Apply for a permit for a public gathering
A permit is required in order to assemble people for a public gathering, such as a demonstration or a concert.
In order for an event to be considered a public gathering, it must be organized for, or open to, the general public.
Apply well in advance
Remember to apply well in advance and fill out all the information requested. If your application has been completed correctly and you have sent in all the required documents, you’ll get your decision faster.
Examples of activities requiring a permit
- Demonstrations, public meetings and protests.
- Assemblages for religious purposes.
- Walpurgis Night celebrations (if a Walpurgis Night celebration is more in the nature of entertainment with markets, contests, dance and other similar activities, it would be considered a public event).
- Concerts, musical events and theatre.
Concerts and music events indoors do not require any permit, but you should submit a notification in advance if the event is an assemblage for the public. This notification is free of charge. Use the same form as for a permit for an outdoor concert.
In the case of street music, you will need to ascertain what rules apply in your municipality.
Submit your application for a permit well in advance
Applications regarding public gatherings must often be sent out with a request for comment to the municipality or other relevant agencies. You should therefore always submit your application for a public gathering well in advance.
In the spring and summer, we handle many applications at the same time, and it takes longer for us to process them. If we receive your application too late, we may reject it.
How to apply
1. Complete the form
Application forms
If you are using a digital form, you must first save the form on your computer. Then fill out the form and save it again.
Application for a permit for a public event (digital form) (pdf, 254 kB)
Application for a permit for a public event (paper form - print and fill out manually) (pdf, 165 kB)
Application for a permit for a concert or musical event (digital form) (pdf, 3 MB)
Remember to include the following on or with your application:
- Address of the event.
- Diagram or map. If you wish to set up a table, tent or other structure on the site, this be included on the diagram or map, together with its location and measurements.
- Your estimate of the number of persons who will be attending.
- If this is a major event at which a large number of persons are expected, you are also required to include a safety plan.
2. Submit the form
Send the form by e-mail or regular mail to the police in the region where the permit will apply. You can also submit the form and pay the fee in person at a police station.
Find a police station and its hours of service (information in Swedish)
3. Pay the fee
You are required to pay a fee in order to have your application processed. You will receive an in-payment form from the Police Authority when we have received and registered your application. Remember that your application will not be processed until the fee has been paid.
The fee for applying for a permit to hold a public gathering is SEK 320.
Your fee will not be refunded even if your application is denied.
4. Receive a decision
We will send you a decision by e-mail or regular mail.
Planning for safety
When you plan a public gathering, you are responsible for safety and it is therefore important to engage in safety planning. The police may decide to impose special conditions that you are required to comply with, such as the time and place of a demonstration.
Fact: The right to assemble and demonstrate
The police may deny an application for a permit only in exceptional cases. If you have been granted a permit for a public gathering, the police are responsible for ensuring that you can implement it and that the public can take part in it. This does not mean that a public gathering may be held in any place, whatsoever, or at any time.
The right to meet and demonstrate may be limited, but only if the limitation is necessary. For example, when two demonstrations are to take place in close proximity and the police make the determination that a risk exists that the demonstrators may confront each other, one of the demonstrations may be moved to a different location.
The Public Order Act contains provisions regarding when the police are entitled to cancel or disperse a public gathering. The reason can be that doing so is necessary for the sake of order and safety.
Applying for a permit to serve alcohol
If alcohol will be served, a permit for this must be applied for from the municipality.
Related information
The Public Order Act determines the rules that apply in public places.
