Swish in Sweden: How Expats Get It and Use It

Quick answer: To send money with Swish you need an account at a Swedish bank, a mobile number your bank accepts (usually Swedish; Swedbank, for example, also accepts foreign numbers) and Mobile BankID. Some banks, such as Swedbank, let you connect just to receive before you have BankID. Once you have what your bank requires, registration takes under five minutes in your bank's app.

Swish is not optional in Sweden. It is the de facto way people pay each other: splitting a restaurant bill, paying a landlord's deposit, buying second-hand furniture, donating at charity events, or paying at a farmers' market. Without Swish, you will constantly be the person asking "can I pay by card instead?" in situations where no card reader exists.

What Swish Actually Is

Swish is a real-time bank-to-bank payment system developed and owned by Getswish AB. Since March 2024 its payments have been settled through the Riksbank's RIX-INST system instead of Bankgirot. It launched in 2012 and now has 8.9 million users. Transfers are instant, 24/7, and free for private users.

You send money to a phone number, not a bank account number. The recipient's bank handles the routing. Settlement is immediate — unlike a bank transfer, there is no processing time.

The Prerequisite Chain

To send and receive with Swish you need:

1. A Swedish bank account — at a Swish-participating bank (all major ones qualify)
2. A mobile number your bank accepts — usually a Swedish number. Rules on foreign numbers vary: Swedbank accepts them, while Nordea currently accepts only Finnish ones
3. Mobile BankID — needed to send payments

You can sometimes start before you have all three. At Swedbank, linking your mobile number to your account is enough to receive payments; you need the Swish app and Mobile BankID only to send. Nordea, by contrast, requires a Mobile BankID that is at least 7 days old even to connect to Swish. Newcomers often get stuck at the BankID step because BankID requires a bank account, and the bank account requires a personnummer. See the Swedish bank account guide and BankID guide for how to navigate this.

How to Register for Swish

Once you have what your bank requires:

1. Open your bank's mobile app (Handelsbanken, Nordea, SEB, etc.)
2. Find "Swish" in the menu — it is usually under payments or services
3. Enter your mobile number
4. Authenticate with BankID
5. Done. Your phone number is now registered as your Swish address.

The process takes 3–5 minutes. If you are connecting only to receive at a bank that allows it, Swedbank also lets you link your number at a branch or by phone. Once registered you can receive payments; to send, you also need the Swish app and Mobile BankID.

Using Swish Day to Day

Sending money: Open Swish, tap the send icon, enter the recipient's phone number, enter the amount, add an optional message, confirm with BankID. Money arrives in seconds.

Receiving money: Nothing to do — once you are registered, anyone with your phone number can Swish you. You will receive a push notification.

Swish at merchants: Many Swedish shops, markets, and small businesses accept Swish instead of card. They display a QR code or give you a number to Swish to. Scan the QR code in the Swish app and the amount is pre-filled.

Splitting bills: Swedish friends will often send a group Swish request after dinner. You confirm the amount and authenticate — done.

Swish Limits

Private accounts have a default limit set by each bank — for example SEK 10,000 per day at Handelsbanken. Individual transfers are also capped per transaction. These limits are set by your bank, not Swish, and can sometimes be increased by contacting your bank directly. For large payments like rental deposits, check your limit before the transaction.

What Swish Cannot Do

• International transfers: Swish moves money only between Swedish bank accounts. For sending money to foreign accounts, use Wise.
• Currency exchange: Swish is SEK only.
• Online payments: Swish is not universally accepted for online shopping, though some Swedish e-commerce sites support "Swish e-handel" as a payment option.

Merchant Swish vs. Personal Swish

If you are self-employed or running a small business, you need a business Swish agreement registered through your business bank account: Swish Företag if you have no till system, or Swish Handel if you have a till, webshop or self-checkout. Personal Swish accounts should not be used for business transactions — there are tax and banking compliance reasons to keep these separate. Business Swish has fees: at Handelsbanken, 1.95 kr per transaction plus a monthly fee of 49 kr (Swish Företag) or 85 kr (Swish Handel).

Common Problems Expats Face with Swish

"I have a bank account but can't get Swish"

This almost always means BankID is not set up. Many expats open a bank account and assume Swish will work automatically. It does not. You must first activate Mobile BankID through your bank's app, wait for it to be issued (sometimes requires a separate branch visit at Handelsbanken), and then register for Swish (at Nordea the Mobile BankID must be at least 7 days old). Without Mobile BankID you cannot send payments, although some banks, such as Swedbank, let you connect just to receive.

"My foreign phone number doesn't work"

Rules on foreign numbers vary by bank. Swedbank lets you connect a foreign mobile number to Swish; Nordea currently accepts only Finnish numbers besides Swedish ones. Check with your bank. If yours does not accept your number, get a Swedish SIM card from any operator (Telia, Tele2, Comviq, Hallon, Lycamobile). Prepaid SIMs are available from Pressbyrån or online without a personnummer, but registering Swish requires your personnummer on file with the bank.

"I changed phone numbers and lost access"

If you switch SIM cards or get a new Swedish number, you need to re-register Swish with the new number through your bank's app. The old number is not automatically deregistered — you need to unlink it in your internet bank. Until you unlink it, payments to your old number still reach your account — unless its new owner connects that number to Swish, which automatically deactivates your link.

"Swish says 'technical error'"

This usually means your BankID has expired. BankID certificates are valid for a limited time (Mobile BankID at Swedbank: 3 years) but can be revoked by your bank. Re-open your bank app, check BankID status, and reactivate if needed.

Swish vs. International Payment Apps

The practical reality: You need both Swish (for Swedish daily life) and Wise or Revolut (for sending money abroad and holding multiple currencies). They serve completely different purposes.

Timeline: How Long Until You Get Swish

For a newly arrived expat, the steps come in this order, and the first one sets the pace:

1. Register your move at Skatteverket as early as you can. Skatteverket currently says it takes about 5 weeks before a move-to-Sweden case even gets a case officer; your personnummer comes after that. Check its processing-times page for the current queue.
2. Open a Swedish bank account once you have your personnummer.
3. Get Mobile BankID through your bank (at Nordea it must be at least 7 days old before you can connect Swish).
4. Register for Swish in your bank's app (a few minutes once BankID is active). If your bank does not accept your foreign mobile number, get a Swedish SIM card before this step.

Total time from arrival: the Skatteverket queue alone is currently about 5 weeks before your case gets a case officer, so expect the whole chain to take longer than that. During this waiting period, Wise and Revolut work for paying rent and making international transfers, but you cannot participate in Swedish peer-to-peer payments.

Swish for Business (Swish Företag and Swish Handel)

If you are running a sole proprietorship (enskild firma) or limited company (aktiebolag) in Sweden, you need Swish Företag (or Swish Handel if you have a checkout system or webshop) — the merchant version. Key differences:

• Separate registration through your business bank account
• Per-transaction fee of SEK 1.50–3.00 depending on your bank
• Swish number is a 10-digit number starting with 123 assigned by your bank, not your phone number
• QR codes — you can generate unique QR codes per invoice or product
• Settlement — funds land in your business account, not personal account

Mixing personal and business Swish is a compliance risk. Skatteverket can audit your transaction history, and using a personal account for business income creates VAT and tax reporting problems.

Swish Payment Limits by Bank (2026)

Limits vary by bank and account type:

• Handelsbanken: SEK 10,000/day to private individuals plus SEK 10,000/day to companies (can be raised temporarily to SEK 100,000)
• Nordea: SEK 5,000/transaction, SEK 10,000 per rolling seven days by default
• SEB: daily limit of your choice between SEK 0 and 15,000; temporary one-day limit up to SEK 150,000
• Swedbank: SEK 3,000/day to private individuals by default, up to SEK 10,000/day (adjustable in app)
• Länsförsäkringar: SEK 15,000 per 7-day period, SEK 50,000 to companies (temporary raise up to SEK 150,000 via the bank)

If you are paying a rental deposit via Swish and it exceeds your per-transaction limit, contact your bank to temporarily raise it. Most banks allow this through internet banking or by calling.

Key Takeaways

• Swish is essential for everyday life in Sweden. For newcomers the wait is mostly the personnummer: Skatteverket's queue alone is currently about 5 weeks before a move-to-Sweden case gets a case officer.
• The usual chain is personnummer → Swedish bank account → Mobile BankID → Swish. Some banks, such as Swedbank, let you connect to receive payments before you have Mobile BankID.
• Registration takes five minutes once you have BankID.
• Swish is free for private users; merchant accounts have per-transaction fees.
• During the waiting period, use Wise or Revolut for transfers and payments.
• For international money transfers, use Wise — Swish is Sweden-only and SEK-only.