Sweden Passport Guide — Applying at the Police
Swedish passports and national ID cards are issued by the police passport offices, and applications are made in person — there is no postal route and no photograph for you to supply, because the office takes it. This guide collects what the Swedish Police (polisen.se) state: who may apply, what to bring, where you can apply, the cost, and the rules for children and for national ID cards. Verified against polisen.se, October 2026.
Who issues it
The police state the issuing authority and the flexibility on location in one passage:
“The police passport offices issue passports and national ID cards to Swedish citizens. You can apply for and obtain your new passport or ID card at any passport office in the country.”
So the document is issued to Swedish citizens by the police passport offices, and you are not restricted to your local office — any passport office in the country can take the application and hand over the finished document.
How to apply
Applications are made in person. For a Swedish citizen over 18 and living in Sweden, the police list what to bring:
- Valid identification — a valid passport is one of several valid ID documents
- Your old passport, if it is still valid
And the attendance and photograph rule is stated plainly:
“Photographs will be taken at the passport office. All who apply for passports and national ID cards must personally come to the police passport office, including children and adolescents.”
Because the photograph is captured on site, there is no applicant-supplied photo format to meet — see the Sweden passport photo page for why there is no size or background to prepare.
Cost
The police publish the fees, paid at the time of application:
| Passport | SEK 500 |
| National ID card | SEK 400 |
| Provisional passport (temporary) | SEK 980 |
Payment is made at the time of application, and all passport offices accept credit and debit cards.
Collecting it
After the application is approved, the passport or ID card is normally delivered to a passport office, and you bring your receipt when collecting it.
Children and consent
For minors the police add a consent requirement:
“Those who are under 18 years old are required to have written consent from all guardians.”
The child must also attend in person for the photograph, like every other applicant. A separate appendix form for a minor’s passport or ID card application is provided by the police.
National ID card rules (from 2 August 2021)
The police set out the 2021 change, driven by an EU regulation:
“From 2 August 2021, new requirements and validity periods for national identity cards apply…fingerprints need to be provided when applying for a national identity card. For persons who, for temporary physical reasons, are unable to leave fingerprints, the period of validity is limited to a maximum of one year. The validity period for national identity cards for children under the age of twelve is also reduced from five years to three years.”
An existing national ID card stays valid for the period printed on it, so it does not have to be replaced just because the rules changed.
Provisional passport
A provisional passport is only issued for an imminent journey, and only certain passport offices issue one. You must know how long it needs to be valid and whether the destination accepts a Swedish provisional passport. The same rules apply as for a regular passport, and if you already hold a valid passport and apply for a provisional one, the regular passport is revoked and blocked.
What is not published
Two points a reader often wants are not fixed on the page checked: the number of years a Swedish passport is valid, and any applicant-supplied photo format. Because the photograph is taken at the office, there is no size, background or head-height to meet; and no passport-validity-in-years figure is stated there, so none is quoted here.
60-second Sweden checklist
- ☐ Apply in person at a police passport office — any office in the country
- ☐ Bring valid identification and your old passport, if it is still valid
- ☐ No photo to bring — it is taken at the office
- ☐ Fee: passport SEK 500, national ID card SEK 400, provisional passport SEK 980
- ☐ Under 18? Written consent from all guardians, and the child attends
- ☐ Collect with your receipt once the application is approved
Frequently asked questions
Who issues Swedish passports?
The police passport offices, which issue passports and national ID cards to Swedish citizens.
Do I need to bring a photo?
No. Photographs will be taken at the passport office, so there is no applicant-supplied photo format.
What do I need to bring?
Valid identification (a valid passport is one of several valid ID documents) and your old passport, if it is still valid. Minors also need written consent from all guardians.
Can I apply at any police office?
Yes. You can apply for and obtain your new passport or ID card at any passport office in the country.
How much does it cost?
A passport is SEK 500, a national ID card SEK 400, and a provisional passport SEK 980, paid at the time of application.
What changed for national ID cards in 2021?
From 2 August 2021 fingerprints must be provided; those unable to give them for temporary physical reasons have validity capped at one year, and under-12s’ cards drop from five years to three.
Source note: the issuing authority and any-office rule, the documents, the in-person photograph rule, the fees, the guardians’ consent requirement, the collection step, the provisional-passport rules and the 2021 national ID card changes are from the Swedish Police, polisen.se (passport and national ID card page; checked October 2026). No applicant-supplied photo size is published, and no passport-validity-in-years figure is stated there.
Related: the Sweden passport photo page, the Sweden passport documents checklist, the full photo size chart, and the passport photo checker.