Private investigator licensing in Sweden
No. Sweden has no specific private investigator licence.
Sweden has no licence or formal qualification for private investigators, and anyone may offer detective services. The Security Companies Act (lag 1974:191 om bevakningsföretag), under which the county administrative board authorises firms after consulting the police, covers guarding property, people and cash in transit, not investigation. Investigators remain bound by general criminal law, including the offences of intrusive photography and harassment.
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How to get licensed
- 1
No licence is needed, so register the business with Skatteverket (F-skatt) or form a company through Bolagsverket
- 2
Set up GDPR compliance for case files and surveillance data
- 3
Do not take on guarding or close-protection work, which needs authorisation under lag 1974:191
Licensed somewhere else?
See whether you can take a case in Sweden.
Rules in the field
Recording conversations
One-party consent
You can generally record a conversation you are part of without telling the others.
Sources
Reference information, not legal advice. Confirm with the regulator before taking on work. Out of date? Tell us.
Questions about PI licensing in Sweden
Do you need a licence to be a private investigator in Sweden?+
No. Sweden has no specific private investigator licence. Sweden has no licence or formal qualification for private investigators, and anyone may offer detective services. The Security Companies Act (lag 1974:191 om bevakningsföretag), under which the county administrative board authorises firms after consulting the police, covers guarding property, people and cash in transit, not investigation. Investigators remain bound by general criminal law, including the offences of intrusive photography and harassment.
How do you get a private investigator licence in Sweden?+
1. No licence is needed, so register the business with Skatteverket (F-skatt) or form a company through Bolagsverket 2. Set up GDPR compliance for case files and surveillance data 3. Do not take on guarding or close-protection work, which needs authorisation under lag 1974:191
Can an investigator licensed elsewhere work a case in Sweden?+
No licence applies, so investigators licensed elsewhere can work Swedish cases, subject to GDPR and the Swedish Criminal Code.
Can a private investigator record phone calls in Sweden?+
Sweden is a one-party consent country: you can generally record a conversation you are part of without telling the others.
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