Tell us who you are

For the Swedish Migration Agency to be able to assess whether you have the right to asylum, you need to show who you are and where you come from. You must establish your identity by submitting identity documents and by providing reliable and credible information.

The best way to show who you are and where you come from is to submit a passport or identity card from your country of origin. Your passport or identity card must be issued by the authorities in your country of origin and include a photo of you. An identity document must show your name, your citizenship and your date of birth. You must submit your identity documents when you apply for asylum.

If you do not have a passport or iden­tity card

If you do not submit a passport or identity card when you apply for asylum, we will instruct you to obtain identity documents. In the instruction we will write what documents we want you to submit and how much time you have to do so.

If you have other documents that show your identity, for example a driving licence, birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or military book, you should submit them. Taken separately, documents of this kind cannot prove who you are, but several documents can help to make your identity probable along with your story about your background and your country of origin.

If you assist in establishing your identity, you are able to work during the period when your asylum application is being considered. You will then be given an exemption from the obligation to have a work permit (called an AT-UND).

Read more about working while you are applying for asylum

You are responsible for obtaining documents that show your identity. If you have difficulty obtaining identity documents, you must show the Swedish Migration Agency that you are trying. If you are not able to show that you have tried to obtain documents that show who you are, the Swedish Migration Agency may reduce your daily allowance.

Read more about the daily allowance and financial support

If you are not able to establish your iden­tity

It is possible to be granted asylum in Sweden even if you have not established your identity. It may be enough for you to provide reliable and credible information about who you are and where you come from.

But if you do not have a passport or identity card from your country of origin, you will have to wait longer to become a Swedish citizen since the requirements for establishing your identity are higher when you apply for Swedish citizenship.

Read more about establishing your identity when you apply for Swedish citizenship

It is illegal to provide incorrect information about your identity. If it turns out that you have presented false identity documents or given incorrect information about your identity, the Swedish Migration Agency may withdraw your residence permit and decide to expel you from Sweden.

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