New laws and rules take effect in Sweden on 1 July

Sweden will introduce a range of new laws and regulations on 1 July, including easier rules for subletting private homes, stricter welfare requirements, and language proficiency standards for elderly care staff, SVT reports.

Private housing subletting will be simplified, with fewer restrictions on renting out co-operative apartments for longer periods if the owner has valid reasons. Rules for corporate and shared housing will also be updated to better meet companies’ needs for employee accommodation.

Elderly care providers, both public and private, will be required to ensure staff have sufficient Swedish language skills to deliver safe and secure care.

Police will gain broader powers to manage public demonstrations and events for security reasons, including changing times or locations, cancelling gatherings that threaten public safety, and intervening more easily against disruptive individuals.

Hunting regulations will change to include new confidentiality protections for those involved in large predator hunts to reduce risks of threats or sabotage. Rules on protective hunting, such as for hoofed wildlife, will be relaxed, allowing county boards to approve hunts to prevent damage rather than only serious harm.

Welfare recipients who have received income support for at least three months must participate in designated activities to continue receiving benefits. Medical certificates will be required from those claiming inability to work due to illness.

Most grocery stores and pharmacies with staffed checkouts will be obligated to accept cash, and banks will take greater responsibility for ensuring nationwide cash deposit access. The measure aims to assist those who do not use digital payments and to strengthen societal preparedness in case of digital system failures.

Marriages between cousins and certain other close relatives will be prohibited, and such marriages concluded abroad will generally not be recognised in Sweden. Adopted siblings and half-siblings will also be barred from marrying.

Residents living near wind turbines will receive compensation tied to the facility’s annual revenue. Homeowners within nine times the height of a turbine from a wind farm will be eligible, with payments increasing the closer the home is to the turbine. The law primarily applies to new permitted wind farms receiving final approval after 1 July.

The tax agency will gain expanded powers to combat VAT fraud, including the ability to deny or revoke VAT registration and withhold suspected incorrect input VAT refunds.

VAT on admission to dance events, such as those featuring dansband music, will be reduced from 25% to 6%, aligning it with other cultural events to support dance and cultural life nationwide.