Official letters from Sweden, explained in English

Swedish offices often send letters to your digital mailbox (for example Kivra or Min myndighetspost) as well as by post. Many deadlines count from the day you “got part of” the decision (fick del av beslutet), so note the day the letter arrived.

Offices that write to you

Skatteverket — Tax office. The tax office. It handles income tax, your tax account (skattekonto) and the population register (folkbokföring).
Försäkringskassan — Social insurance office. Pays social insurance, for example child benefit, parental benefit, sickness benefit and housing allowance.
Kronofogden — Enforcement agency. The Swedish Enforcement Authority. It handles payment orders, collects debts by seizing wages or property, and decides on debt relief (skuldsanering).
Arbetsförmedlingen — Job centre. The public employment service. It supports your job search and checks it if you get unemployment benefit.
A-kassa — Unemployment fund. The unemployment insurance fund that pays unemployment benefit (a-kassa).
Migrationsverket — Migration agency. Decides on residence permits, work permits and citizenship.
Kommunen — Municipality. Your local municipality. It handles social services (ekonomiskt bistånd), schools, childcare fees, building permits and local fees.
Transportstyrelsen — Transport agency. Handles vehicle tax, congestion tax and driving licences.
Polisen / Åklagarmyndigheten — Police and prosecutor. Sends fines, for example for speeding (ordningsbot), and penalty orders from the prosecutor (strafföreläggande).
Tingsrätt / Förvaltningsrätt — Court. A court. The district court (tingsrätt) handles civil and criminal cases; the administrative court (förvaltningsrätt) handles appeals against offices.
CSN — Student finance office. Pays student aid and collects student loan repayments.
Inkassobolag — Debt collector. A company that collects unpaid bills for others. It must give you at least 8 days to pay or dispute.
Hyresvärd — Landlord. The owner of your rented home, or the company that manages it.
Elbolag / Elnätsbolag — Electricity company. The company that sells you electricity, or the one that owns the grid in your area.
Region (vården) — Health care. The region runs public health care. It sends appointments and bills for patient fees.

Common kinds of letters

Utmätning / Löneutmätning — Seizure by Kronofogden. Kronofogden will take money from your salary, bank account or property to pay a debt.
Betalningsföreläggande — Payment order. Someone asked Kronofogden to make you pay. If you don’t answer by the date, Kronofogden can decide that you must pay.
Stämning — Court case against you. Someone is taking you to court. You must answer by the date the court gives.
Inkassokrav — Debt collection letter. A debt collector asks you to pay an unpaid bill. If you don’t pay or dispute, they can apply to Kronofogden.
Påminnelse — Payment reminder. A payment is late. A reminder fee or interest may be added.
Återkrav — Request to pay money back. They say you got too much money, for example from Försäkringskassan, a-kassa or CSN, and want it back.
Ordningsbot / Strafföreläggande / Avgift — Fine. A fine, for example for speeding, parking or a missing payment. Pay or answer by the date in the letter.
Slutskattebesked — Final tax statement. Your final tax for the year. It shows if you get money back or must pay tax (restskatt).
Avslag — Refusal. Your application was refused. The letter says how and by when you can appeal.
Beviljat — Approval. Your application was approved. Check that the amounts and dates are right.
Kallelse — Appointment. They want you to come to a meeting or appointment. Missing it can cut your benefits or delay your case.
Begäran om komplettering — Request for documents. They need more information or papers before they can decide.
Underrättelse / Kommunicering — Chance to give your side. They plan a decision that affects you and invite you to give your side first.
Uppsägning — Notice to end a contract. Someone ends a contract with you — for example your landlord or employer.
Elräkning — Electricity bill. A bill for electricity or the grid.

Swedish office words

Skatteverket, slutskattebesked, restskatt, skattekonto, folkbokföring, personnummer, samordningsnummer, OCR-nummer, bankgiro, plusgiro, förfallodag, omprövning, överklaga, fick del av beslutet, förvaltningsrätt, Försäkringskassan, återkrav, barnbidrag — see all 41 words.

Reply templates in Swedish

Questions

How long do I have to answer an official letter in Sweden?

It depends on the letter. Look for words like “senast”, “inom”, “sista dag” — they mark the deadline. In Sweden, deadlines to appeal usually start on the day you received the decision (fick del av beslutet). If the office used simplified delivery (förenklad delgivning), the letter counts as received two weeks after it was sent. Briefly adds about 2 days for post — check when your letter really arrived. To object, the letter usually names the way to do it (“omprövning”, “överklagande”, “bestridande”).

Can I understand a Swedish letter without speaking Swedish?

Yes. Take a photo of the letter with Briefly. It reads the Swedish text on your device, explains it in plain English, finds deadlines and amounts, and can translate the whole letter.

Is my letter uploaded anywhere?

No. Briefly runs completely in your browser. The letter never leaves your device, there is no account, and it works offline after the first visit.