Swedish public television and radio cost a visitor nothing and carry no adverts. Here is who runs them, how residents pay for them, what changed in 2026, and why some programs stop playing once you cross the border.
When you need this
Someone asks whether you need a “TV licence” for your Swedish apartment or hotel room. A payslip or tax statement shows a line called public service-avgift. You are starting a job or an exchange year and want to know what comes out of your pay. Or SVT Play showed you a block screen the day you flew home.
Who SVT, SR and UR are
Sweden’s public service broadcasting is three companies, each with its own job:
| Company | What it does | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|
| SVT (Sveriges Television) | Television | SVT’s channels and the SVT Play streaming service |
| SR (Sveriges Radio) | Radio | SR’s channels and app; Radio Sweden in English |
| UR (Sveriges Utbildningsradio) | Educational programs for schools and the general public | Slots on SVT and SR channels, and UR Play |
They are not state agencies. All three are owned by a foundation, Förvaltningsstiftelsen, which the Riksdag set up to protect their independence and which has no say in how much money they get. The Public Service Act requires the mission to be run independently of the state and of economic, political and other interests, and programs must be impartial and factual.
So when Swedes call SVT “state TV”, they mean publicly funded, not government-run.
From TV licence to fee
Until the end of 2018 Sweden had a classic licence. The radio- och tv-avgift cost 2,400 kronor a year per household that owned a TV set, and a company called Radiotjänst i Kiruna collected it. The problem was that viewing moved to SVT Play and SR’s apps, which did not trigger the licence, so fewer and fewer households paid for a service that more people used.
Since 1 January 2019 the licence is gone. Every adult taxed as a Swedish resident pays an individual public service-avgift (public service fee) instead, collected by Skatteverket, the Swedish Tax Agency, together with income tax. Owning a TV makes no difference.
Updated for 2026: the 2018 act that created the fee was repealed at the end of 2025. Since 1 January 2026 the fee is governed by a new Public Service Act, Lag (2025:986), which also fixes the broadcasters’ mission for eight years at a time (2026 to 2033) instead of six. Pages citing the 2018 act describe the previous framework.
Who pays, and how much
The rules are short and set by law:
- Who: anyone unlimited tax liable in Sweden who had turned 18 by the start of the tax year.
- On what: taxable earned income (förvärvsinkomst): salary, pension, taxable benefits and business income. Capital income doesn’t count.
- How much: 1% of that income, with a ceiling of 1.42 times the year’s income base amount.
- How it’s collected: no separate bill. Employers include it in tax withholding, and it is settled in your final tax assessment.
For 2026 the ceiling works out at 1,184 kronor a year, reached at about 118,400 kronor of taxable earned income. The ceiling was cut from 1.55 to 1.42 income base amounts for 2026, so the maximum fell from 1,249 kronor in 2025. Expect the figure to move every January.
Who doesn’t pay
| You are… | Do you pay? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A tourist | No | You are not taxed in Sweden |
| Working here short term on SINK, the flat tax for non-residents staying at most six months | No | SINK taxpayers are limited tax liable |
| A student with no taxable earned income, for example living only on student finance | No | There is no earned income to charge |
| A student or newcomer taxed as a resident who takes a job | Yes, 1% of that taxable pay up to the cap | Unlimited tax liability plus earned income |
| Someone living abroad but still unlimited tax liable here, with Swedish earned income | Yes | The rule follows tax liability, not address |
| A company | No | The fee is for individuals only |
If you are moving here, you’ll find the fee as its own line on your tax statement; filing a tax return as a newcomer explains where. How the fee fits next to income tax and VAT is covered in why Swedes pay high taxes.
What the money buys
The fee is not a general tax. By law it may fund only the public service mission. Skatteverket moves the money to a separate public service account at the National Debt Office, managed by Kammarkollegiet, and the Riksdag allocates it each year within an eight-year decision. For 2026 to 2033 the allocation rises 3% in 2026, 2% a year in 2027 to 2030 and 1% a year in the final three years.
In return, the law sets firm conditions:
- No adverts. Programs may not contain advertising, product placement or political adverts. SVT may still promote its own, SR’s and UR’s programs, and sponsorship is allowed at sports events and at the Eurovision Song Contest final when SVT hosts it, though not in programs mainly for children under 12.
- Free to receive. Programs must be available to the public without any special payment. That is why SVT Play, SR’s app and UR Play cost nothing to use, for visitors as much as residents.
- Two to four channels. SR and SVT must each broadcast two to four channels.
- Minority languages. SVT must publish more first-run content in Sami, Finnish, Meänkieli, Romani Chib, Yiddish and Swedish Sign Language than in 2025 (see Sweden’s minority languages).
For a visitor, this is the Sweden you see in shared culture: SR’s Sommar i P1 talks, SVT’s summer singalong Allsång på Skansen, and the way SVT handles foreign programs, explained in subtitles, not dubbing.
Watching and listening from abroad
This is where most visitors get caught out. The fee pays for Swedish public service, but rights deals for films, series and sport are often bought for Sweden only.
SVT’s own rules:
- SVT Play is reachable worldwide, but some programs are Sweden-only for rights reasons.
- SVT’s live channels on SVT Play work only in Sweden. Live news or sport you watched in Sweden won’t play live from abroad.
- Use the “Kan ses utomlands” filter (“can be watched abroad”) on the SVT Play website. The mobile and tablet apps show only abroad-cleared titles automatically.
- SVT Play does not support VPNs, so programs may refuse to play over one.
- EU portability rules don’t help. They oblige paid services to follow you around the EU; SVT is fee-funded, so it isn’t covered. Paying the fee as a resident buys no extra rights abroad either: SVT stresses that it is not a subscription.
The best-known example is Donald Duck on Christmas Eve, which is live-only and blocked abroad (see Kalle Anka at three).
Radio works better. SR says its app gives access to all its content from outside Sweden. Big sporting events are the exception: during the 2021 Olympics, SR blocked the whole of P4 abroad for rights reasons until the Games ended. For news in English, SR’s Radio Sweden is the public service option, covered in Swedish news in English.
Warning: There is no Swedish TV licence to buy, register or renew. If you’re a visitor, nothing about SVT, SR or UR requires a payment from you.
Practical information
| Item | What to know | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Public service fee, maximum 2026 | 1,184 kronor a year per person | 2026-10-14 |
| Below the ceiling | 1% of taxable earned income | 2026-10-14 |
| Maximum in 2025 (for comparison) | 1,249 kronor a year | 2026-10-14 |
| Former TV licence, 2018 (abolished) | 2,400 kronor a year per TV household | 2026-10-14 |
| Tourists and SINK taxpayers | Nothing | 2026-10-14 |
| SVT Play, SR’s app, UR Play | Free to use | 2026-10-14 |
FAQ
Do I need a TV licence in Sweden?
No. Sweden abolished its TV licence at the end of 2018, and nobody registers a TV set any more. Since 2019 public service broadcasting is paid for by a public service fee collected with income tax from adults taxed as Swedish residents. Owning a TV, a laptop or nothing at all makes no difference to whether you pay.
Do tourists pay the Swedish public service fee?
No. The fee is charged only to people who are unlimited tax liable in Sweden, are at least 18 at the start of the year and have taxable earned income. Tourists are not taxed in Sweden at all, and people working here short term on SINK are exempt too. Watching SVT or listening to SR as a visitor costs nothing.
How much is the public service fee in 2026?
It is 1% of your taxable earned income, capped at 1,184 kronor a year for income year 2026. You reach the cap at about 118,400 kronor of taxable income. The cap was 1,249 kronor in 2025 and is lowered or raised every January with the income base amount. It is deducted with your tax, so there is no separate bill.
Can I watch SVT Play outside Sweden?
Partly. SVT Play is reachable worldwide, but SVT’s live channels work only in Sweden, and some programs are Sweden-only for rights reasons. On the website, the “Kan ses utomlands” filter shows what plays abroad; the mobile apps show only those titles automatically. SVT does not support VPNs, and EU portability rules do not oblige a fee-funded service.
Does an exchange student in Sweden pay the fee?
Only with taxable earned income. A student with no taxable earned income, such as one living only on student finance, pays nothing. A student who stays long enough to be taxed as a resident and takes a job pays 1% of that taxable pay, up to the yearly cap. A short job taxed under SINK carries no fee at all.
What is UR?
UR, Sveriges Utbildningsradio, is the third public service company next to SVT and SR. It makes educational programs for schools and the general public, funded by the same fee. Its mission is set by the Riksdag and government, but they have no say over how programs are made. Its programs run on SVT and SR channels and on UR Play, free to watch.
Why are there no adverts on SVT?
The Public Service Act bans advertising, product placement and political adverts in public service programs. SVT may still promote its own, SR’s and UR’s programs, and sponsorship is allowed in sports broadcasts and the Eurovision final when SVT hosts it. Everything else comes from the fee, which may fund nothing but the public service mission.
Related guides
- Subtitles, not dubbing — what you actually see and hear on SVT
- Swedish news in English — Radio Sweden and other public service news you can follow
- Kalle Anka at three — SVT’s most famous live-only, Sweden-only broadcast
- Why Swedes pay high taxes — where the fee sits among Swedish taxes
- Filing a tax return as a newcomer — where the fee shows up on your statement
Facts verified 2026-10-14. Sources: Sveriges riksdag (Lag 2025:986 om public service, Lag 2018:1893, Prop. 2017/18:261), Skatteverket, Regeringen, SVT, Sveriges Radio and UR — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.