What are personal data?

Personal data can be many different kinds of information about a person. Some typical examples are personal identity number, name and address but a picture, medical information or a case reference number can also be personal data.

Processing personal data

In principle, the processing of personal data includes any form of handling the data. Some examples are reading, collecting, recording, storing, merging or printing the data.

How we process personal data linked to social insurance benefits

We process personal data linked to a number of different social insurance benefits such as sickness benefit, parental benefit, child allowance and housing allowance.

When dealing with social insurance benefits, we are only permitted to process personal data if there is a specific reason to do so, for example,

• to process a case
• to impart information about social insurance
• to plan, control and evaluate our work
• to produce statistics
• to disclose information to other authorities

For some types of benefits, processing is automated.

We continuously strive to ensure we process personal data in a secure manner and we conduct quality control, for example, by performing tests in our IT systems. This may give rise to your personal data being processed.

One of our measures to prevent erroneous disbursements is to conduct risk-based checks. This means we check a sample of cases where the risk of errors is considered to be high, based on analyses of erroneous disbursements. Your data may be processed in such analyses, samples and checks.

In addition, we do checks on employees' searches in our IT systems. This may give rise to your personal data being processed.

We collect and disclose data

We are only permitted to collect the personal data we need for our various purposes.

Most of the personal data we need is provided by the person applying for the benefit in question. Sometimes we collect data from other authorities, for example, the Swedish Tax Agency, the Swedish Board of Student Finance (CSN), the Swedish Public Employment Service and the unemployment insurance funds.

Sometimes we disclose personal data to other authorities, for example, the Swedish Tax Agency, CSN, the Swedish Enforcement Authority, the Swedish Pensions Agency, the Swedish National Agency for Occupational Pensions and the municipalities. We would do that, for example, after we have made a payment to you. We only provide the information they need and which we have the right to disclose.

We also disclose personal data to other recipients. For example, we provide information to your bank so that you will be able to get the money paid out by us.

Sometimes we may need to disclose or collect personal data from an authority in another country, both within the EU/EEA and outside the EU/EEA (known as a “third country”). This could be, for example, if you work or have worked there or if you or one of your family members lives or has lived there.

How we process personal data for other areas of work

We also process personal data that are not linked to our work with social insurance benefits. Some examples are HR matters, collaboration forum with other authorities and agencies, requests for access to a public document or a register transcript.

When we process personal data in our other areas of work, it is usually in order to fulfil a legal obligation, to exercise public authority or to perform a task of general interest.

How we sort out personal data

We are not allowed to store personal data longer than we need to for the matter in question. However, certain data may be retained for records of general interest, research or statistics.

Your rights

You have the right to access the personal data that Försäkringskassan has about you. That information will be given to you in the form of a register transcript. To order a register transcript, you need to fill in this form.

Order a register transcript (in Swedish)

If you have a secure digital mailbox, we will send your register transcript there. If you do not have a secure digital mailbox, the register transcript will be sent by regular mail.

It does not cost anything to get a secure digital mailbox but you must have e-ID.

Read your post from government agencies digitally (in Swedish)

You have the right to

• have incorrect data amended
• supplement incomplete personal data under certain conditions
• request a restriction on our processing of your personal data under certain conditions

When we receive your request, we are obliged to notify you as soon as possible of the measures your request will initiate.

The Swedish Data Protection Authority is the authority tasked to ensure that the processing of personal data does not lead to undue infringement of the privacy of individuals. If you want to complain about how Försäkringskassan handles your personal data, you do so at the Swedish Data Protection Authority. Information about how to do that is found at

Swedish Data Protection Authority (datainspektionen.se)

Försäkringskassan is the data controller, which means we are responsible for processing your personal data in a proper manner. Försäkringskassan’s Data Protection Officer monitors that we as an authority comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other data protection legislation. The Data Protection Officer is the person you contact if you have questions about personal data.

You can reach Försäkringskassan’s Data Protection Officer by calling, sending a letter or email.
Phone: 08-786 90 00 (switchboard)
Postal address: 103 51 STOCKHOLM
Email: dataskyddsombud@forsakringskassan.se

Laws and rules governing how we process personal data

• EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679)
• the law with additional provisions to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and related regulations
• Chapter 114 Social Insurance Code
• the law (2001:99) on official statistics and related regulations