Published: 10 June 2026
If you’re a Swedish citizen living abroad and you’ve emigrated from Sweden, you have the right to vote in the elections to the Riksdag. You can either vote from abroad, or vote early in Sweden. However, you must register to get on the electoral roll every 10 years in order to remain on it.
You’re considered to be a Swedish citizen living abroad if you’re a Swedish citizen and have been listed in the Swedish Population Register at some point, and have emigrated from Sweden. You have a right to vote in the elections to the Riksdag. And in order for your vote to be counted, you need to be on the electoral roll.
You automatically keep your right to vote for 10 years after emigrating from Sweden. Then you must register to vote for a new 10-year period. To get on the electoral roll and gain the right to vote, you must have been listed in the Swedish Population Register at some point.
If you’re no longer on the electoral roll, you can register again in any of the following ways:
If you’re still on the electoral roll, you can only register to vote for a new 10-year period by
If you vote in elections while you’re still on the electoral roll (i.e., your 10-year voter eligibility period has not yet ended), your vote will be counted in those elections. However, it will not count as a registration to vote for a new 10-year voter eligibility period. In other words, you will be removed from the electoral roll when your current 10-year voter eligibility period ends, regardless of whether or not you vote in elections during this period.
If you’re currently studying or working abroad, for example, and you’re still listed in the Swedish Population Register, the same voting eligibility rules apply as for anyone living in Sweden. Further information is available on the webpage “Your right to vote if you live in Sweden”.
Your right to vote if you live in Sweden
Here you can find answers to frequently asked questions about the right to vote for Swedish citizens living abroad.
Yes. If you’re a Swedish citizen, and you’re at least 18 years old on election day, you have the right to vote in the elections to the Riksdag – even if you’ve emigrated from Sweden. However, in order to vote, you must have been listed in the Swedish Population Register at some point.
If more than 10 years have passed since you moved away from Sweden, you must register to get on the electoral roll. You register for a 10-year period.
There are three different ways to get on the electoral roll. You can:
You automatically remain on the electoral roll for 10 years after emigrating from Sweden.
After 10 years, you need to register in order to remain on the electoral roll.
You do this by submitting form SKV 7842 “New address/electoral roll for emigrants, Notification” (“Ny adress/röstlängd för utvandrad, Anmälan”) to the Swedish Tax Agency. You can also use this form to register your new address details with us.
If you’re no longer on the electoral roll, your vote will count as a request for a new 10-year voter eligibility period. You will then be added to the electoral roll again.
If you’re on the electoral roll, a voting card will be sent to your address outside Sweden. If you’re unsure, you’re welcome to contact the Swedish Tax Agency or the Swedish Election Authority.
Before the elections to the Riksdag, the Swedish Election Authority sends international voting cards and postal voting materials to Swedish citizens living abroad. We start sending these out on 7 July. All voting cards must be sent out no later than 50 days before election day, 25 July.
You’ll receive an international voting card and postal voting materials if you’re on the electoral roll and the Swedish Tax Agency has your up-to-date address details.
If you haven’t registered your up-to-date address with the Swedish Tax Agency, please fill in and submit form SKV 7842 “New address/electoral roll for emigrants, Notification” (“Ny adress/röstlängd för utvandrad, Anmälan”) which is available on the Swedish Tax Agency’s website. You will then receive your voting card for upcoming elections.
New address/electoral roll for emigrants, Notification (the Swedish Tax Agency, in Swedish)
No. As a Swedish citizen living abroad, you only have the right to vote in the elections to the Riksdag. You need to be listed in the Swedish Population Register in order to vote in regional and municipal elections.
You can either send a postal vote from abroad, or vote early at a Swedish embassy or consulate that arranges vote reception. Alternatively, you can vote in Sweden if you’re in the country during the voting period.
Voting early as a Swedish citizen living abroad
Voting at a voting location in Sweden as a Swedish citizen living abroad
This term refers to a Swedish citizen who has emigrated from Sweden and is no longer registered as living in this country. If you’re a Swedish citizen living abroad, you have the right to vote in the elections to the Riksdag provided that you fulfil the eligibility requirements.
No. To vote in the elections to the Riksdag, you must have been listed in the Swedish Population Register at some point. You must also be a Swedish citizen and at least 18 years old. It’s not sufficient just to have Swedish citizenship.
When your 10-year voter eligibility period ends, you are removed from the electoral roll. This applies regardless of whether you have voted in previous elections. You are not necessarily on the electoral roll just because you voted in previous elections.
But even if you’re no longer on the electoral roll, you can still vote in the elections. Your vote will then count as a request to be added to the electoral roll. The Swedish Election Authority needs to receive your vote no later than 12 September (the day before election day) in order for your vote to be counted in the election. If we receive your vote later than that date, you will be added to the electoral roll for a new 10-year period, but your vote will not be valid for the current elections.
A postal vote only counts as a request to be added to the electoral roll if the 10-year period has ended and you’re no longer on the electoral roll. If you’re still on the electoral roll and you vote by post, your current voter eligibility period will not be extended by a further 10 years.
We collect voters’ address details from the Swedish Population Register, which is kept by the Swedish Tax Agency. If you haven’t received your voting card, it might be because we don’t have your up-to-date address details.
You don’t need to bring your voting card with you when you vote. This applies whether you vote early or at a voting location on election day. You only need to prove your identity in order to vote.
If you would like a duplicate voting card, you can request one from the Swedish Election Authority or a Swedish mission abroad, and they will email it to you. You can also request postal voting materials from the Swedish Election Authority, and – in some cases – from a mission abroad.
You must either be currently listed in the Swedish Population Register, or have been at some point. If you’ve never been listed in the Swedish Population Register, you cannot vote in Swedish elections.
No. You must have been listed in the Swedish Population Register at some point in your life to be given a personal identity number and added to the electoral roll. It’s not sufficient just to have Swedish citizenship.
When you emigrate from Sweden, the Swedish Tax Agency registers your date of emigration as the date of registration to the electoral roll for a 10-year period. This applies regardless of whether you emigrate before or after your 18th birthday. If your parents report your move on your behalf while abroad, the notification date counts as a new date of registration to the electoral roll for a 10-year period.
If you’re at least 18 years old on election day, the following rules apply:
If you’re not sure whether you’re on the electoral roll, please contact the Swedish Election Authority.
You can register your current address outside Sweden and get on the electoral roll by submitting registration form SKV 7842, “New address/electoral roll for emigrants” (“Ny adress/röstlängd för utvandrad”), which is available on the Swedish Tax Agency’s website.
New address/electoral roll for emigrants, Notification (SKV 7842, in Swedish)
