Allemansrätten: Sweden's Right of Public Access Explained

One of the best reasons to move to Sweden is right outside your front door: nature. And the best part is that you are allowed to enjoy it almost everywhere. This is possible thanks to allemansrätten – the Swedish right of public access.

For newcomers, though, it can be confusing: Can I really just pitch a tent in the forest? How close can I get to a summer cottage? And why is a barbecue suddenly forbidden in summer? This article gives you a clear overview – with checklists and common mistakes.

What is allemansrätten?

Allemansrätten gives everyone who is in Sweden the right to move freely in nature – even on private land. It applies to Swedes, tourists and newcomers alike.

Good to know: allemansrätten is not a law in itself. It is an old custom that is mentioned in the Swedish constitution (Regeringsformen, chapter 2, section 15). What exactly is permitted follows from other laws, such as the Penal Code (Brottsbalken) and the Environmental Code (Miljöbalken). The authority responsible for guidance is the Naturvårdsverket – the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

The basic rule fits into a few words: Don't disturb, don't destroy. You have rights, but also responsibilities – towards nature, wildlife, landowners and other people.

You can find answers to many detailed questions in the Naturvårdsverket FAQ (in Swedish).

What is allowed? Hiking, camping, foraging

Hiking, cycling, skiing

You may walk, cycle, ski or ride a horse through forests and fields – as long as you don't cause any damage. Gardens, private plots, plantations and fields with growing crops are off-limits.

A note on e-bikes: according to Naturvårdsverket, motorised vehicles are not covered by allemansrätten – and that includes e-bikes. Off-road, you technically need the landowner's permission.

Camping

You may pitch your tent in nature for a night or two (något enstaka dygn). There is no fixed limit in days – the rule of thumb is one or two nights. Keep in mind:

• Choose a spot far away from houses and out of sight.
• Don't camp on farmland, fields with crops or newly planted forest.
• If you are a large group with many tents, ask the landowner for permission.
• Motorhomes and caravans are not covered by allemansrätten – use campsites and designated parking areas instead.

Berries, mushrooms and flowers

You are free to pick blueberries, lingonberries, raspberries and mushrooms – even in large quantities. You may also pick flowers, as long as they are not protected (fridlysta). What you may not do:

• dig up plants with their roots
• break off branches, twigs or bark from living trees (not even young spruce shoots)
• pick nuts straight from the tree – gathering a small amount from the ground is fine
• use fallen trees as firewood

Protected species can vary by region. When in doubt, leave it be.

Swimming, canoeing and boating

Sweden has close to 100,000 lakes – and you are welcome to use them. You may swim, canoe, row and sail. You may also spend time on beaches on private land, as long as they are not part of a home's private zone (the hemfridszon – more on that below).

• You may briefly "borrow" someone else's jetty, for example to go for a swim – but only if the owner doesn't need it at the time.
• You may temporarily moor your boat on shores that are not part of a private plot and not protected (e.g. bird sanctuaries).
• On a canoe trip you can camp on the shore for a night – following the same rules as above.

What about fishing?

Fishing is generally not part of allemansrätten. There is one important exception, though: along the coast and in the five large lakes Vänern, Vättern, Mälaren, Hjälmaren and Storsjön, you may fish freely with a hand-held rod. Everywhere else you usually need a fishing licence (fiskekort). Current rules are available from the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management.

Keeping your distance from homes: the hemfridszon

Allemansrätten does not apply on other people's private plots. Around every home or holiday house there is a hemfridszon – a "zone of domestic peace" where the residents have the right to be left undisturbed.

How big this zone is cannot be defined in metres. It depends on the terrain:

• A fence, a hedge or a path often forms a clear boundary.
• In open, flat landscapes the zone is larger than in dense forest.
• Even an old cabin in the woods may be lived in – even if the plot looks overgrown.

The rule of thumb: briefly walking or paddling past is fine. If you want to stay longer, have a coffee break, pick berries or camp, keep a much greater distance. Picking mushrooms right below someone's window counts as trespassing (hemfridsbrott).

Campfires and eldningsförbud

Allemansrätten does not give you an automatic right to a campfire – only the possibility to make one safely and at your own responsibility. And in summer there is often an eldningsförbud, a fire ban.

How to make a fire the right way

1. Ideally use a permanent fire pit (grillplats) or a camping stove.
2. Choose gravel or sand. Never on moss, peat or humus-rich forest soil – embers can keep smouldering deep in the ground.
3. No fire directly on or next to rock slabs and large boulders – they crack and are scarred permanently.
4. Only use loose branches, twigs and cones from the ground – no living or dead trees.
5. Don't light a fire in strong wind.
6. Always keep water at hand and put the embers out completely – including under the ashes.

Fire bans – who decides?

When the risk of forest fires is high, the municipality or the county administrative board (Länsstyrelsen) issues a fire ban. It is your own responsibility to check beforehand – breaking a ban can lead to a fine. Useful sources:

• the Brandrisk Ute app from the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (Myndigheten för civilt försvar, MCF), with fire risk forecasts and bans for your location
• the overview map on krisinformation.se
• the websites of your municipality and county administrative board

In national parks and nature reserves, fires may be forbidden even without a general ban. And remember: disposable barbecues can also start fires – always place them on a non-flammable surface and take them home afterwards.

Dogs in nature

Dog owners, take note: from 1 March to 20 August, the law (Lag om tillsyn över hundar och katter, section 16) requires dogs to be kept under such control that they cannot run loose in areas with wildlife. In practice, this almost always means: keep your dog on a lead. This is when many wild animals and birds have their young.

• For the rest of the year, your dog still must not hunt or chase wildlife.
• In reindeer grazing areas in the mountains, dogs usually have to be leashed when reindeer are nearby.
• Many national parks and nature reserves require a lead all year round.
• In towns, municipalities can add their own rules, e.g. no dogs on public beaches or playgrounds.

Litter, wildlife and what else is forbidden

Leaving litter in nature is prohibited in Sweden (Miljöbalken, chapter 15) – whether it's a cigarette butt, a sweet wrapper or a disposable barbecue. The rule is simple: whatever you bring, you take back with you.

Other things that are not allowed include …

• driving a car, motorbike or quad off-road (prohibited under the Terrängkörningslagen) or parking in the terrain
• cutting down or damaging trees, not even for tent poles
• disturbing bird nests and young animals
• leaving gates open – grazing animals could escape
• walking across private plots, gardens or cultivated fields
• going to the toilet close to houses, streams or lakes

Nature reserves and national parks

In nature reserves and national parks, special regulations often apply that restrict allemansrätten. This may mean:

• camping only at designated sites or for a limited number of nights
• fires only at permanent fire pits, or not at all
• dogs on a lead all year round
• no access to bird sanctuaries during the breeding season
• a ban on picking certain plants

The rules are usually posted on information boards at the entrance. You can find more information from the relevant county administrative board or on the Naturvårdsverket website.

Checklist for your next outing

• Checked for fire bans in the Brandrisk Ute app?
• Dog lead packed (mandatory 1 March – 20 August)?
• Rubbish bag with you?
• Read the signs at the nature reserve?
• Tent spot chosen far from houses and fields?

Our conclusion

Allemansrätten is a real gift – and one of the reasons life in Sweden offers such a high quality of life. Hiking, camping, picking berries, swimming: almost everything is possible as long as you show consideration.

Our tip: always keep "don't disturb, don't destroy" in mind, check for current bans before lighting any fire and always take your rubbish home. Then you can enjoy Swedish nature to the fullest – and the Swedes will appreciate you as a considerate neighbour.