UNCLASSIFIED · OPEN SOURCES Launch offer: your household plan and Phaenyx Safe are free for a limited time (regular price $29). Build my plan →
PHAENYXCivil preparedness EN

Sweden · Building a shelter

Can you build your own shelter in Sweden? What the law says

Sweden's shelter law (2026:440) covers state-decided shelters; it sets no permit regime for a private home bunker, and MCF publishes no guide for one.

Updated 2026-10-20· 7 official sources

Short answer. Sweden's Act (2026:440) on civil defence shelters and protected spaces, in force since 1 June 2026, governs shelters that the state decides to build 1. It sets no permit or registration regime for a family's own home bunker, and no official guidance for one was found. Owners of buildings with a registered shelter have duties: signposting, maintenance, no weakening alterations, readiness within 48 hours at heightened alert 12.

Which law governs shelters in Sweden?

Two texts, both in force since 1 June 2026:

  • Lag (2026:440) om skyddsrum och skyddade utrymmen (Act on civil defence shelters and protected spaces), replacing Lag (2006:545) om skyddsrum 1.
  • Förordning (2026:443) om skyddsrum och skyddade utrymmen (the implementing ordinance), replacing Förordning (2006:638) om skyddsrum 4.

Who decides whether a shelter is built?

The state. The responsible agency decides case by case, within state funding, whether a shelter is built 1. In designated shelter areas, a developer planning work that needs a building permit under the Planning and Building Act (2010:900) must first notify the agency (ch. 3 s. 1-2) 1.

Do I need a permit to build a private shelter at home?

No specific permit exists for a voluntary private shelter: the shelter law does not set one 1. That does not mean any construction is free of rules. Earthworks, a buried structure or an extension can fall under ordinary building rules, which are outside the scope of the shelter law and of this page. Check with your municipality before any work, and have any structure designed by a qualified engineer.

Phaenyx does not give construction instructions. The guides on /guides/buried-container, /guides/reinforce-container, /guides/shelter-ventilation and /guides/nbc-filtration explain the issues an engineer will have to address.

What must the owner of a registered shelter do?

The Act and MCF's guidance for property owners list these duties 12:

  • Signpost the shelter on the building and next to the entrance.
  • Maintain the shelter and its equipment.
  • Improve protection or carry out a simplified inspection if ordered by the inspecting authority.
  • Make no alterations that impair the shelter's function.
  • Make the shelter ready within 48 hours and give room to the public at heightened alert ("Låta allmänheten komma in i skyddsrummet vid höjd beredskap") 2.

MCF publishes a free brochure for owners, Till dig som äger och ska underhålla ett skyddsrum (MCF0197, 2026, 15 pages) 5, and standard technical solutions for measures in shelters 3; MCF also lists shelter experts 3. The technical rules are summarised on the shelter standards page.

Do I need a private shelter if public shelters exist?

Sweden has about 64,000 public shelters with about 7 million places, and you go to the nearest one 6. MCF states that these shelters protect against shockwaves, bomb fragments, and blast and heat waves from a nuclear weapon, and give better protection than other spaces against fallout, chemical and biological weapons 6. Locate yours on the public shelters page.

Can a shelter be removed?

Rarely. MCF decides on decommissioning (Ordinance 2026:443 s. 7) and states that it is restrictive: a shelter may only be decommissioned for special reasons 42. Under the Act (ch. 5 s. 1), a decommissioning decision must be granted if the owner builds a new shelter at their own expense and there are no exceptional reasons against it 1.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to build a bunker in my garden in Sweden?

The shelter law sets no permit or registration regime for a voluntary private shelter 1. Ordinary building rules may still apply, so ask your municipality and an engineer before starting.

Does the state pay for shelters?

The agency decides case by case, within state funding, whether a shelter is built 1.

My building has a skyddsrum. Can I turn it into a storeroom?

It can be used for other purposes in peacetime, but you may not make alterations that impair its function, and it must be ready within 48 hours at heightened alert 12.

Can I use SR 15 to design my own shelter?

SR 15 is MCF's public handbook of shelter regulations 7. Applying it is engineering work for a qualified professional; MCF lists shelter experts 3.

Where is the public shelter nearest to me?

See the public shelters page and MCF's shelter map.

Sources

  1. Sveriges riksdag (SFS) — Lag (2026:440) om skyddsrum och skyddade utrymmen — https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/lag-2026440-om-skyddsrum-och-skyddade-utrymmen_sfs-2026-440/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  2. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF) — Frågor och svar om skyddsrum för fastighetsägare — https://www.mcf.se/sv/amnesomraden/beredskap-for-kris-och-krig/befolkningsskydd/skyddsrum-och-andra-skyddade-platser/fastighetsagare/fragor-och-svar-om-skyddsrum-for-fastighetsagare/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  3. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF) — Typlösningar, beräkningar och presentationer för skyddsrum — https://www.mcf.se/sv/amnesomraden/beredskap-for-kris-och-krig/befolkningsskydd/skyddsrum-och-andra-skyddade-platser/fastighetsagare/typlosningar-berakningar-och-presentationer-for-skyddsrum/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  4. Sveriges riksdag (SFS) — Förordning (2026:443) om skyddsrum och skyddade utrymmen — https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/forordning-2026443-om-skyddsrum-och-skyddade_sfs-2026-443/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  5. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF) — Till dig som äger och ska underhålla ett skyddsrum (MCF0197) — https://www.mcf.se/sv/publikationer/till-dig-som-ager-och-ska-underhalla-ett-skyddsrum/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  6. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF) — Good to know about civil defence shelters — https://www.mcf.se/en/advice-for-individuals/civil-defence-shelters-evacuation-and-warning-systems/good-to-know-about-civil-defence-shelters/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  7. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF) — Skyddsrum SR 15 (2025) — https://www.mcf.se/contentassets/f368c02e73db47ed88e8abae3932eabf/skyddsrum-sr-15-2025_251215.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)

Turn this into action

Your plan for Sweden, worked out for your household.

  • Water, food and equipment counted for each person and pet
  • The nuclear plants and zones around your home
  • Phaenyx Safe: one tap to tell your people you are safe
$29Freelimited timeBuild my plan →Try Phaenyx Safe

Sources

  1. Sveriges riksdag (SFS) · Lag (2026:440) om skyddsrum och skyddade utrymmen checked 2026-10-20
  2. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF) · Frågor och svar om skyddsrum för fastighetsägare checked 2026-10-20
  3. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF) · Typlösningar, beräkningar och presentationer för skyddsrum checked 2026-10-20
  4. Sveriges riksdag (SFS) · Förordning (2026:443) om skyddsrum och skyddade utrymmen checked 2026-10-20
  5. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF) · Till dig som äger och ska underhålla ett skyddsrum (MCF0197) checked 2026-10-20
  6. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF) · Good to know about civil defence shelters checked 2026-10-20
  7. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF) · Skyddsrum SR 15 (2025) checked 2026-10-20

Keep reading: Building a shelter