Can you record a phone call in Sweden?
You may record a call you take part in without telling the other person. The Penal Code only bans secretly recording conversations you are not part of. A business must have a lawful reason under the GDPR and inform callers.
- Phone calls
- The Penal Code (Brottsbalken, chapter 4, section 9 a) punishes secretly listening to or recording, with a technical device, private talk, conversations between others or closed meetings that you do not take part in. Section 8 covers unlawfully accessing messages carried by a telecom operator. A participant may therefore record. The data protection authority IMY says recording a call for private use is not prohibited.
- Business calls
- Voice recordings are usually personal data, so a business needs a legal basis under the GDPR and a real need: the authority found a clinic that recorded every call could not justify it. Callers must be properly informed that the call is recorded. Employees have the right to clear advance information about checks, and an employer cannot rely on their consent.
- What counts as consent
- Callers must be clearly told that the call is recorded, at the start. Give the purpose and where to read more. Private recordings for your own use need no announcement, but sharing them widely brings GDPR duties, including telling the people recorded.
- Penalties
- Unlawful eavesdropping and breaching telecom secrecy: a fine or up to 2 years in prison each. GDPR fines go up to EUR 20 million or 4% of turnover.
Say this at the start
Telling everyone and asking is the safe habit everywhere.
- English
Before we start: I record my calls so I can keep accurate notes. Is that OK with you?
- Swedish
Innan vi börjar: jag spelar in mina samtal för att kunna föra noggranna anteckningar. Går det bra?
Worth knowing
- The unlawful eavesdropping section dates from 1975 and is unchanged in the consolidated Penal Code (amendments up to SFS 2026:1656).
- According to IMY, people can ask for the parts of a recording where they are heard.
Sources
Checked on 14 October 2026. A plain summary of the law, not legal advice.
- Brottsbalk (1962:700), chapter 4, Riksdagenstatute
- IMY: Är det förbjudet för en privatperson att spela in telefonsamtal?regulator
- IMY: Fel av barnklinik spela in alla samtal (2012)regulator
- IMY: Kontroll och övervakning av anställdaregulator
- IMY: Har jag rätt att ta del av en ljudinspelning där min röst förekommer?regulator
Other countries
More free tools
Questions
Is Sweden a one-party consent country?
Yes. You may record a call you take part in without telling the other person. The Penal Code only bans secretly recording conversations you are not part of. A business must have a lawful reason under the GDPR and inform callers.
Can a business record calls in Sweden?
Voice recordings are usually personal data, so a business needs a legal basis under the GDPR and a real need: the authority found a clinic that recorded every call could not justify it. Callers must be properly informed that the call is recorded. Employees have the right to clear advance information about checks, and an employer cannot rely on their consent.
What counts as consent in Sweden?
Callers must be clearly told that the call is recorded, at the start. Give the purpose and where to read more. Private recordings for your own use need no announcement, but sharing them widely brings GDPR duties, including telling the people recorded.
What happens if you record a call illegally in Sweden?
Unlawful eavesdropping and breaching telecom secrecy: a fine or up to 2 years in prison each. GDPR fines go up to EUR 20 million or 4% of turnover.
Hang up. The notes are done.
Superscribe records your business calls on the number you already have and writes the note when you hang up. You say one line at the start, and it does the rest.
