipes.

Foodora Sweden's dominant food delivery platform, covering restaurants and grocery delivery. Works in all major cities. No personnummer needed — register with email and pay by card.

Karma An app for buying surplus food from restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores at reduced prices (typically 50% off). Available in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, and other cities. Good for budget meals and reducing food waste.

Misc

PostNord Sweden's postal service. The app tracks packages, lets you redirect deliveries, and shows your nearest pickup point (often at a supermarket or Pressbyrån). Sweden has high e-commerce volume, so PostNord notifications are genuinely useful.

Hemnet Sweden's primary property listing site. If you plan to buy an apartment or house, Hemnet is where you research prices, attend viewings, and track the market. The housing queue system (bostadskö) for rental apartments is separate — that goes through your municipality.

Systembolaget The state alcohol monopoly. The Systembolaget app lets you search stock at your nearest store, check opening hours, and browse the catalogue. Alcohol above 3.5% ABV is only sold at Systembolaget — not at supermarkets, not at convenience stores. Knowing when your local store closes (typically 19:00 weekdays, 15:00 Saturdays, closed Sundays) avoids an empty-handed walk.

Summary

Install these on day one: Yr (weather), your city's transit app (SL/Västtrafik/Skånetrafiken), SJ (trains), Blocket (classifieds), Google Translate, and Foodora (delivery). Install but wait to activate: Swish, BankID (via your bank app), 1177, Skatteverket, Kivra, and Försäkringskassan — these unlock once your personnummer, bank account, and BankID are in place, typically 4–10 weeks after arrival.