Sweden is relaxed about cameras in the street and strict about three things: hidden cameras in private spaces, what you post afterwards, and protected sites. This guide takes each in turn and cites the statute behind it.
When you need this
You’re street-photographing in Stockholm and wonder whether you have to ask people first. Or you want to post reels with strangers in them on a public account. It also applies when you spot a skyddsobjekt sign by a harbor or airfield, when a military convoy passes, when you step into a church or palace, when you meet Sámi people or reindeer herders, and when your child performs at a school event in Sweden.
This page explains what the rules say. It isn’t legal advice for a specific case.
Photographing people in public: allowed
No Swedish statute requires consent to photograph someone in a public place. The photography offence in the Penal Code, kränkande fotografering (intrusive photography), has applied since 1 July 2013, and it’s narrow. It covers someone who, without permission and with a technical device, secretly photographs a person who is indoors in a home, or in a toilet, a changing room or a similar space (brottsbalken 4 kap. 6 a §).
The penalty is a fine or up to two years in prison. The offence doesn’t apply if the act is justifiable given its purpose, and it’s prosecuted only if the victim reports it or prosecution is in the public interest.
Two other Penal Code rules matter at the edges:
| Rule | What it covers | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Ofredande (harassment), 4 kap. 7 § | Disturbing contact or other reckless conduct that noticeably violates someone’s peace; persistent unwanted photographing is judged case by case | Fine or up to 1 year |
| Olaga integritetsintrång (unlawful breach of privacy), 4 kap. 6 c § | Spreading images of someone’s sex life, health, a crime against them, a very vulnerable situation, or their naked body, when likely to cause serious harm | Fine or up to 2 years; gross cases 6 months to 6 years |
The second one is why filming injured people at an accident and posting it can be a crime in Sweden.
Taking vs posting: the GDPR line
Photos of identifiable people are personal data. IMY, the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection, draws the line by audience:
- Kept for yourself or shared with a small circle — family, friends, a limited number of followers — the GDPR household exemption applies. You need no consent, and you’re not obliged to delete if someone asks.
- Posted where a large or unlimited number of people can see it — a public social-media account, prints you sell — you become responsible for the data and need a legal basis, such as consent.
Consent isn’t the only basis. A “legitimate interest” can be one, but IMY says it can seldom be used for posting other private individuals, and with children the child’s interest normally weighs heavier. If you lack a basis, you may have to take the post down. Re-sharing someone else’s post makes you responsible too.
In practice: wide crowd scenes where nobody is singled out are the low-risk choice for a public account, and a portrait of a stranger goes public only with their yes.
Protected sites (skyddsobjekt): the hard limit
This is the rule that can put a visitor in a guard’s custody. Under the Protection Act (skyddslag 2010:305), the authorities can declare buildings, areas and objects protected. Candidates include:
- royal residences and the prime minister’s residences, the Riksdag and government buildings
- police and prison facilities
- facilities for transport, electronic communications, energy, water and food supply
- military sites, exercise areas and waters of special importance to defense
A decision means unauthorised people have no access, drones included. It can be combined with a ban on making images, descriptions or measurements of or within the site — so a picture taken from the public road outside can break it. The owner must give notice through clear signs or in another way.
Guards may ask for your name, date of birth and address, search you and your vehicle, remove you, detain you for up to six hours, and seize items that may matter for an investigation, such as a camera or memory card.
| Offence | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Olovlig avbildning av skyddsobjekt (breaking an image ban) | Fine or up to 1 year |
| Obehörigt tillträde till skyddsobjekt (unauthorised entry) | Up to 2 years; minor cases fine or up to 6 months |
Both apply to acts done intentionally or through negligence — not having seen the sign is no defense. Some military exercise areas are protected only during stated periods, and during a heightened state of readiness more sites can be declared protected.
Military vehicles, ships and aircraft
The Protection Act also lets military ships, aircraft, specially built military vehicles and some military transports be declared protected objects — including foreign military objects in Sweden under international cooperation. The Swedish Armed Forces say a very large share of their facilities are protected sites and that the intelligence threat from foreign powers is high.
The safe default: don’t photograph or post military equipment, convoys or movements.
Museums, churches and concerts
Inside venues, house rules apply, not statute. Examples from the venues’ own pages:
| Venue | Photography rule |
|---|---|
| Uppsala Cathedral | Private photos of the church interior allowed when nothing is on; not of individual people, not during services or concerts |
| Drottningholm Palace | Private photography without flash, tripods or selfie sticks; no 360 or drone cameras; commercial shoots need prior permission |
| ABBA The Museum | Photos yes, flash no; no filming except of yourself using the interactive features |
| Lucia concerts, Stockholm Cathedral | No photography, filming or sound recording |
Look for the rules at the entrance; they vary from venue to venue.
Sámi people and reindeer
Ask first. The most explicit written code comes from the Sámi Parliament of Finland: a person wearing a Sámi dress who isn’t working in tourism must not be photographed without consent, and church ceremonies need specific permission. It’s guidance, not Swedish law, and asking is the respectful default everywhere in Sápmi. Our Sámi culture guide covers the wider etiquette.
Reindeer are someone’s livestock. Photograph them from where you stand with a long lens, keep well away from herds during spring calving, and never chase them: frightening or harassing reindeer, intentionally or through negligence, is fineable under the reindeer-husbandry act (rennäringslagen 94 §).
Children and school events
IMY’s advice for school-year endings in June applies equally to Lucia processions. You may film and keep the footage for yourself and your closest family. Before sharing more widely:
- other children may be recognisable, and some children or adults may have a protected identity — their images must not be spread at all
- the school may have a picture and film policy
- without consent, sharing to a large audience is seldom allowed
- blurring faces or distorting voices may not stop people being identified
If a child’s guardian has agreed, there’s usually no obstacle to sharing.
Drones
Aerial photography has its own rules, covered in our drone rules guide. In brief: from 250 g you need the EU drone certificate, national-park regulations typically ban take-off and landing, and spreading aerial images of Swedish land needs a Lantmäteriet permit unless an exemption applies. Private holiday filming, from the air or the ground, falls outside the camera surveillance act.
Mistakes to avoid
- Thinking you need permission to photograph a stranger on the street.
- Treating “I can take it” as “I can post it”.
- Assuming a public Instagram account is still “private use”.
- Photographing a harbor, airfield fence or power station without looking for signs.
- Filming a military convoy because it’s on a public road.
- Using flash or a tripod where the house rules forbid it.
- Photographing a Sámi person in traditional dress as if they were scenery.
Practical information
| Situation | What applies | Consequence if broken |
|---|---|---|
| Photographing people in a public place | Free, no permit or fee | — |
| Secret photo inside a home, toilet or changing room | Kränkande fotografering | Fine or up to 2 years |
| Spreading harmful private images | Olaga integritetsintrång | Fine or up to 2 years; gross 6 months–6 years |
| Posting identifiable people publicly | GDPR legal basis needed (IMY) | May have to delete |
| Photo ban at a protected site | Olovlig avbildning | Fine or up to 1 year |
| Entering a protected site | Obehörigt tillträde | Up to 2 years |
| Spreading aerial images without a permit | Lag 2016:319 | Fine or up to 1 year; minor cases not punished |
FAQ
Is it legal to take photos of people in public in Sweden?
Yes. No Swedish statute requires consent to photograph someone in a public place such as a street, square or park. The photography offence, kränkande fotografering, only covers secretly photographing a person indoors in a home, or in a toilet, changing room or similar space. Posting the picture is a separate question, governed by GDPR and privacy law, and asking first is always courteous.
Can I post photos of strangers on social media from Sweden?
To a small circle, yes: IMY says sharing with a limited number of followers falls under the GDPR household exemption. On a public account the photo can reach anyone, so you need a legal basis such as consent, and IMY says legitimate interest can seldom justify posting other private individuals. Crowd shots where nobody is singled out are the safe choice.
What does a skyddsobjekt sign mean for photographers?
It marks a protected site. Unauthorised people may not enter, including by drone, and many sites also carry a ban on photographing, describing or measuring the object, which covers pictures taken of it from outside. Breaking the photo ban can bring a fine or up to one year in prison, even through negligence. Keep the camera down wherever you see the sign.
Can I photograph military vehicles or ships in Sweden?
Be careful. Under the protection act, military ships, aircraft, specially built military vehicles and some military transports, including foreign ones in Sweden, can be declared protected objects, and an image ban can apply to them. The Swedish Armed Forces say the intelligence threat from foreign powers is high. The safe default is not to photograph or post military equipment or movements.
Can I take photos inside Swedish churches and museums?
Usually yes, for private use, on the venue’s terms. Uppsala Cathedral allows private photos of the church interior but not of individual people or during services and concerts. Drottningholm Palace allows private photography without flash, tripods or selfie sticks. ABBA The Museum allows photos but not flash or filming. Look for the house rules at the entrance.
Can I photograph Sámi people and reindeer?
Ask first. Sámi Parliament guidance says a person in a Sámi dress who is not working in tourism must not be photographed without consent, and ceremonies need specific permission. Reindeer all have owners: photograph them from where you stand with a long lens, never chase a herd, because frightening or harassing reindeer is fineable under the reindeer-husbandry act.
Can I film my child’s school event or a Lucia procession?
You may film and keep the footage for yourself and your closest family, IMY says. Sharing openly is different: other children may be recognisable, some may have a protected identity, and without consent public sharing is seldom allowed. Check the school’s picture policy first. Some Lucia concerts, such as the one in Stockholm Cathedral, ban photography and filming completely.
Related guides
- Drone rules in Sweden — registration, the certificate, park bans and the permit to post aerial footage
- Swedish laws tourists break — the other everyday rules, with their penalties
- Sámi culture guide — visiting Sápmi on Sámi terms, photo etiquette included
- Reindeer in Sweden — whose they are and how to behave near a herd
- Insuring camera gear — protecting expensive equipment on the trip
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Sveriges riksdag (Penal Code, Protection Act, geographic-information act, camera surveillance act, reindeer-husbandry act), Försvarsmakten, IMY, Lantmäteriet, Transportstyrelsen, Naturvårdsverket, the venues named, Sámi Parliament of Finland — full register in this topic’s source file. The Protection Act’s list of protectable sites changes on 1 January 2027. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.