Information on Passports Issued by Sweden

Travelers from Sweden who want to leave that country and visit other ones should get a Swedish passport. This important document will help them take the trips they want to take. It’s simple and straightforward to get and use a Swedish passport. Here’s what people need to know if they are Swedish citizens who want to travel.

What is a Swedish Passport?

A Swedish passport is a formal document that identifies a person and names them a citizen of Sweden. It is most often used when crossing international borders. It may also be used as formal identification in situations where other forms of identification are not available or not easy to obtain.

Having a Swedish passport allows people to enter some countries without getting a visa ahead of time. This can make crossing international borders faster and easier than ever before.

What Does a Sweden Passport Look Like?

A Swedish passport is a small maroon booklet. The cover, while not hard, is reinforced to limit the amount of damage the document will sustain under normal use. Inside the passport, there is a page that contains the traveler’s photograph and personal information. This includes their birth date, place of birth, and other identifying details.

The passport also contains pages with instructions on how, when, and where the passport can be used and how it should be treated. Finally, the passport contains blank pages. These are used when the traveler enters and leaves other countries. 

Officials from those countries will stamp or otherwise mark the pages to indicate that the person has entered, then left, that country. Most Swedish passports have a small, rectangular mark on the front of them. This indicates that the passport contains a computer chip with additional biometric data identifying the holder.

How Powerful is the SWE Passport?

There are a variety of organizations around the world that try to rank passports by their power. Each one gives slightly different rankings. Regardless of the organization, though, Sweden has a powerful passport. It offers visa-on-arrival or even visa-free access in 188 different countries.

Note that this number can change at any time. Different countries may want to change their ties to Sweden, pandemics can occur, or armed conflict can limit border crossings. Travelers should check and make sure they have the access they need to the countries they want to visit before they leave home. Even though Swedish is powerful, a health declaration is mandatory if the country of destination is requiring it. A health declaration that is currently required is the Colombia Check Mig.

What is Dual Citizenship?

Dual citizenship means that a person holds citizenship from more than one country. This allows them to hold more than one passport, as well. For years, Sweden did not permit dual citizenship. More recently, however, they have changed their laws.

Now, people who are Swedish citizens can also be citizens of other countries. They can carry their Swedish passport alongside another passport. They simply need to make sure they use the same passport anytime they are entering or leaving a single country.

How to Get a Passport From Sweden

Travelers applying from within Sweden will work with the Swedish police to get their passports. Outside of Sweden, they will work with the local embassy or consulate of Sweden.  Some travelers may be able to complete all or part of their passport application online. Most people will also be required to attend a meeting in person, however.

Applicants will need to gather and present a set of documents in order to apply for a passport issued by Sweden. They will need a particular form that verifies them as a Swedish citizen, as well as their existing passport or a document from the Tax agency with their personal ID number on it. In addition, they may need a photo ID. They may also need documentation attesting to marriages, divorces, name changes, gender changes, and more.

Note that Sweden does not ask applicants to bring passport photos of themselves. Instead, all applicants will be photographed as needed at their passport appointment. Finally, they will need to pay all relevant fees regarding the passport application. After that, they can submit the application and wait for their passport to be issued.

Passports for children under the age of 18 always require in-person appointments. The child and at least one parent or guardian must attend the appointment. The government may require permission from any parents or guardians not in attendance for the child to get a passport. Children who do not have a national ID card will need to get one of these before they will be able to get a passport from Sweden.

How to Renew an SWE Passport

Sweden does allow for the renewal of passports, but the process is almost identical to the process of getting a new passport. The only difference is that the applicant must submit the old passport at the time of application. They can use this as one of the documents supporting their identity and Swedish citizenship.

What To Do If a Swedish Passport is Lost or Stolen

If a Swedish citizen loses their passport or has it stolen, they needs to report it as missing to the Swedish police (if inside Sweden) or the nearest embassy/consulate (if not inside Sweden). At that time, they will receive further instructions about what to do and how to proceed. Most of the time, they will be directed to immediately apply for a new passport.

They will not be able to use the old passport even if they find it again. Once it is invalid, it cannot be invalidated. Travelers who have booked travel and who need to leave urgently may qualify for an emergency passport. These can be issued quickly and are only valid for an extremely limited amount of time. 

Usually, they will only maintain validity until the traveler has their official passport in hand once again. The application process to replace a lost or stolen passport may be slightly different than it is under more normal circumstances. Travelers may need to produce other forms of the photo identification or verify their identity in multiple ways. This ensures that there is no fraud related to their passport.

Biometrics and the Passport from Sweden

Most Swedish passports contain chips with biometric data. This may include images of the person’s face, fingerprints, iris prints, and any other security information. The chip also contains information that verifies it as valid when it is scanned and processed. Any country with a scanner can use the chip to help verify the traveler’s identity. These chips can make border crossings so much easier. When identity is easy to verify, travelers cross borders faster.

Different Types of Passports Issued by Sweden

The vast majority of Swedish citizens will only ever receive a regular passport from Sweden. This is the standard document issued when citizens want to travel overseas for most reasons. Emergency passports are available for citizens who do not have regular passports and who need to travel urgently.

They may need to prove that they have made travel plans before they can even be eligible for one of these passports. Diplomats and other official travelers will receive diplomatic or official passports from the Swedish government. These can only be used when the person travels on behalf of the country. 

If people want to extend diplomatic travel for personal reasons, they will need to use a regular passport for the personal part of the trips. There are other types of passports issued by Sweden, but they are very uncommon. They may be issued for people who need to relocate quickly because of natural disasters or other causes.

Validity Rules for Passports from Sweden

Most SWE passports are valid for 5 years as long as the applicant is 12 or older when they apply. Applicants 11 or younger will have passports that are valid for only 3 years. Most countries that people from Sweden visit will want their passports to be valid for 3 or 6 months after the traveler arrives in the country.

If the passport expires before that time is up, the traveler should renew it before they try to enter that country. Many countries also want Swedish passports to have 1 or 2 completely empty pages when the traveler arrives. This gives them plenty of space to stamp for entrance and exit.

Each country a traveler visits may need its own separate pages. If the passport does not have these available, they may need to renew it before they leave home. Travelers should avoid damaging their Swedish passports to keep them valid. Water damage, smashing, and tearing can all invalidate a passport. Travelers who aren’t sure if their passport is valid should check with the Swedish police with plenty of time to renew the passport if it is deemed invalid.

Restrictions on Passports from Sweden

The government of Sweden can choose to restrict a particular passport at any time. They may do so because the owner partakes in criminal activity or for a variety of other reasons. Most travelers never face passport restrictions. However, it is up to each traveler to ensure that their passport is not restricted before they try to travel with it.

Swedish citizens can check the status of their passports at any police station or Swedish embassy/consulate if they are unsure.  Sweden has a powerful passport and one that is relatively easy to get. Citizens can make the most of theirs by seeing as much of the world as possible.