A Swedish phone number tells you three things: how to dial it, who pays, and roughly what kind of service is on the other end. This guide decodes all three, including two changes from 2026 that older pages miss.
When you need this
Your hotel confirmation lists a number starting 08 or 0771 and you are calling from home. You are in Sweden on your own SIM and 1177 just will not connect. An ad shows a 0939 number with a price in small print. Or an unknown Swedish number has called three times, and the fourth time someone says they are from the police and asks you to open BankID. This page covers all of those.
How to dial Sweden: +46 and the missing zero
Every Swedish number starts with a 0 when you dial it inside Sweden. That zero is the national trunk prefix, and it disappears the moment you put the country code in front.
| Written in Sweden | Dial from abroad or save in your phone |
|---|---|
| 08-123 45 67 (Stockholm landline) | +46 8 123 45 67 |
| 031-12 34 56 (Gothenburg landline) | +46 31 12 34 56 |
| 070-123 45 67 (mobile) | +46 70 123 45 67 |
| 0771-12 34 56 (shared-cost line) | +46 771 12 34 56 |
On a mobile, the + does the work of the international prefix. On a Swedish landline or SIM, the international prefix is 00: dial 00, the country code, then the area code without its leading zero.
Tip: Save every Swedish contact in +46 form. It then works from a Swedish SIM, from your own SIM in Sweden, and from home.
What the prefix tells you
Sweden has 264 area codes, set by PTS (Post- och telestyrelsen, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority). Stockholm is 08, Gothenburg 031, Malmö 040, Uppsala 018 and Kiruna 0980. Area codes vary in length, so subscriber numbers do too.
Mobile numbers are ten digits starting 070, 072, 073, 076 or 079, and since 1 October 2026 also 078. PTS moved the 078 series from internal operator use to mobile phones to free nine million new numbers. Some number-check apps and developer pages have not caught up yet, so a 078 caller is not suspicious just for the prefix. Numbers can also be moved between operators, so the digits after 07 do not tell you which network someone is on.
Free, shared-cost and premium numbers
This is where the money is. The prefix tells you who pays:
| Prefix | Type | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| 020 | Frisamtal (freephone) | Nobody, from a Swedish phone |
| 077 (incl. 0771) | Shared cost | The caller pays an opening fee plus a per-minute charge, set by their operator |
| 0900 | Premium rate: information services | The caller, at the service’s price |
| 0939 | Premium rate: other services | The caller, at the service’s price |
| 0944 | Premium rate: entertainment, games, lotteries | The caller, at the service’s price |
| 099 | Mass-calling (TV and radio votes) | The caller, at the price stated in the programme |
| 118 xxx | Directory enquiries | Start fee plus per-minute charge, with your operator’s call charge on top |
0771 is not free. Many Swedish authorities use it — Skatteverket’s main line is 0771 567 567 — and because it looks like a hotline, visitors assume it costs nothing. It is shared cost.
Premium-rate numbers (betalnummer) include payment for the content as well as the call. Telekområdgivarna, the telecom consumer advisory body, administers an industry code with three rules worth knowing:
- An ad must show the price right next to the number, in Swedish. In print the price must be at least a third the size of the number.
- A call that can cost more than 20 kronor must announce its tariff within 10 seconds. If the price is wrong for you, hang up during that message.
- A 099 TV vote is charged the advertised price even if the call only reaches an answering machine.
These are industry rules, not statute. The statute that protects you is the Electronic Communications Act. Under it, your Swedish operator must block premium-rate numbers free of charge if you ask. It must also let you set a spending cap that stops the service once reached, without cutting off emergency or free calls. If a child uses a Swedish prepaid SIM, ask for the block when you buy it.
Short numbers and the +46 versions you need
Numbers with no leading zero, like 112, 113 13, 114 14, 1177, the 116 helplines and the 118 directory services, are national short codes, not ordinary numbers. They have no international form, and some may not connect from a foreign-registered phone. Every service that matters publishes a +46 number for exactly that case:
| Service | In Sweden, Swedish SIM | From a foreign phone or abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | 112 | 112 (free from any mobile) |
| Police, non-urgent | 114 14 (not free) | +46 77 114 14 00 |
| Medical advice | 1177 | +46 771 1177 00 |
| Crisis information | 113 13 | +46 77 33 113 13 |
| Skatteverket (Tax Agency) | 0771 567 567 | +46 8 564 851 60 |
On Swedish contact pages, look for the words från utlandet (from abroad). The full list of emergency and helpline numbers is in 112 and Sweden’s emergency numbers.
Calling these numbers on a foreign SIM
“Free” in Sweden means free from a Swedish phone. On an EU SIM roaming in Sweden, the call itself falls under Roam Like At Home. But EU rules class freephone, shared-cost and premium numbers as value-added services that may cost more while roaming. Your operator must tell you which ranges carry extra charges, in the contract and through the free information page linked in its roaming welcome text. On a non-EU SIM, your operator’s own tariff applies.
So before a long hold on a 020 or 0771 line, check your home operator’s roaming page, or use a Swedish SIM. Roaming in Sweden covers who pays what, and SIM cards and eSIMs for Sweden explains how to get a Swedish number.
Numbers that call you: spoofing and fraud
A Swedish number on your screen proves nothing about who is calling. Sweden has been closing the gaps step by step:
- Since 4 November 2024, calls from abroad showing a Swedish landline number are blocked.
- Since 3 March 2025, calls from abroad showing a Swedish mobile number are blocked too, unless the operator has checked that the mobile really is roaming abroad.
- Since 1 August 2026, an amendment to the Electronic Communications Act obliges operators to stop calls and texts that traffic data suggests are part of a fraud. The test is based on traffic patterns, not on what is said. The government or PTS can add detailed rules, so the blocking will develop further.
None of this makes a caller trustworthy. The rule that does protect you is simple, and both the police and BankID state it outright.
Warning: The police never call to ask you to log in with BankID or to read out a card number. Never open BankID because someone asked you to by phone, text or social media. Hang up, note the number, and report it on 114 14 (+46 77 114 14 00 from a foreign phone).
On a Swedish SIM, forward a scam text to 7726, as Polisen advises, then delete it. The wider picture of texts and fake callers is in scams and pickpockets in Sweden, and why BankID matters at all is in BankID for tourists.
Mistakes to avoid
- Keeping the zero after +46. +46 08… fails; +46 8… works.
- Dialling 114 14 or 1177 from a foreign SIM and concluding the service is down. Use the +46 numbers.
- Assuming 0771 is free. It is shared cost.
- Treating 078 as a fake. It has been a normal mobile range since 1 October 2026.
- Trusting a call because the number looks Swedish. Call the bank or police back on a number you looked up yourself.
- Staying on a premium line past the price message without listening to it.
Practical information
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 020 freephone, from a Swedish phone | Free for the caller |
| 077 / 0771 shared-cost numbers | Opening fee plus per-minute charge, set by your operator |
| 0900 / 0939 / 0944 premium rate | Set by the service; printed next to the number, announced within 10 seconds if over 20 kr |
| 099 TV and radio votes | The price stated in the programme, even if only an answering machine picks up |
| 114 14, police non-urgent | Not free: your own subscription’s rate |
| 118 directory enquiries | Start fee plus per-minute charge, operator call charge on top |
| Blocking premium numbers on a Swedish subscription | Free by law |
| 020, 077 or premium numbers from a roaming SIM | Your home operator’s rate for that range; it must tell you |
Key dates: 078 mobile numbers from 1 October 2026; operator duty to stop fraud traffic from 1 August 2026; spoofed Swedish mobile numbers from abroad blocked since 3 March 2025, landline numbers since 4 November 2024.
FAQ
How do I call a Swedish number from abroad?
Dial +46, then the Swedish number without its first zero. A Stockholm landline 08-123 45 67 becomes +46 8 123 45 67; a mobile 070-123 45 67 becomes +46 70 123 45 67. On a landline, your country’s international prefix replaces the plus sign. Keeping the zero after +46 is the most common reason the call fails.
Is 020 free from a mobile phone?
From a Swedish phone, yes: 020 is the freephone range and the caller pays nothing. From a foreign SIM roaming in Sweden it is not guaranteed. EU roaming rules treat freephone, shared-cost and premium numbers as ranges that may cost more, and your operator must tell you the charge. Check your home operator’s roaming page before a long call.
What do 0900, 0939 and 0944 numbers cost?
They are premium-rate numbers, and the service sets the price, which includes payment for the content. The price must be printed next to the number in any ad, and a call that can cost more than 20 kronor must announce its tariff within 10 seconds. Hang up during that message if it is too expensive. Your operator must block these numbers free on request.
What is a 0771 number, and is it free?
No. 0771 belongs to the 077 shared-cost range: you pay an opening fee and a per-minute charge set by your own operator. Swedish authorities use it widely. Skatteverket’s 0771 567 567 is one example, with +46 8 564 851 60 listed for callers abroad. A 020 number is the free one.
Why can’t I reach 114 14 or 1177 from my phone?
They are Swedish national short codes, and short codes may not connect from a foreign-registered phone. Both services publish an international number for that reason: +46 77 114 14 00 for the police and +46 771 1177 00 for medical advice. Save both before you travel. 112, the emergency number, works from any phone without a workaround.
A Swedish number called asking me to open BankID. Is it real?
No. Polisen states that police never call to ask you to log in with BankID or read out a card number. BankID says never to use it at the request of someone who called or texted you. A Swedish number on screen proves nothing. Hang up, note the number, and report it on 114 14 or +46 77 114 14 00.
Is a number starting 078 a real Swedish mobile?
Yes, since 1 October 2026. PTS moved the 078 series from operator-internal services to mobile phones to free nine million new numbers, after postponing the start from 1 August. Some older pages and number-check apps may still describe 078 as an internal range. Judge the call by what it asks for, not by its prefix.
Related guides
- 112 and Sweden’s emergency numbers — every emergency and helpline number, and what to say
- Roaming in Sweden — what your own SIM costs here, before you dial a 020 line
- SIM cards and eSIMs for Sweden — getting a Swedish number, and the passport registration
- Scams and pickpockets in Sweden — the texts and calls this page teaches you to read
- Swedish date and number formats — the other notation that trips visitors up
Facts verified 2026-10-01. Sources: PTS (Swedish Post and Telecom Authority), Sveriges riksdag, Regeringen, Polisen, SOS Alarm, Skatteverket, Telekområdgivarna, BankID, the European Commission and BEREC — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.