Handelsbanken
Swedish bank with an English-language website for personal banking. Phone support runs around the clock in 26 languages, and there is a Göteborg City branch on Östra Hamngatan.
Östra Hamngatan 23, 411 10 Göteborg
handelsbanken.se ↗Banks and money services for internationals in Gothenburg
The big Swedish banks with English onboarding, plus the digital banks and transfer services that bridge the weeks before you have a personnummer and BankID.
Quick answer
To get BankID you need a Swedish personnummer and an account at a bank that issues it; each bank sets its own ID rules. Handelsbanken, Nordea, SEB and Swedbank all have Gothenburg branches and English onboarding pages. While you wait, Wise or Revolut cover everyday payments. Consumers legally resident in the EEA have a right to a basic payment account, but banks still refuse some applicants, citing money-laundering rules.
Banks
Swedish banks that issue BankID and offer English onboarding.
Nordea Sweden
Nordic bank with Swedish retail banking. The English 'Become a customer' page explains opening an account, including with a foreign passport; Nordea Mobile and Netbank are available in English.
National branch network; a Gothenburg branch address could not be verified on nordea.se.
nordea.se ↗SEB
Swedish bank with an English 'New in Sweden' section that lists the documents non-Swedish citizens need to become a customer, with guides for EU/EEA citizens and others.
Östra Hamngatan 24, Göteborg
seb.se ↗Swedbank
Swedish bank with an English-language site. Customer service offers personal service in Swedish and English by phone.
National branch network; a Gothenburg branch address could not be verified on swedbank.se.
swedbank.se ↗Digital banks & money transfer
Accounts and transfers you can use before, or alongside, a Swedish bank.
Wise
Online money-transfer and international account service with a dedicated Sweden site in English.
Online service for residents of Gothenburg and the rest of Sweden; no Gothenburg office.
wise.com ↗Revolut
Digital bank and money app with a Swedish branch of Revolut Bank UAB, offering accounts, cards, savings and international transfers through an app.
App-based service for customers in Sweden through the Swedish branch of Revolut Bank UAB; no Gothenburg office.
revolut.com ↗FOREX Bank
Currency exchange and money transfer: stores in Gothenburg buy and sell currency and send money abroad with Western Union. The site is available in English.
Drottningtorget 1 (Gothenburg Central Station), Göteborg
forex.se ↗Frequently asked questions
Can I open a Swedish bank account without a personnummer?
It is hard. Consumers legally resident in the EEA have a legal right to a payment account with basic functions, but the Riksbank notes that banks often refuse or close accounts citing know-your-customer rules, and people without a Swedish ID document are among those affected. Most newcomers open their account once the personnummer arrives.
How do I get BankID?
Order it from your bank as a mobile app, card or file. You need a personnummer and must be a customer of a bank that issues BankID. An alternative state-approved e-ID is Freja+, which also works with a confirmed coordination number. From 1 January 2026 state agencies must offer login with both BankID and Freja+.
Do I need a Swedish ID card for the bank?
Many banks ask for one. Skatteverket's ID card costs SEK 400, but the government has proposed closing that service from 1 March 2027. From 1 December 2026 the Police offer SverigeID, which can come with an ID card for non-citizens. Details in our Swedish ID card guide.
Can my new company open a business account easily?
Plan for delays. Unlike consumers, companies have no legal right to a payment account, and banks cite money-laundering rules when they refuse. An AB also needs a bank certificate (bankintyg) for its share capital before it can register, so talk to the bank early.
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