Border control when entering Sweden
The Swedish government has introduced strict border control upon entry into Sweden. This means that even people who commute daily between Sweden and Denmark must be able to produce valid identification.
What type of identification is valid?
If you are a citizen of a Nordic country
- A passport or a driving license.
A valid driving license issued in a Nordic country is usually sufficient for Nordic citizens, but we recommend that you bring a passport if possible. Please note that it is the traveler who is responsible to provide evidence of citizenship.
- A valid passport
- A driving license
If you hold a residence permit or a Schengen VISA:
- A valid passport and documentation that proves your status
- A valid passport. The passport can not be older than 10 years and should be valid for at least 3 months after your scheduled departure. Visa could also be required. Please check the current terms for travelling from different countries to Sweden on Regeringskansliet website.
- A valid passport
- A driving license
- A national ID
Please note that ID cards issued by tax authorities or banks do not count as national ID cards.
A valid ID card always contains:
- a photo of the holder
- the holder’s full name
- identification number or date of birth
- serial number
- the signature of the holder
- information about the period of validity of the ID card
- information about the authority that issued the ID card
What type of identification is not valid?
ID cards issued by tax authorities or banks do not count as national ID cards, as they don't state the holder’s nationality. They only show in which country the card was issued and therefore do not count as valid identification.
What counts as valid identification also depends on your citizenship.
Read more about enering Sweden on polisen.se
If you travel by train, the border control takes place at Hyllie Station. Passengers who get off the train in Hyllie are checked on the platform, while passengers who continue to Malmoe are checked on board the train while it is stationary at Hyllie Station.
If you travel by car across the Øresund bridge, the border control takes place at the toll station at Lernacken in Sweden. The same applies to people who travel by Greyhound bus, Netbus or bus line 999.
The Swedish police could demand to search your car at the border crossing.
For travelers catching the ferry between Elsinore and Helsingborg, the Swedish police perform border control at the harbour in Sweden.
Children’s IDs are also checked during border control when entering Sweden.
A minor who is a citizen of a Nordic country and travels with his/her guardian does not need to have an ID document, if you as the guardian have valid travel documents and can prove that you are the child’s guardian. Remember that this exception only applies to citizens of the Nordic countries and does not apply if your child travels with grandparents. For more information about how you prove that you are the guardian, please contact the Swedish police on + 46 77 114 14 00.
If you are to travel to Sweden from Denmark with students as part of a school class excursion, special rules of documentation are needed. The teacher or the responsible person will need to provide a list of all participants. You can find the list at the webpage of the Swedish Migration Agency.
This also applies for associations and other groups with minors travelling to Sweden.
There are some specific rules when entering Sweden with animals.
Read about the rules on Jordbruksverkets website
Read about the rules in our article about travelling to Bornholm (in Danish)
