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Fishing licence in Sweden: what anglers need

In the sea and in the five large lakes Vänern, Vättern, Mälaren, Hjälmaren and Storsjön (Jämtland) you can fish with hand tackle for free. Everywhere else you need a fishing card (fiskekort) from the rights holder.

Checked on 13.10.2026 against official sources. Not legal advice.

Sea
free
Freshwater
partly

Do you need a licence for sea fishing in Sweden?

Along the coast you may fish with hand tackle (rod, jig and similar) without a fishing card. This applies equally to Swedes and foreigners. Nets, longlines and traps have their own limits.

Source: Länsstyrelsen, Fiske (nationell information), ohne Seitendatum

Do you need a licence for freshwater fishing in Sweden?

Free with hand tackle only in Vänern, Vättern, Mälaren, Hjälmaren and Storsjön in Jämtland. In all other lakes, rivers and streams you need permission from the rights holder, usually a fishing card for that water.

Source: Länsstyrelsen, Fiske (nationell information)

How much is a fishing licence in Sweden?

There is no state fishing licence and no state fee. Fishing cards for individual waters cost whatever the rights holder charges.

Source: HaV, Fiskeregler för fritidsfiske (nennt nur Erlaubnis des Rechteinhabers, keine staatlich

Where do you buy a fishing licence for Sweden?

There is no state sales page. Fishing cards are sold by each rights holder. According to HaV you can find fishing areas on fiskekartan.se.

Source: HaV, Fiskeregler för fritidsfiske, aktualisiert 08.07.2025, abgerufen 13.10.2026

What about children, teens and seniors?

Without a state licence there are no state age limits, the county boards and HaV name none. Whether children pay less or nothing for a fishing card is up to the rights holder.

Source: Länsstyrelsen, Fiske (nationell information)

What applies to visitors from abroad?

Visitors follow the same rules as locals, including free fishing with hand tackle. You need no home licence or proof, for fishing cards the seller's terms apply.

Source: HaV, Fiskeregler för fritidsfiske (Utländska medborgare), aktualisiert 08.07.2025

Which catch and take-home rules apply?

You may not sell fish caught in the sea, fish from lakes and rivers you may. Minimum sizes, closed seasons and protected areas apply to free fishing too. Example Skagerrak and Kattegat: with hand tackle at most two salmon and sea trout combined per angler per day, salmon at least 45 cm, closed season 1 October to 31 March. In the Baltic, salmon fishing is heavily restricted.

Source: HaV, Lax: minimimått, fredningstid och fångstbegränsningar, aktualisiert 17.06.2025

What else should you know?

The right of public access (allemansrätten) does not cover fishing. Rules for each stretch of coast and protected areas are shown on the Svenska fiskeregler map (county boards and HaV), where you can filter by species and gear.

Source: HaV, Fiskeregler för fritidsfiske

Not confirmed yet

Daily limits for pike, zander and cod per coastal area not checked one by one. The HaV salmon page is contradictory for the Baltic (one fin-clipped salmon per day allowed, yet release immediately). No official 10-hook limit for hand tackle was found.

Do you know more or have an official source? Let us know.

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Sources (4)

Not legal advice. Rules and prices change; the linked authority and the local water permit are what count. Found a mistake? Write to [email protected].

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