National Identity Card (Sweden)

National Identity Card (Sweden)

The national identity card (Swedish: nationellt id-kort) is a non-compulsory identity document issued in Sweden by the Swedish Police since October 1, 2005. The card can be used for traveling to and staying in countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement without the need for a passport, but not to EU countries outside the Schengen area something that violates the EU directive 2004/38/EC chapter II article 4.1. It is only obtainable by Swedish citizens. Citizens of other countries residing in Sweden can get certified identification cards issued by the tax authority.

The card is valid for five years and costs 400 SEK (about 42 EUR). Applications are filed at police stations which have a passport office. Not so many, around 100.000 Swedes have obtained an official National identity card. This is because almost all people already have another suitable identity document. The driver's license or the tax authority identity card is fully enough inside the Nordic countries, and the passport, although more bulky, is accepted outside the Nordic countries.

The national identity card is equipped with a contact chip prepared for being able to function as an electronic identity card (eID) at a later date, and also a contactless RFID chip containing a digital representation of the printed data along with the photograph.