Setting up the government login / digital ID as a foreigner

In Sweden the digital ID comes through the bank, so without a Swedish bank account nothing works, which is exactly why we're keeping ours.

Sweden was the hardest part of my first months. I needed the personal number to open a bank account, the bank account to get the digital ID, and the digital ID for almost everything else, including booking a doctor. It took about six weeks to get through the whole chain. Samir, going in person is the answer I'd give anyone, too. A person can fix in ten minutes what the app can't explain in two evenings.

Digital government logins are one of the biggest practical hurdles for new residents, and Oliver's chain is a good illustration: ID number, then bank, then digital ID, then everything else. Most countries have a person-to-person route for foreigners who get stuck, usually at the local office or a service desk. The Digital Services section of each guide covers the steps, for example the Digital Services section for Belgium.

UK verification questions failed for me, because I had no credit history yet, so I had to use the post-office route instead.

Oliver, the chain you describe is exactly what I lived through, and I'm glad the person at the commune was not a miracle but simply normal.

Ireland's government ID needed a photo appointment in person first, and then the online part was easy.

Dutch login worked for me only after an activation letter arrived by post, which took a week.