Voting rights

The election calendar

The general elections on 13 September 2026 (Riksdag, region and municipality) have already been held. The next general elections are in 2030 (the Election Authority's table gives 8 September 2030). The next European Parliament elections are in 2029.

So if you have just arrived, you have not missed an imminent vote: you have time to get things in order.

Who can vote where

In every case you must be 18 on election day.

Election	Who can vote
Riksdag	Swedish citizens only
Municipality and region	Swedish citizens; EU, Icelandic and Norwegian citizens who are folkbokförda; other foreign citizens and stateless people who have been folkbokförda for 3 consecutive years before election day
European Parliament	Registered EU citizens choose where to vote (see below)

Being folkbokförd means being registered in Sweden: the steps are in the guide Folkbokföring and personnummer. Without registration you are not on the electoral roll.

European elections: one country only

If you are an EU citizen and folkbokförd in Sweden, you choose whether to vote in Sweden or in your home country in the European elections. But in one country only.

To vote in Sweden, fill in the form "Anmälan till den svenska röstlängden för val till Europaparlamentet" and send it to the länsstyrelse (county administrative board), at least 30 days before the election.

Voting in the Riksdag: Swedish citizenship

To vote in the Riksdag election you must be a Swedish citizen. The route, the requirements and the rules in force since 6 June 2026 are in the guide Swedish citizenship. The right to vote in municipal and regional elections, on the other hand, does not require citizenship if you fall into one of the groups in the table.

Voting in your home country

You can often keep voting in the country whose citizenship you hold, even while living in Sweden. The rules are set by that country: check its government or embassy website. As an example, here is Italy.

Example: Italy

• Register with AIRE. Voting from abroad goes through registration in the register of Italians resident abroad. How to do it is in the guide AIRE and the Embassy.
• General elections and referendums: people registered with AIRE normally vote by post from abroad, and can choose to vote in Italy by notifying the authorities within the deadlines. The arrangements and deadlines change at each election: check the Italian Embassy in Stockholm's website every time.
• COMITES 2026: for the elections of the committees of Italians abroad, the Embassy gives 4 November 2026 as the deadline to register on the list. Details are in the Embassy's news item.

Common mistakes

• Assuming everyone living in Sweden votes in everything. The Riksdag election requires Swedish citizenship.
• Not registering (folkbokföring). Without it you are not on the roll for municipality and region.
• Forgetting the 3 years if you are not an EU, Icelandic or Norwegian citizen: 3 consecutive years before election day are required.
• Voting in two countries in the European elections. You pick one country.
• Sending the form to the länsstyrelse too late. The deadline is at least 30 days before the election.
• Assuming your home country's rules. They change at each election: check the official website.
• For Italians: forgetting AIRE. Without registration, voting from abroad gets harder, and COMITES also has a deadline (4 November 2026).