You have a permit in Sweden – Protection under the Temporary Protection Directive Bank card – Temporary Protection DirectiveYou have a permit in Sweden – Protection under the Temporary Protection DirectiveBank card – Temporary Protection Directive

PIN code and password

When the Swedish Migration Agency issues the bank card to you, you will receive an envelope with information about your numerical code (PIN code) for the card and an envelope with information about your password.

• The PIN code is a four-digit card code that you use when you pay in a store or withdraw money.
• The password is a four-digit code that you can use to check your balance (how much money is on the card).

Remember which numerical code you should use for the card and which one you should use for balance information. If you use the wrong code three times, your card will be blocked. The Swedish Migration Agency does not know your codes.

How to use your bank card

You use the card to make in-person purchases from any business in Sweden that accepts Maestro. The bank card can only be used in Sweden. You cannot use it to for online purchases, mail orders, or any other place where you cannot draw your card through a card reader.

You must approve all purchases and withdrawals using your PIN code.

The bank card also works at unattended petrol stations. When you refill your petrol tank, SEK 1,500 is reserved on the card. If you do not have that much money on your card, you can refill your tank with petrol costing the amount available on the card. Once you are done refilling, the reservation of SEK 1,500 is released after a few minutes, and only the amount of petrol you actually used is charged to the card.

You cannot deposit money on the card, nor do you earn any interest. The Swedish Migration Agency has the right to review your card, for example to verify that our payments to the card are going through properly.

How to withdraw cash with your bank card

To get cash, you can

• withdraw money from an ATM that has a Maestro symbol
• withdraw money at the checkout at any ICA store
• withdraw cash from a shop when you pay with your bank card. Please note that this is subject to cash availability at the business in question.

There is a limit to the amount of cash that can be withdrawn:

• SEK 3,000 per occasion at ICA stores (subject to cash availability at checkout)
• SEK 5,000 per occasion at the ICA Bank ATMs
• SEK 2,000 per occasion at other ATMs
• SEK 15,000 in total during a calendar week (Monday–Sunday), regardless of where you withdraw money.

Check your card’s period of validity

On the front of the card is the month and year when the card expires. One month before the expiry date, you can visit a Swedish Migration Agency Service Centre to replace your card.

Check your balance

There are several ways to check your balance, i.e. how much money is on your card:

• In an ICA store, using your bank card and PIN code.
• Online, by logging in to www.kontantkort.icabanken.se External link..
• Via ICA Bank’s smartphone app.
• Via an automated voice answering system (self-service via telephone), by calling ICA Bank at 033‑47 47 50.

Most often, you will need your password and case number to check your balance. Your case number is the number listed under the photo on your Asylum Seeker card. You can learn more about your card balance and how to keep track of it on the paper you received with your card.

If you lose your card

If you lose your bank card or it is stolen, you should block the card as soon as you discover it is gone. Call ICA Bank at telephone number 033‑47 47 50. You must provide your case number when you call.

Important to consider

• The card is a personal value document that should be kept in a secure manner. You have a personal responsibility to ensure that the card does not fall into the wrong hands.
• Never store your PIN code with your bank card. Learn the code by heart and then destroy the paper with the code you received from us.
• If you enter the wrong PIN code three times in a row, the card will automatically be blocked. If this happens, some ATMs may keep the card (refuse to dispense an inserted card).