Sweden Zip Code

Sweden's postal codes

Sweden is divided into a number of postcode zones for the purpose of postal routing. The Swedish postcode (Swedish: postnummer) system is handled on behalf of the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority by the Swedish Mail Service (Swedish: Posten AB) (Swedish: Post- och telestyrelsen).

History

Until 1968, mail in Sweden was sorted solely by geographic location, which meant that postal employees had to become familiar with all of the country's mail hubs and the specific mail trains that served them. In 1967, it was determined that Sweden will use postcodes on May 12, 1968. Since then, the postcode system has remained mostly unchanged, with the exception of a modest reform in the mid-1990s, when all remaining postal terminals were fitted with automatic mail sorting equipment. Sweden was divided into almost 16,100 postcode areas in 2008.

Postal code Format

Swedish postcodes are consisting of a five-digit number combination separated into two sets of three and two digits each. The numerical system is based on the idea that the lower the postcode, the more south the location is. The idea does not apply to postcodes beginning with the number 1, which correspond to the capital city of Stockholm. Mail delivery centres are classified according to their size into two-, three-, and five-digit positioning groups. The two-position group has more variants, whereas the five-digit positioning group contains the fewest.

A gap between the third and fourth digits is required by the system. Earlier suggestions recommended that a double space be provided between the postcode and the geographic location, and that the geographic location be stated in capital letters. A single space is now considered standard, and capital letters are no longer necessary.

A typical address might be as follows:

Sven Nilsson (First and last names)

Roslagsgatan 10 (Street and number)

113 51 Stockholm (Postcode, and geographic location)

Positioning by two digits

The first two digits represent the city. Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö all have two-digit addresses, one for mailboxes and businesses and another for street addresses.

The postcodes are arranged geographically. The first ten digits correspond to Stockholm; otherwise, the lower digits correspond to the larger city regions in the south, increasing northward.