Restaurant & Hospitality

Catering businesses that serve alcohol at private events outside their regular premises need a specific type of serving permit (serveringstillstand) for catering. This permit allows you to serve alcohol to closed groups at locations other than your own restaurant or bar.The permit is applied for through the municipality, and the catering business must have its own kitchen for food preparation. Each serving occasion must be reported to the municipality in advance, including the address, date, time, and expected number of guests. A separate permit is needed for each municipality where you plan to serve.

Issued by: Municipality

If you intend to sell folköl (beer with an alcohol content of 2.25-3.5% by volume), either in retail or through serving, you must notify the municipality where the business will operate. Operations may not begin until the notification has been made. If you already have a serving permit, you do not need to make a separate notification for serving folköl.The municipality handles notifications, supervises operations, and charges an annual supervision fee. Failure to notify is a violation of the Alcohol Act (Alkohollagen 2010:1622) and the business operator may be convicted of illegal sale of alcohol.

Issued by: The Municipality

A food establishment is a business that handles food commercially and must be registered with the municipality. This includes restaurants, cafes, bakeries, shops, food trucks, food carts, catering companies, wholesale operations, and e-commerce food businesses.Registration is required to ensure food safety is maintained and that the business complies with applicable food hygiene regulations. If the business uses drinking water from its own source or well, this must also be registered. Each fixed location must be registered separately with its respective municipality. Mobile food businesses, such as food trucks, only need to register in the municipality where the main operations are conducted.

Issued by: The Municipality

To organize public tastings of spirits, wine, strong beer, or other fermented alcoholic beverages, you need either a permanent serving license or a temporary tasting permit. A tasting means serving small amounts, typically a tablespoon or less per sample.If you hold a permanent serving license that covers the relevant beverages and premises, you may organize tastings after notifying the municipality. Wholesalers and producers without a serving license can apply for a temporary tasting permit instead. The municipality issues permits, exercises supervision, and sets any conditions. Tastings must be conducted responsibly with proper age verification.

Issued by: The Municipality

A serving license (serveringstillstånd), often called an alcohol license (alkoholtillstånd) or serving permit (utskänkningstillstånd), is required to serve alcoholic beverages at restaurants, pubs, hotels and other establishments in Sweden. The license can be permanent or temporary, and is also required for private events, catering, tastings and transport services.

Issued by: The Municipality

A hotel or boarding house operation that can accommodate at least nine guests or comprises at least five guest rooms must be notified to the Police Authority before the operation commences. The notification is free of charge and is made in writing by the person who will operate the business.Notification is not required for residences used for care, supervision, education or upbringing, or for unmanned cabins for temporary overnight stays or simply equipped cabins without water and sewage at camping sites. The Police Authority exercises supervision over hotel and boarding house operations.

Issued by: Swedish Police Authority

Certain service businesses in Sweden are required to maintain a staff register (personalliggare). This is a daily log of everyone working at the business premises, including employees, temporary workers, and the business owner. The requirement applies to restaurants, hairdressers, laundries, car workshops, and several other sectors. The Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) can visit unannounced to inspect the register.There is no application or registration process. The requirement applies automatically from the day you start operating. Fines for non-compliance start at 12,500 SEK per inspection and increase for repeat violations.

Issued by: Swedish Tax Agency