This guide covers what Swedish law says about LGBTQ+ visitors, where to turn if something goes wrong, how HIV testing, PrEP and PEP work for visitors, what the official hate-crime numbers show, and when the Prides are.
When you need this
- You are planning a trip to Sweden as an LGBTQ+ traveler or couple
- You want to know what Swedish law says before you book
- A hotel, restaurant or shop has refused you or treated you worse
- Something happened on the street or online and you think it was a hate crime
- You need an HIV test, PEP after a risk, or a PrEP supply while traveling
- You want to marry in Sweden, or wonder whether your marriage or legal gender is recognized
- You are choosing which Pride to visit
What Swedish law protects
The protection applies to anyone in Sweden, visitor or resident. Two laws do most of the work: the Discrimination Act (2008:567), a civil law, and the Criminal Code (Brottsbalken).
| Law | What it says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Discrimination Act, 1 kap. 1 § and 2 kap. 12 § | Bans discrimination on grounds including sexual orientation and könsöverskridande identitet eller uttryck (transgender identity or expression) by anyone offering goods, services or housing to the public, or organizing a public event | Hotels, restaurants, shops, transport and event organizers may not treat you worse |
| Discrimination Act, 5 kap. 1 § | A business that breaks the ban pays diskrimineringsersättning (discrimination compensation) to the person wronged | You can be compensated |
| Criminal Code 16 kap. 9 § | Refusing service on these grounds is the crime of olaga diskriminering: fines or up to one year in prison | It can also be reported to the police |
| Criminal Code 16 kap. 8 § | Hets mot folkgrupp (agitation against a group) includes threats or contempt aimed at sexual orientation or transgender identity or expression | Covers hate speech spread to others |
| Criminal Code 29 kap. 2 § 7 p. | A motive of offending someone because of sexual orientation, sex, gender identity or gender expression is an aggravating factor | A hate crime gets a harsher sentence |
The Discrimination Act does not reach private and family life: it applies to what is offered to the public, and where a private arrangement ends is judged case by case. A pending reform, already passed, will move the sentencing rules into a new chapter 28 of the Criminal Code on a date the government sets. The hate-crime ground stays the same.
Discrimination or hate crime: who handles what
Two different bodies handle the two problems, and sending a case to the wrong one costs time.
| What happened | Where to turn | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| A business or organizer refused you or treated you worse | Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, DO): online form, 08-120 20 700 or [email protected] | Free |
| Assault, threats, harassment or vandalism because of who you are | Police: 112 if urgent, otherwise 114 14 | No fee; ordinary call charges |
| You need someone to talk to afterwards | Brottsofferjouren (Victim Support Sweden), 116 006, or RFSL’s support service | Free |
At DO, keep the date, place, business name, what was said, and any receipt or booking confirmation. DO, or a non-profit association that protects its members’ interests, can take a case to court for you if you agree. Claims outside working life must be brought within two years. If the problem was at work and you are a trade union member, go to your union first.
DO uses the terms könsidentitet eller könsuttryck (gender identity or gender expression) where the statute says könsöverskridande. Non-binary people and people with intersex variations are covered. Someone who has changed, or plans to change, their registered sex is protected under the ground of sex instead; the protection is the same.
Reporting a hate crime as a visitor
The police’s online reports need a Swedish personal or coordination number, and threats and violence are reported by phone or at a station anyway. So:
- Call 112 if you are in danger.
- Otherwise call 114 14, or +46 77 114 14 00 from a foreign phone, or go to a police station. Operators speak Swedish and English.
- Say why you think you were targeted. The motive can only raise the sentence if the police know about it.
- Before you report, save messages and screenshots, photograph injuries and note witnesses.
Brottsofferjouren gives free, anonymous support, and you don’t need to have reported to the police to call. RFSL, the national LGBTQI rights organization founded in 1950, also runs a support service for crime victims. Our guide to reporting a crime as a tourist covers interpreters and what happens after the report.
Marriage and legal gender
Marriage. Swedish marriage law has been gender-neutral since 1 May 2009: the code says simply that “the two who enter into marriage with each other become spouses”. No new registered partnerships have been possible since then, and a marriage or partnership from home needs no Swedish step while you visit.
Foreign couples can marry in Sweden. First you need a hindersprövning (marriage eligibility check) from Skatteverket, the Swedish Tax Agency. It is free and valid for four months. Each partner who is not registered in Sweden supplies a recent civil-status certificate from home, preferably issued within the last four months. When neither partner is a Swedish citizen or resident, Skatteverket says it takes about 10 weeks before the case is assigned to an officer, so apply well before you fix a date.
Legal gender. A new law took effect on 1 July 2025. Socialstyrelsen, the National Board of Health and Welfare, now decides; the age limit is 16; and changing legal gender is separate from gender-affirming care. Older pages describing the previous law are out of date. The procedure is open only to people registered in Sweden or Swedish citizens, so it is not something a visitor can use. What matters to you is the other direction: a foreign legal gender change is recognized in Sweden if it has become final and you were a citizen or resident of that country when it was decided. In practice, hotels, airlines and the police go by your passport.
Health: HIV testing, PrEP and PEP
1177 is the regions’ joint health service; call +46 771-11 77 00 from a foreign phone for advice around the clock.
| Need | What 1177 says | Visitor note |
|---|---|---|
| HIV test | Health centers, dermatology clinics and sexual-health clinics (mottagning för sexuell hälsa) test; you have the right to be anonymous; some give rapid results in about 20 minutes | A blood test can be taken one to two weeks after a possible exposure |
| PEP after a known exposure | Go to a hospital infection clinic (infektionsmottagning), or an out-of-hours clinic or emergency department if it is closed | Must start within 24 hours to be effective |
| PrEP | Prescribed by sexual-health or infection clinics, with regular follow-up tests; varies by region | Bring your own supply: up to a year’s from an EEA country, three months from outside it, with the pharmacy label or prescription |
Is testing free? 1177 says HIV testing costs nothing. The Communicable Diseases Act, though, limits free STI and HIV care to residents, people entitled to care under EU coordination rules (in practice, European Health Insurance Card holders), some foreign seafarers and undocumented people. Most visitors insured outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland pay the full cost of Swedish healthcare themselves, so ask the clinic about the fee before your visit and check your travel insurance. See healthcare for tourists for how billing works and bringing medicines to Sweden for the import rules.
What the official numbers say
Brå, the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, publishes hate-crime statistics every other year. Its latest edition, published in December 2025, covers 2024:
| Measure (2024) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Police reports marked as possible hate crimes | 4,648 (over 9,000 in 2018) |
| Reports where Brå identified a hate-crime motive | 2,731 |
| Reports with an LGBTQI-related motive | 371 |
| LGBTQI-related share of all identified motives | 13% |
| Split of LGBTQI-related motives | Homophobic 52%, transphobic 23%, other 25% |
Read these as reported crimes, not a risk rate. Brå says it cannot explain why marked reports have fallen since 2018, and the counts depend on people reporting. The next edition is due in 2027. For the wider picture, see is Sweden safe?.
Pride calendar
The law is the same everywhere in Sweden; the Prides are not. These are the 2026 dates each organizer published:
| City | Event | 2026 date |
|---|---|---|
| Gothenburg | West Pride | 8–14 June, parade 13 June |
| Malmö | Malmö Pride | Parade 4 July, Mölleplatsen to Folkets Park |
| Stockholm | Stockholm Pride | 27 July–1 August, parade 1 August |
| Uppsala | Uppsala Pride | 26 September, parade from Vaksala torg |
West Pride and Stockholm Pride had not published 2027 dates on 25 September 2026. RFSL has branches in every county, and local branches organize or support many smaller Prides; Uppsala Pride is run by RFSL Uppsala. For the Stockholm program, route and tickets, see our Stockholm Pride guide.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Emergency | 112 |
| Police, non-urgent | 114 14; +46 77 114 14 00 from a foreign phone |
| Health advice | 1177; +46 771-11 77 00 from a foreign phone |
| Victim support | Brottsofferjouren 116 006, free |
| Discrimination reports | DO: online form, 08-120 20 700, [email protected]; free; within two years |
| Marriage eligibility check | Skatteverket; free; valid four months; about 10 weeks to assignment when neither partner is Swedish or resident (checked 2026-09-25) |
| PEP | Start within 24 hours; hospital infection clinic or emergency department |
| Hate-crime statistics | Brå, 2024 figures published December 2025; next edition 2027 |
FAQ
Is Sweden safe for LGBTQ+ travelers?
Swedish law protects you in the same way as residents: discrimination in services is banned and anti-LGBTQ crimes get harsher sentences. Brå’s latest official figures identified 371 police reports with an LGBTQI-related hate-crime motive in 2024, 13% of all identified hate-crime motives. Those are reported crimes, not a risk rate. Report anything to the police on 114 14, or 112 if urgent.
Is same-sex marriage legal in Sweden?
Yes. Swedish marriage law has been gender-neutral since 1 May 2009, and no new registered partnerships have been possible since then. Foreign couples can marry in Sweden too, after a free eligibility check (hindersprövning) from Skatteverket; when neither partner is a Swedish citizen or resident, it takes about 10 weeks before the case is assigned to an officer.
What can I do if a hotel or restaurant discriminates against me?
Report it to the Equality Ombudsman (DO) online, by phone or by email; it is free. The Discrimination Act bans businesses from treating you worse because of your sexual orientation or transgender identity or expression, and the business can be ordered to pay you compensation. Claims must be brought within two years. Refusing service on those grounds is also a crime you can report to the police.
How do I report a homophobic or transphobic hate crime?
Call 112 in an emergency. Otherwise call the police on 114 14, or +46 77 114 14 00 from a foreign phone, or go to a police station; visitors cannot use the online form. Say that you think the crime was motivated by your sexual orientation or gender identity, because the motive can raise the sentence. Save messages, photograph injuries and note witnesses.
Can I get PrEP or PEP in Sweden as a visitor?
PEP after a known exposure must start within 24 hours; go to a hospital infection clinic, or an emergency department if it is closed. PrEP is prescribed by sexual-health or infection clinics with regular follow-up tests, so it is not a quick top-up service. Bring enough PrEP from home: up to a year’s supply from an EEA country, three months from outside it.
Is HIV and STI testing free for tourists in Sweden?
1177 says HIV testing costs nothing and that you have the right to be anonymous. The Communicable Diseases Act, however, limits free STI and HIV care to residents, people entitled to care under EU coordination rules, some foreign seafarers and undocumented people. If you are insured outside the EU/EEA, ask the clinic about the fee before your visit.
Does Sweden recognize my legal gender?
While you visit, your passport and home-country records are what count. A foreign legal gender change is recognized in Sweden if it has become final and you were a citizen or resident of that country at the time. Sweden’s own 2025 procedure, run by Socialstyrelsen, is open only to people registered in Sweden or Swedish citizens.
Related guides
- Stockholm Pride — dates, the parade route and what is free
- Is Sweden safe? — the wider safety picture from official data
- Reporting a crime as a tourist — interpreters, the report copy and what happens next
- Healthcare for tourists in Sweden — who pays what at the clinic
- Bringing medicines to Sweden — how much PrEP or HIV medication you can carry
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Sveriges riksdag (Discrimination Act, Criminal Code, Marriage Code, gender-recognition law, Communicable Diseases Act), Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, Polismyndigheten, Brå, Skatteverket, Socialstyrelsen, 1177, Läkemedelsverket, RFSL and the West Pride, Malmö Pride, Stockholm Pride and RFSL Uppsala organizers — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.