Am I allowed to keep beehives in Sweden?
Yes — you may keep beehives, but you must report where they stand to the county board. This follows from the Bee Diseases Act (1974:211) and is about being able to fight contagious bee diseases such as American foulbrood and the varroa mite. The report is free and is made when you start or take over an apiary, and a move must be reported within one week. An apiary standing empty for less than 3 months need not be reported. No municipal permit is required and there is no statutory minimum distance to the neighbour — but in built-up areas the Environmental Code's nuisance rules apply, so the municipality can act on complaints. If foulbrood breaks out the county board sets up protection and surveillance zones, with a movement ban inside the zone.
📋 The rules
- Report the apiary's location to the county board (free)
- Report on starting or taking over an apiary
- A move is reported within one week
- No municipal permit, no statutory minimum distance
- On foulbrood: protection and surveillance zones are set up
🔓 Exceptions
- An empty apiary need not be reported if empty for under 3 months
- In built-up areas the Environmental Code's nuisance rules apply to neighbours
- On a disease outbreak the county board can order a movement ban in the zone
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Failing to report a bee disease, or ignoring the rules, is punishable under the Bee Diseases Act and brings day-fines — that is, fines calculated on your income rather than a fixed sum. The cost that hurts most is a different one: in an outbreak hives may have to be destroyed, and compensation is 100 kr per colony. Inside a protection zone the county board can also order a movement ban, so you can neither move the hives to safety nor set them up somewhere new while the infection is being fought.
📎 Official sources
- County Board Stockholm · Beekeeping →
- Board of Agriculture · Bees and bumblebees →
- Bee Diseases Act (1974:211) · Riksdagen →
❓ Frequently asked
Must I report my beehives?
Yes. You report where the apiary stands to the county board, so that contagious bee diseases such as American foulbrood and the varroa mite can be traced and fought. The report is made when you start or take over an apiary.
Does reporting cost anything?
No, reporting the apiary's location to the county board is entirely free. There is also no municipal permit to apply for and no statutory minimum distance, so simply starting an apiary costs you nothing in fees.
Do I need the municipality's permission?
No, no municipal permit is needed and there is no statutory minimum distance to the property line. In built-up areas the Environmental Code's nuisance rules do apply, so the municipality can act if the neighbours complain.
Must I report if I move the hives?
Yes, a move of the apiary must be reported to the county board within one week. An apiary that stands empty for less than three months, on the other hand, does not have to be reported.
What happens with a bee disease?
The county board sets up protection and surveillance zones and can order a movement ban inside the zone. Infected hives may have to be destroyed, and compensation is then 100 kr per colony.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I keep beehives sweden”
- “report apiary county board”
- “beekeeping permit municipality”
- “bee disease foulbrood sweden”
- “moving beehive report sweden”
- “beekeeping neighbours rules”