Can I put up a surveillance camera at home in Sweden?
Yes — you may film your own home and fenced plot without a permit. Since April 2025 the permit requirement has been removed for others too. For a private individual the household exemption applies: the filming must be for purely private use, limited to your home and plot with a clear boundary, and the footage must not be shared. That is where most people slip: post the footage online and the exemption breaks, and then full GDPR applies. The same happens if the camera reaches beyond the plot — film a neighbour's house or a place the public can access and you become data controller, which is rarely allowed. A doorbell camera is fine if the view covers only your own entrance, not the street or the neighbour's door.
📋 The rules
- Filming your own home and fenced plot: no permit needed
- The household exemption requires purely private use and a clear boundary
- The footage must not be shared (e.g. posted online)
- Filming a neighbour or public place: GDPR applies, rarely allowed
- Doorbell camera fine if it covers only your own entrance
🔓 Exceptions
- If the camera reaches public space or a neighbour's land you become data controller
- A doorbell camera may cover only your own door, not the street or neighbour's door
- Even within the exemption, sharing the footage breaks it
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The consequence of a camera that reaches too far is not a fine but data controllership: break the household exemption and full GDPR applies, so IMY can impose an administrative fine and damages can be claimed by the person you filmed. There is also a criminal side few expect: secret, intrusive filming can be offensive photography under Penal Code chapter 4, with fines or up to 2 years in prison. Two things break the exemption — the camera reaching a neighbour's land or public space, and sharing the footage.
📎 Official sources
- IMY · Filming within the household exemption →
- IMY · Neighbours' camera surveillance →
- Camera Surveillance Act (2018:1200) · Riksdagen →
❓ Frequently asked
Do I need a permit for a camera at home?
No. Filming your own home and fenced plot needs no permit, and the permit requirement was removed for others too in April 2025. The camera must still stay within the household exemption.
Can I film my neighbour's plot?
No. Filming a neighbour's house or land against their will is, per IMY, generally not allowed, because you then become data controller and full GDPR applies.
Can I have a doorbell camera?
Yes, if the view covers only your own entrance. If it reaches the street or the neighbour's door you are outside the household exemption, and GDPR applies to what you record.
Can I post the footage online?
No. Sharing the footage breaks the household exemption, even if the camera only filmed your own plot. Full GDPR then applies, and IMY can impose an administrative fine.
What happens if I film a public place?
You become data controller under GDPR, and for a private individual that is rarely allowed. Secret and intrusive filming can also amount to offensive photography.
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