Sweden has no single crisis line. It has a handful of national ones, each run by a different organization. This page tells you which one fits, when it answers, whether it speaks English, and what to do when a number will not connect from your phone.
When you need this
- You, or someone with you, is thinking about suicide while in Sweden
- It is 3 a.m., anxiety will not let you sleep, and you need a human voice
- Someone has hurt, threatened or assaulted you
- A teenager in your group is upset and will not talk to you
- You are LGBTQ+ and were harassed or threatened
- Your phone is on a foreign SIM and a Swedish helpline will not connect
If anyone is in danger
Call 112. It is free from any phone, the operator speaks Swedish or English, and interpreters are available for about 200 languages. Say what is happening and where you are.
If you are not in immediate danger but have plans to end your life, Sweden’s health service, 1177, is clear: go to a psychiatric emergency department (psykiatrisk akutmottagning) or call 112. Every helpline below says the same. A helpline is for talking; it is not an ambulance.
Warning: Do not call a helpline instead of 112 when a life is at risk. Volunteer lines can have queues, and none of them can send help to your door.
If you are worried about someone else, 1177 gives advice on where they can get care, including when you call on a relative’s behalf. From a foreign phone, 1177 is +46 771 11 77 00. Note that 1177 is a healthcare service, not an anonymous line — it asks for an identity number so the nurse can keep notes. The full picture is in our guide to Sweden’s 1177 advice line.
One thing to know rather than fear: Swedish law allows psychiatric care against a person’s will when there is a serious mental disorder and an unavoidable need for inpatient care. It applies to visitors too, and home-country mental-health law does not override it.
Two lines open all night
For adults who need to talk — about anything, at any hour — two national lines answer around the clock.
| Självmordslinjen | Hjälplinjen | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | 90101 | 90390, or 0202-90390 from a foreign SIM |
| Run by | Mind, a mental-health charity | Region Stockholm on the government’s behalf |
| Who answers | Trained volunteers | Psychologists, social workers, nurses |
| Hours | 24 hours, every day | 24 hours, every day |
| Chat | Yes, 24 hours | Written advice online |
| Who it is for | Anyone with suicidal thoughts, or close to someone who has them | Adults over 18 in crisis, with suicidal thoughts or mental-health problems |
Självmordslinjen (the suicide line) has been open around the clock since June 2020; older lists still say 06–24. It is anonymous. Because it relies on volunteers, availability varies, and Mind introduced a queue system in spring 2025 — if you cannot get through, the chat is the other way in.
Hjälplinjen opened in December 2024, so most English lists of Swedish helplines do not include it yet. It matters to visitors for one specific reason: it publishes a second number, 0202-90390, for callers whose call to 90390 does not connect — explicitly including foreign SIM cards. On weekdays from 08:00 to 17:00 you can leave your number and be called back the same day instead of waiting in a queue.
Lines for specific situations
| Situation | Line | Hours | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violence or sexual violence, any gender | Kvinnofridslinjen 116 016 | 24 hours | Interpreter on the phone; chat in Swedish only |
| Men and boys exposed to violence or sexual abuse | Stödlinjen för män 020-80 80 80 | 24 hours | Not stated |
| Under 18, anything at all | Bris 116 111 (call, SMS, chat) | 24 hours | English on the phone |
| Victim or witness of any crime | Brottsofferjouren 116 006 | Mon–Fri 09:00–19:00; weekends 09:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00 | Swedish or English |
| LGBTQI people facing harassment, threats or violence | RFSL Stödmottagning 020-34 13 16 | Callback; anonymous direct line Thursdays 09:00–12:00 | Swedish, English, Spanish, Arabic or interpreter |
Kvinnofridslinjen (the women’s peace line) is the national helpline for anyone subjected to physical, psychological or sexual violence, and relatives and friends can call too. Its number changed to 116 016 in April 2025; the old 020-50 50 50 still connects. Calls are free and do not appear on the phone bill. If you need another language, say which one and stay on the line — the interpreter can take up to ten minutes to join. Our guide to solo female travel in Sweden covers what else to do after an assault.
Bris (Children’s Rights in Society) is for anyone under 18, and it is the line a teenager is most likely to use, because they can text. It is free, anonymous and invisible on the bill. Bris also runs an Arabic line, 020-44 08 00, Tuesday to Thursday from 09:00 to 12:00. Hjälplinjen, by contrast, is for adults only.
Brottsofferjouren (Victim Support Sweden) helps victims, witnesses and relatives, whether or not you report to the police. It keeps daytime hours, not 24-hour ones, and its chat closes earlier on weekdays (16:00). Through a contact form it can arrange support in nearly 30 languages. Reporting itself is covered in reporting a crime in Sweden.
RFSL Stödmottagning is the support service of RFSL, Sweden’s national LGBTQI organization. Leave your name and number and a counsellor calls back; on Thursday mornings you can reach one directly without giving your name. More on the wider picture in LGBTQ+ travel in Sweden.
Night-only lines and the duty priest
Two services exist specifically for the hours when everything feels worse.
Jourhavande medmänniska (the fellow human on duty) answers 08-702 16 80 every night from 21:00 to 06:00, with a chat from 21:00 to 24:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. It is staffed by volunteers who do not give their names, cannot see your number, and pledge that nothing is passed on to any authority.
Jourhavande präst (the duty priest) is reached in a way that surprises everyone: you call 112 between 21:00 and 06:00 and ask to be connected. A Church of Sweden priest answers, under absolute confidentiality. The call is not recorded, it does not show on your phone bill, and you do not need to be a believer or a member. It cannot be phoned from abroad; the chat (every evening 20:00–24:00) and a digital letter answered within 24 hours work from anywhere.
English and foreign phones
This is the part every other list leaves out.
Lines that state they answer in English: 112, Bris on the phone, Brottsofferjouren’s 116 006 and RFSL. Kvinnofridslinjen adds an interpreter. Lines that state nothing about English: Självmordslinjen, Hjälplinjen and Jourhavande medmänniska. Many Swedes speak excellent English, so do call — but open with “Do you speak English?” rather than assuming. The UK government’s own advice notes that not all Swedish medical and emergency staff speak English.
Most chats are in Swedish. Kvinnofridslinjen says so outright and sends other languages to the phone.
Swedish short numbers and 020 freephone numbers are not guaranteed from a foreign SIM. Hjälplinjen publishes 0202-90390 for exactly that case, and Kvinnofridslinjen says it can only be phoned from within Sweden. If a number fails, do not conclude the service is closed — switch to its chat. Självmordslinjen’s chat runs 24 hours. 112 always works.
Warning: Save three numbers before you travel: 112, 90101 and 0202-90390. Between them they cover danger, a 24-hour volunteer line and a 24-hour professional line with a number that works for foreign SIMs.
Once you are safe, your own embassy or consulate can help with contacting family or getting home; see a lost passport in Sweden for how embassies work.
Practical information
| Line | Number | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency, and the duty priest at night | 112 | Free; the priest call is not on your bill |
| Självmordslinjen (Mind) | 90101 | Free apart from your operator’s call-opening fee |
| Hjälplinjen | 90390 / 0202-90390 | Support free; operator fees may apply |
| Jourhavande medmänniska | 08-702 16 80 | An ordinary Stockholm number at your operator’s rate |
| Kvinnofridslinjen | 116 016 | Free; not on your bill |
| Stödlinjen för män | 020-80 80 80 | Free |
| Bris (under 18) | 116 111 | Free; not on your bill |
| Brottsofferjouren | 116 006 | Free |
| RFSL Stödmottagning | 020-34 13 16 | Free |
| 1177 health advice | 1177 / +46 771 11 77 00 | Advice free; you pay for the call |
We publish no kronor figures: call and roaming rates are set by your own operator.
FAQ
What is the suicide hotline number in Sweden?
Mind’s Självmordslinjen on 90101, open 24 hours a day by phone and chat, answered by volunteers, and anonymous. Hjälplinjen on 90390 is a second 24-hour line for adults, answered by professionals; from a foreign SIM use 0202-90390. If you have plans to end your life or are in immediate danger, call 112 or go to a psychiatric emergency department.
Do Swedish crisis helplines speak English?
Some do, by published policy. 112 answers in Swedish or English. Bris speaks English on its phone line for under-18s, Brottsofferjouren’s 116 006 answers in Swedish or English, and RFSL offers English counselling. Kvinnofridslinjen brings in an interpreter on the phone. Självmordslinjen and Hjälplinjen state no English service, though asking costs nothing.
Can I call Swedish helplines from a foreign phone?
Not always. Swedish short numbers and 020 freephone numbers are not guaranteed from a foreign SIM. Hjälplinjen publishes 0202-90390 for exactly that case, and 1177 uses +46 771 11 77 00. Kvinnofridslinjen can only be phoned from within Sweden. If a number fails, use the service’s chat — Självmordslinjen’s runs 24 hours. 112 always works.
How do I reach the duty priest in Sweden?
Call 112 between 21:00 and 06:00 and ask to be connected to jourhavande präst. A Church of Sweden priest answers, under absolute confidentiality; the call is not recorded and does not show on your bill. You do not need to be a believer or a member. It cannot be phoned from abroad, but the chat runs every evening 20:00–24:00.
Who do I call in Sweden after being assaulted or raped?
If you are in danger, 112. For support, Kvinnofridslinjen on 116 016 — free, anonymous, 24 hours, for any gender, with interpreters on the phone. Men and boys can also call Stödlinjen för män on 020-80 80 80, also 24 hours. Brottsofferjouren on 116 006 helps any crime victim in daytime hours, and no police report is needed.
Is there a helpline for children and teenagers in Sweden?
Yes. Bris answers 116 111 for anyone under 18, by phone, SMS or chat, around the clock. It is free, anonymous and does not show on the phone bill, and the counsellors are trained and bound by confidentiality. The phone line can be in English. Hjälplinjen, by contrast, is for adults only.
Are crisis helplines in Sweden free?
Mostly. Kvinnofridslinjen, Bris, Brottsofferjouren, Stödlinjen för män and RFSL’s support line are free. Självmordslinjen is free apart from your operator’s call-opening fee, Hjälplinjen’s support is free though operator fees may apply, and Jourhavande medmänniska is an ordinary Stockholm number. 112 is always free. Roaming charges on a foreign SIM are set by your own operator.
Is there LGBTQ+ crisis support in Sweden?
RFSL Stödmottagning supports LGBTQI people exposed to harassment, threats or violence on 020-34 13 16, free. Leave your name and number for a callback, or call on Thursdays 09:00–12:00 to reach a counsellor directly and anonymously. Counselling is offered in Swedish, English, Spanish and Arabic, or with an interpreter. In danger, call 112.
Related guides
- 112 and Sweden’s emergency numbers — what to say on 112 and why the call may fail on an old phone
- 1177: Sweden’s medical advice line — the number that tells you which door to use
- Emergency rooms in Sweden — what happens at akuten, including psychiatric units
- Reporting a crime in Sweden — the police side of what Brottsofferjouren supports
- Solo female travel in Sweden — the consent law and 116 016 in context
Facts verified 2026-10-01. Sources: 1177, SOS Alarm, Mind, Hjälplinjen, Svenska kyrkan, Kvinnofridslinjen, Bris, Brottsofferjouren, RFSL and Lag (1991:1128) om psykiatrisk tvångsvård — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.