Travel to Canada

Swedish ID number/Name registration

The Embassy in Ottawa will order Swedish ID numbers for newborns and persons who have never had a Swedish passport, national ID card or been registered with the Swedish Population Register. It is necessary to have a Swedish ID number before you can apply for a passport or a national ID card. If the parents/guardians have not registered the name of the child, this will be done at the same time.

When a child is born abroad, parents must notify the Tax Agency in Sweden. 

The Embassy will only order an ID number (samordningsnummer) if you intend to apply for a Swedish passport or a national ID card.

The application is free of charge and can be filed at the Embassy in Ottawa or at any of the Swedish Consulates in Canada (at an additional cost). When applying, the child must be accompanied by at least one legal guardian.

If you intend to apply for a passport/national ID card in Sweden, you should apply for the ID number in Sweden. This is done through the Swedish Police or Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). The Embassy is only able to order ID numbers for Swedish citizens.

The following documents are required, original documents or notarized copies, at the time of application:

  • Name registration form (in Swedish only) signed by both legal guardians and by the applicant, if she or he/she is 12 or older. If legal custody has been granted to one parent or to another person, legal proof of guardianship must be submitted with the application. 
  • Child's birth certificate, stating the names of both parents.
  • Statement of Live Birth, to show who gave birth to the child.
  • Passports (or other valid photo ID with clearly visible signatures) of both legal guardians.
  • Parent's marriage certificate, if only the father is a Swedish citizen and the child was born before April 1, 2015. A child born after April 1, 2015, automatically becomes a Swedish citizen if one of the parents is a Swedish citizen.
  • Swedish citizenship certificate for a child born before April 1, 2015, to a Swedish father who is not married to the foreign mother.
  • If one of the parents have sole custody, a legal document showing this.

For the Swedish parent or legal guardian, one of the following documents:

  • Permanent Resident Card
  • eTA or valid visa
  • Canadian citizenship certificate (not the citizenship card) issued after July 2001.
  • Decision confirming retention of Swedish citizenship for persons over 22 years of age, born outside of Sweden to a Swedish parent.

If the legal guardian(s) gained Canadian citizenship before July 1, 2001, documentation from the Swedish Migration Board must be provided to certify that he and/or she has regained Swedish citizenship before the child's birth.

The processing time is approximately 1-2 months if the application is complete.

Please note that it is the applicant's responsibility to prove his/her Swedish citizenship and to acquire all the requested documents. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

For comprehensive information about Swedish citizenship from the Swedish Migration Agency, click here.