Searching public records about a person
In Sweden, many records about a person are public — court judgments, population registration data, property ownership and debts at the Enforcement Authority. Insyna helps you write a request to the right authority. To access your own data instead, use a GDPR data request.
- Legal basis
- Freedom of the Press Act, Chapter 2 (Tryckfrihetsförordningen 1949:105) · Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act (Offentlighets- och sekretesslagen 2009:400)
- Response time
- Promptly (usually 1–2 weeks)
- Contact
- Registrar at the relevant authority
What can you find out?
Court judgments and decisions, population registration data, property ownership and title deeds, debts and enforcement at the Swedish Enforcement Authority (Kronofogden), and company engagements are generally public. Historical estate inventories and registered prenuptial agreements can also be requested.
Information about people with protected identity, confidential parts of judgments, and ongoing preliminary investigations are not released. Some records, such as property extracts from the land survey and land registration authority (Lantmäteriet), may carry a fee.
How Insyna helps you
Tell Chydenius what information you are looking for and about whom, and it identifies the right authority — district court, the land registration authority, the Enforcement Authority, the Tax Agency or the Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket) — and drafts the request for you.
Some records may carry a fee (e.g. property extracts from the land registration authority).
How to do it, step by step
Describe what you seek
Tell Chydenius which public data you want and about whom — for example a registered address or income data.
We find the right source
Chydenius identifies which authority holds the data and drafts a correct request.
Send the request
The request is sent to the right authority; public data is released under the principle of public access.
Get a reply
Some data may be covered by secrecy; Chydenius explains what applies in your case.
What you can request
- Judgments and court decisions (district court, court of appeal, etc.)
- Population registration data (name, address, marital status)
- Property ownership and title deeds
- Debts and enforcement at the Enforcement Authority
- Company engagements (board positions, authorised signatories)
- Historical estate inventories and inheritance divisions
- Prenuptial agreements and divorces
What you cannot request
- Information about people with protected identity
- Confidential parts of judgments (e.g. young offenders)
- Ongoing preliminary investigations
- Personal data covered by strong confidentiality
- Medical information or records
Frequently asked questions
Can anyone request court judgments?
Yes. Court judgments and decisions are generally public. Some parts may be confidential, for example information about young people or injured parties.
Can I see whether a person has debts?
Yes. Information about debts and enforcement at the Enforcement Authority is public and can be requested. Insyna helps you phrase the request.
How do I get my own records instead?
For your own personal data, use a GDPR data request (subject access), not this case type. Insyna has a separate guide for that.
Do I need the person’s personal number to search for records about them?
It helps to narrow the search, but it is often enough to give a full name and approximate date of birth or address, especially for court judgments and property records — the registrar can usually help identify the right person.
Is it legal to look up information about another person this way?
Yes — requesting official documents is a right available to anyone regardless of purpose, though you should still respect other privacy laws, such as not using the information for unlawful surveillance or harassment.
The email we send
This is the actual email Chydenius writes and sends to the authority for you — in correct Swedish, anonymously (never in your name), always asking for a reply by email. You don’t need to write Swedish yourself.
Bästa Handläggare, Jag önskar ta del av de domar och beslut vid tingsrätten som rör NN (fullständigt namn och, om möjligt, personnummer anges). Denna begäran grundar sig på offentlighetsprincipen enligt tryckfrihetsförordningen (1949:105) 2 kap. och offentlighets- och sekretesslagen (2009:400). Jag önskar ta del av handlingarna digitalt (via e-post) i första hand. I avvaktan på Ert svar, En Medborgare