Frequently asked questions about Swedish alcohol-serving licences

A serving licence (serveringstillstånd) is a permit from the municipality that gives a business the right to serve alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, spirits and other fermented drinks) for payment. It is regulated by the Swedish Alcohol Act (2010:1622) and requires both the people involved and the premises to meet the requirements of the Act.

In practice they are the same thing. “Alcohol licence” is everyday language – the formal term in the Alcohol Act is serving licence. Both refer to the permit to serve alcohol at, for example, a restaurant, a bar or an event.

“Utskänkningstillstånd” is an older Swedish term for a serving licence. It is still used in speech, but the legal term is serveringstillstånd (serving licence).

A serving licence is required as soon as you sell or serve spirits, wine, strong beer or other fermented alcoholic beverages for payment. This applies to restaurants, bars, clubs, function venues, catering businesses and events – whether permanent or temporary.

A single occasion means serving on a few irregular occasions per year – for example a wedding, a company party or a charity gala. In that case a temporary serving licence can be applied for instead of a permanent one. The municipality decides what counts as a single occasion in each case.

At least half of the persons with significant influence (PBI) must have passed the knowledge test on the Alcohol Act, and at least one person with a passed test must always be available during serving. The requirements vary slightly depending on the type of licence – always check with your municipality.

The fee is set by each municipality and is usually between SEK 4,000 and SEK 14,000 for the application. A permanent serving licence is valid indefinitely as long as the business meets the requirements. An annual supervision fee is charged on top of that.

The test is pass-or-fail and requires good knowledge of the Alcohol Act, serving rules, food and beverage knowledge and supervision. Most people who prepare with practice questions pass on their first or second attempt. With Alkoholprovet you train on questions in the same format as the real test.

Being listed on a serving licence means being one of the people registered as the licence holder or as a person with significant influence (PBI). Anyone listed on the licence is responsible for the business complying with the Alcohol Act.

Breaches of the Alcohol Act can lead to a reprimand, a warning, withdrawal of the serving licence or prosecution. Serious breaches – such as serving minors or over-serving – can lead to fines or up to two years' imprisonment under the Alcohol Act.

The restaurant report is an annual return that every holder of a permanent serving licence must submit. It reports purchases and sales of alcohol. The report is filed through the Public Health Agency's e-service and is used for supervision and statistics.

The municipality where the business is located assesses and decides on serving licences. The decision is usually made by the municipal social welfare committee, environment and licensing committee or equivalent, after consulting the police, the rescue services and the Swedish Tax Agency.

The municipality and the police share responsibility for supervising serving venues. The county administrative board carries out regional supervision of the municipalities' work, and the Public Health Agency has central supervision and issues national regulations.

Anyone serving alcohol at a licensed venue must be at least 20 years old. For low-strength beer (folköl) the limit is 18. The licence holder is responsible for making sure staff meet the age limits.

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