Sweden approves Sverige-ID as government-backed digital identity option

The Swedish parliament has passed a law this week establishing a state electronic identity (eID), known as Sverige-ID. The eID will offer a government alternative to the popular BankID digital identity service developed by banks and allow Swedish residents to securely store digital credentials and identify themselves across the EU in line with the European Digital Identity (EUDI) wallet plan.

The Act on Government Electronic Identification, passed by the Riksdag on Wednesday, is due to take effect on December 1st, 2026, when applications for the Sverige-ID will officially open to citizens and residents aged nine or older.

The system was developed by the Agency for Digital Government (Digg) in collaboration with the Swedish Police Authority. The voluntary eID service will be linked to national ID cards and will meet the highest assurance level under eIDAS regulation. Users will be able to identify themselves online, access online services, share personal data, and provide electronic signatures.

The Swedish central bank, the Riksbank, also says the government eID can be used for payments as an alternative to the popular BankID.

BankID has a penetration rate of 99.7 percent in the country, with 8.7 million Swedes using the service. This has made many people dependent on a single commercial operator, according to the Riksbank, which believes that Sverige-ID could bring several positive effects.

“Firstly, it can strengthen competition in the market, by creating scope for more actors to build their own identification solutions,” the central bank says in its Payments Report 2026.

“Second, it gives society another option for identification and payments should one be disrupted. Finally, it could improve accessibility if the government e-identification can be used by groups that currently lack or have difficulty obtaining a BankID, such as new arrivals, people with intellectual disabilities or people without a Swedish bank account,” Riksbank concludes.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  e-ID  |  EU Digital Identity Wallet  |  identity assurance  |  legislation  |  Sverige-ID  |  Sweden