Skatteverket - registering with the Swedish tax authority

After applying online for my 'right of reside' here in Sweden and receiving my acceptance only about 10 days later, my first admin task here in Stockholm was to get registered with the authorities. This involves a trip to Skatteverket for Folkbokföring, which gives you the magic personnummer. Without a personnummer, you are not able to do anything; you cannot open a bank account, receive health care, borrow a book for the library, or sign up for anything - it is the key to life here in Sweden.

Unfortunately, once you receive your personnummer you need to make a second trip to Skatteverket for a personbevis, which you need to take along with you to open a bank account. It seems a little confusing but in order to receive a personbevis, you need a Swedish citizen in your family or with whom you live to vouch for you; but what if you have come here to work, are living on your own and don't have any family here, as was the case for me when I moved to Denmark...? This is an interesting debate that you can follow on The Local's discussion board.