(edit title) Swedish ID Kort nonsense Are we in EU? Options

[Yorkshireman]

The same applies to a Swedish ID surely. It could be fake...

Yes, though it is far more readily accepted than a passport.

It takes time to change, up until a few years ago, even Swedish passports were not accepted in Sweden as ID! The reason for this is historic ... Swedish passports used to be very easy to copy, and they had a severe problem with many many fake passports in Sweden. So they stopped accepting passports as ID, except at the border!

I remember a friend, who a few years ago, went to pick up his kids new passports from the police-station (they are swedish citizens, father is not), and the only handy ID he had was his passport .. the police said sorry, we will only accept a swedish passport or valid Swedish ID... He said, Hmmm, you dont accept this here, but it was OK for Me to come into the country with? ...Yeah, said the policewoman ... We really need to change

[djmarko]

Had the same issue with my old UK passport when applying for the ID card, i was like surely you tax the hell out of me but certainly not good enough to get an ID card, well had to plan an emergency trip to london, booked a same day fast track passport application with the biometric chip, went back to skatt and surprise they did not even ask me for my passport, they said it will be in the post within days!!! Classic

[Willy]

Skatteverket can stick their 400 SEK. It's a nother hidden tax on foreigners.

Huh? The national ID card for Swedish citizens costs 400 kr as well.

[Willy]

That would be Directive 2004/38/EC.

And exactly in what section does it say that you "can be prosecuted by not accepting [a non-Swedish] passport as ID"?

I can only find rules relating to the procedures for EU citizens establishing residence in another EU state.

[oddsock]

Huh? The national ID card for Swedish citizens costs 400 kr as well.

That's not a Skatteverket ID, that's a completely different product. The ID card for Swedish citizens is valid as a travel document within the EU. It's similar to a passport. So it has some use.

A Skatteverket ID is only required for foreigners in very extreme and rare circumstances in backwater villages when the person serving you at ICA Post happens to be in a very bad mood. It's a surefire waste of 400 SEK.

[rtharper]

A Skatteverket ID is only required for foreigners in very extreme and rare circumstances in backwater villages when the person serving you at ICA Post happens to be in a very ... (show full quote)

A Skatteverket ID is only required for foreigners in very extreme and rare circumstances in backwater villages when the person serving you at ICA Post happens to be in a very bad mood. It's a surefire waste of 400 SEK. ... (hide full quote)

Or when you have no EU ID whatsoever, like those of us from outside the EU, who have to get a Swedish ID anyway?

[William Sachsen-Coburg-Go...]

And exactly in what section does it say that you "can be prosecuted by not accepting [a non-Swedish] passport as ID"?I can only find rules relating to the procedures ... (show full quote)

And exactly in what section does it say that you "can be prosecuted by not accepting [a non-Swedish] passport as ID"?

I can only find rules relating to the procedures for EU citizens establishing residence in another EU state. ... (hide full quote)

It's covered by section (20):

In accordance with the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of nationality, all Union citizens and their family members residing in a Member State on the basis of this Directive should enjoy, in that Member State,equal treatment with nationals in areas covered by theTreaty, subject to such specific provisions as are expressly provided for in the Treaty and secondary law.

People often think that equal treatment to prevent discrimination means treating people the same. It doesn't. From a legal perspective equality is about the outcome. Discrimination occurs where the outcome for one group are less than the outcome for another group. This legal principle is the basis for equality legislation. Another one is that there are 2 types of discrimination, direct and indirect, both of which are unlawful.

So you can see from section (20) that it unlawful to discriminate on ground of nationality and all EU citizens should be treated equality. If an organisation accepts a Swedish passport as ID but doesn't accept other EU passports, that constitutes direct discrimation on grounds of nationality. The Swede is allowed to do something the other EU citizen cannot do because of their nationality. If an organisation only accepts Swedish ID cards this constitutes indirect discrimination because there is a much greater chance that it will negatively affect non-Swedes than it will Swedes, ie the outcome is different because of nationality

In addition it is unlawful under Article 6, section 1:

Union citizens shall have the right of residence on the territory of another Member State for a period of up to three months without any conditions or any formalities other than the requirement to hold a valid identity card or passport.

In order for an EU citizen to get an ID card from Skatteverket they have to be registered with migrationsverket. If the only way an EU citizen who's been here a month or two can collect his parcel from the post office is to have a Swedish ID then they are putting condtions on that 3 months. Requiring people to register before their 3 months is up is not allowed (article 8, section 1), and having systems in place where they either register before they are legally obliged to or face discrimination infringes on their right to freedom of movement without conditions.

[Yorkshireman]

In accordance with the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of nationality, all Union citizens and their family members residing in a Member State on the basis of this Directive should enjoy, in that Member State,equal treatment with nationals in areas covered by theTreaty, subject to such specific provisions as are expressly provided for in the Treaty and secondary law.

Maybe You missed the key part of the article ... I will add the required emphasis ...

...equal treatment with nationals in areas covered by the Treaty,

Does any article in the treaty cover collecting parcels from the post-office?

I would also add that You are applying the law to a far lower level than was intended, the treaty is between States, and does NOT cover Private Businesses nor private individuals. Businesses can decide for themselves, just as individuals can, whether or not to accept a passport or ID Card as proof of identity ... and if they believe the ID to be suspect, refuse it.

So, does the Swedish government force you to register within 3 months to get an ID card ... No. It is Your personal choice to register or not within 3 months. If You dont want an ID Card, don't get one ...however they can be handy, since many businesses prefer that rather than a passport.

[William Sachsen-Coburg-Go...]

Does any article in the treaty cover collecting parcels from the post-office?

Yes, Article 95 and all the Directives that come from it governing provision of postal services, access to them and quality of service.

I would also add that You are applying the law to a far lower level than was intended, the treaty is between States, and does NOT cover Private Businesses nor private individuals.

The Treaty is between States: the laws implementing the Treaty cover States, private businesses and private individuals.

[sometimesinsweden]

In 11 years of coming to Sweden for extended periods, I've never had a problem using my British passport for ID - even before Chip and Pin came along, they just wrote the passport number and my dob down instead.

[oddsock]

Actually the one time not having a Swedish ID really failed on me wasn't even in Sweden. It was at the Bordershop in Puttgarden in Germany.

They wouldn't let me buy cans of booze as they said I couldn't prove I lived in Sweden. I have a non-Swedish passport and non-Swedish driver's license, you see. I showed them a Swedish bank card and employee card from my work, both in my name. But apparenlty that wasn't proof enough for them that I lived in Sweden. I would have to show a Swedish passport or Swedish driver's license.

I tried to explain to them that somebody with a Swedish passport and Swedish driver's license doesn't necessarily live in Sweden either, but that was pretty much lost on them.

The Germans love their rules and regulations even more than the Swedes.

[staycold]

I don't mind rules and regulations as long as they make sense, people in the offices have knowlegde of the systems, things were made up as you go along and agencies correspond with each other.

This is the 4th country I have lived in a it has been an absolute nightmare, trying to get a straight answer is impossible.

Everytime I think I have everything sorted I find out I need something else, I was told the other day I cant get my personnummer without my residency card, no point in my little journey involving forms, visits to immigration did anyone mention a residency card. Is this the same as an ID card? Or do I need to get this after, next step bank account.

Moving to Australia was easier than this!! Being from the UK I stupidly assumed this would be a simple transition, how very wrong I was!!

[oddsock]

If you are from the UK you don't need a residency card to live here. Whoever told you that is talking out of their hole. You're an EU citizen. Just as in many other countries, there are some very incompetent people in the civil service here.

I am from the EU. I went to Skatteverkert with my passport, Swedish home adress and work contract (for good measure) and basically told them to give me a personnummer. It arrived in the post a week later.

Go back and shout at them. You'd be surprised how often that works.

[rtharper]

As oddsock said, there is no residency card for EU citizens. The Skatteverket website outlines various things you should bring to prove your right of residence.

http://goo.gl/jyqmv

If you have registered your right of residence with Migrationsverket, you shouldn't have a problem. If you do, ask to speak to someone else?