What is an extract from the criminal record?
An extract from the criminal record is an official document issued by the Swedish Police Authority, containing recorded information about a person’s criminal offences and any resulting penalties.
What information is included in a criminal record extract?
A criminal record extract contains the following information:
- Convictions: The extract includes information about criminal convictions. It is a record of offences that have been registered against an individual.
- Penalties: Details of the penalties imposed by the court, such as imprisonment, fines, suspended sentences, probation, youth care or youth service.
For employers, a criminal record extract is particularly relevant when recruiting for roles that involve trust, responsibility or access to sensitive information. It provides a more informed basis for assessing a candidate’s suitability for a specific role.
How do you request an extract from the criminal record?
Who can request and access a criminal record extract in employment?
In a recruitment process, it is the candidate who requests the extract from the criminal record, as the information is subject to confidentiality. This means that the individual is the primary party entitled to access the content.
As an employer, you can only review the extract once the candidate chooses to share it or provides their consent.
In certain sectors, there are legal requirements for employers to review a criminal record extract as part of the hiring process. In these cases, employers may require the candidate to present an extract and, in some situations, request information directly from the Swedish Police Authority.
Step by step: how to request a check for a potential employee with DISA
We use legal background checks to review a candidate’s criminal history. This means that information about any offences and convictions is obtained directly from the Swedish Courts rather than from the Police Authority’s criminal record register. The advantage of this approach is that the information can be accessed as soon as the background check has been completed.
This is how the process works:
- Log in to our online background screening platform using your username and password.
- Select the type of background check you want to carry out.
- Enter the candidate’s details.
- The candidate receives an email inviting them to log in and complete their details.
- DISA carries out the background check, and both you and the candidate receive access to a digital report.
Roles where criminal record extracts are required
In certain sectors, employers have the legal right to request information directly from the criminal record. This includes, for example:
- Psychiatric healthcare
- Care for individuals with intellectual disabilities
- Care for children and young people
- Compulsory care for substance abuse
- Companies installing alarm systems
In other cases, employers are required to ensure that the candidate presents a criminal record extract. This applies, for example, to:
- Schools and pre-schools
- LSS services (support for children with disabilities)
- Other activities involving children (for example youth work or leisure activities)
- Residential care homes (HVB)
- Insurance mediation
As a general rule, employers do not have the legal right to require a criminal record extract for roles outside those regulated by specific legislation. In these cases, it is up to the candidate to decide whether to provide an extract.
At the same time, an extract may still be relevant for other roles, particularly where the position involves a high level of responsibility, trust, or access to sensitive information. If a candidate chooses not to provide an extract, this may form part of the employer’s overall assessment in the recruitment process.
International criminal record checks
When recruiting internationally, background checks may need to be carried out outside Sweden. In most cases, the candidate applies for a Certificate of Good Conduct (or an equivalent document) and uploads it to DISA’s portal.
DISA provides clear instructions based on the relevant countries and then verifies the document’s validity and authenticity. In some countries, the application process can be handled directly through local partners. The process is always adapted to the laws and regulations of each country, and checks can be carried out in over 175 countries.
Laws and regulations regarding the use of criminal records in employment
When it comes to criminal records, there are certain laws and rules that are important to follow:
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and criminal records
It is important that you carefully follow the GDPR when handling personal data from criminal records. This means making sure that every step of the process – from collection to storage and possible deletion of data – is lawful, transparent and limited to the specific purpose. In addition, you must ensure that the personal data is protected against unauthorised access and loss with appropriate security measures. For example, you must not save or take a copy of an extract from the criminal record, but only make a note that an extract has been viewed.
How long is a criminal record extract valid?
An extract from the criminal record must not be older than 1 year. This is because you want to have as up-to-date a picture as possible of the person’s possible criminal offences.
Deletion rules for criminal records
Offences and convictions are only visible in the criminal record for a certain period of time before they are removed. Read more about the thinning rules on the Police website.
Here are some examples of how long different criminal registers are being kept:
Data to be deleted 3 years after decision
- Penalty warning (prosecutor’s decision not to prosecute the offence), if the person was under 18 years old at the time of the offence
Data to be deleted 5 years after judgment, decision or approval
- Financial penalties, such as speeding fines
- Daily fines
- Prohibition of access
- Suspended sentence if the person was under 18 at the time of the offence
- Probation if the person was under 18 at the time of the offence
Data deleted 10 years after judgment or decision
- Probationary sentence
- Probation
- Youth service if the person was over 18 at the time of the offence
- Prison sentence to be considered as fully enforced by previous deprivation of liberty or from which a person has been fully released by a pardon decision
Data deleted 10 years after the sentence has been served
- Imprisonment or reduced sentence for fines
- Suspended juvenile detention
- Forensic psychiatric care
The Supreme Court’s decision on legal databases – what does it mean for employers?
In February 2025, the Swedish Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling that, in practice, restricts the ability of legal databases to share and make criminal court judgments available to businesses and the public.
The decision means that judgments containing personal data can no longer be made searchable or distributed to paying customers in the way that was previously possible. This is because GDPR and the protection of personal privacy take precedence over the free dissemination of such information.
For employers, this means that access to information through commercial legal databases has become more limited, affecting how background checks can be carried out in practice.
As a result, it is increasingly important to work with structured and legally compliant processes, where checks are conducted on the correct legal basis and with respect for the candidate’s privacy.
Processing time and receipt of the register extract from the police
The processing time for obtaining an extract from the criminal record can vary, but it usually takes between 1 to 2 weeks from when the Police Authority receives the application until the extract is sent to the applicant by post. For a digital extract, it can be faster, but its extract is only sent if it does not contain a charge. However, the time it takes can be affected by various factors, such as the current workload of the police authority and whether or not the application contains all the necessary information and is filled in correctly.
By doing a legal background check with us at DISA instead, you can access the information directly and do not have to wait for the Police’s processing times.
How to weigh the extract in your recruitment process
When weighing the results of the verification report, it is important that you make an overall assessment of the person. For example, you always have the right to hire anyone you want, but you also need to consider the Discrimination Act. If a candidate has a criminal background, you can look at the nature of the offences and how long ago they were committed. Then make a fair judgement as to whether the person’s criminal history is relevant today and should affect their chances of getting the job.
Do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are happy to assist you in making the right decision. Contact us below.
How to inform candidates about background checks
Even if you do not need the candidate’s consent to carry out a background check, it is recommended to inform the job applicant early on that a background check will be carried out. We always recommend companies to strive for transparency, hence it is a good idea to inform about background checks already in the vacancy advert. That way, you can manage expectations of what is required from the candidate from the very beginning.
When you do a background check with us at DISA, we help you inform the candidate. Both you and the candidate can contact our customer service for when you have questions about the check process or need help.
Handling of sensitive information and privacy protection
When performing a background check on a candidate, it is important to consider the candidate’s privacy and handle sensitive information in a safe and secure way. By doing a background check with a third-party provider like DISA, you can feel confident that you get the information relevant to your recruitment process and that everything is handled in a safe and smooth way. Our background checks are GDPR-proof and we have a Data Protection Officer who ensures that we comply with all current laws and regulations.
Digitalising background checks with DISA's International Platform
With DISA's International Platform, you can digitise your company’s process for background checks and criminal record checks. This makes screening simple and secure for both you as an employer and the candidate. You receive a digital check report and can immediately see if there are any discrepancies and raise them with the candidate.
Frequently asked questions and answers on criminal record checks for employment purposes
Yes, as an employer, you can reject a job candidate based on the content of a criminal record check if the information provided is relevant to the position the person is applying for. However, it is important that this decision is based on an objective assessment of whether the candidate’s criminal record affects their suitability for the specific job.
There is no fixed rule on how often you should request new criminal records for existing employees. For professions where it is particularly important to protect children, young people, or other vulnerable groups, it may be useful to request new extracts or background checks at regular intervals, such as every 3 or 5 years. However, it is important that this is done in line with current legislation and that there is a clear policy for its management that respects both security requirements and employee privacy.