Understanding letters from Kronofogden
Who sends these letters
Kronofogden, the Swedish Enforcement Authority, helps creditors get paid and makes sure court decisions are followed. It handles payment orders (betalningsföreläggande), where a company or person asks Kronofogden to make you pay a debt; enforces decisions, for example by taking part of your salary (utmätning); and decides on debt relief (skuldsanering) for people who cannot pay. A letter from Kronofogden is never junk mail: open it and act on it the same week.
Deadlines and your right to challenge a decision
If you get a payment order and don't agree with the claim, object (bestrida) in writing within the time stated in the letter, usually ten days from the day you received it. If you don't respond, Kronofogden can decide that you must pay (utslag), and a credit-reference company can then register a payment remark against you, which stays for three years.
Checked on 2026-10-07 against: Du har fått ett krav – så funkar det, Vad gör jag om kravet inte stämmer?, Vad du får behålla i en löneutmätning, Someone wants you to pay (English). Rules change: the official website and your letter always win.
These pages explain the Swedish words in official letters. They don't replace the letter itself or advice about your case. Always check the deadline printed on your letter, and contact the agency (their phone number and your case officer are usually at the bottom of the letter) if anything is unclear. Lingolib is not connected to any of the agencies named here. Facts were last checked on 2026-10-07.
Example letters, word by word
These letters were written by us to show the style and the typical phrases. The names, amounts and dates are made up; real letters look different from agency to agency and year to year. Tap a word to see what it means.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
Heading: a payment order.
Telecom .
A (made-up) phone company has asked Kronofogden to make you pay.
2 380 .
They claim 2,380 kronor plus interest and costs.
.
If the claim is correct, pay the company directly, not Kronofogden.
.
If you disagree, object in writing within ten days of receiving this letter.
, .
If you don't reply, Kronofogden can rule that you must pay.
.
A ruling can lead to a payment remark in your credit record.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
Heading: a decision to take part of your salary.
.
You have unpaid debts being collected by Kronofogden.
3 150 .
So your employer will deduct 3,150 kronor from your salary every month.
2026.
It starts with your December 2026 salary.
.
You always keep a protected amount for housing and living costs.
.
Contact Kronofogden if your costs or income change.
. .
You can appeal to the district court; the enclosure explains how.
32 key words in letters from Kronofogden
The words specific to these letters first, then the general ones every agency uses.
- betalningsföreläggandepayment order
- A creditor has asked Kronofogden to make you pay. It is not yet a decision: you can pay, or object if the claim is wrong.
- sökandeapplicant (the creditor)
- The company or person who wants money from you.
- svaranderespondent (you)
- The person the claim is against, usually you.
- borgenärcreditor
- Someone you owe money to.
- gäldenärdebtor
- Someone who owes money.
- fordranclaim, debt
- The amount the creditor says you owe. Check it carefully.
- kravclaim, demand
- The everyday word for what someone says you owe.
- bestridadispute, object to
- To say the claim is wrong. Do it in writing, through Mina sidor, the reply form, email or letter, within the time in the letter. Explain why.
- invändningobjection
- Your written objection to the claim. If you object, the creditor must take the matter to court to continue.
- förklaringstidtime to respond
- The time you have to pay or object, usually ten days from receiving the payment order. The exact time is in the letter.
- utslagruling (that you must pay)
- Kronofogden's decision that you owe the money, made when you don't object. It can lead to a payment remark and enforcement.
- betalningsanmärkningpayment remark
- A note in your credit record, registered by credit-reference companies after an utslag. It lasts three years for a private person and can make it hard to rent a flat or get a loan or phone contract.
- verkställighetenforcement
- Kronofogden acting to carry out a decision, for example by taking money or property.
- utmätningseizure (of money or property)
- Kronofogden taking money or property to pay a debt.
- löneutmätningwage garnishment
- Part of your salary goes straight from your employer to Kronofogden. You always keep a protected amount for living costs.
- förbehållsbeloppprotected amount
- The money you keep each month in a wage garnishment: your housing cost plus a standard amount for other living costs.
- normalbeloppstandard living allowance
- A fixed amount per month for food, clothes and other costs, set by Kronofogden each year. Part of the protected amount.
- skuldsaneringdebt relief
- A decision that lets someone who can't pay their debts pay what they can for usually five years, after which the rest is written off. You apply to Kronofogden.
- avhysningeviction
- Removal from a home you no longer have the right to live in. Contact the kommun's social services and Kronofogden immediately.
- betalningsplanpayment plan
- An agreement to pay in parts. Ask the creditor directly; it is up to them whether to accept.
- inkassodebt collection
- A debt-collection company's demand, usually sent before a payment order. It is not from Kronofogden but is a warning.
- kronofogdemyndighetenthe Enforcement Authority (full name)
- The full name of Kronofogden.
- huvudfordranprincipal amount
- The original debt, before interest and fees are added.
- ansökningsavgiftapplication fee
- The fee the creditor paid Kronofogden. If you lose, it is usually added to what you owe.
Words every agency uses
- delgivningformal service of a document
- The formal way an authority makes sure you have received a document. Time limits often start from the day you were delgiven.
- förenklad delgivningsimplified service
- The document is posted to you and a control letter follows the next working day. You then count as having received it two weeks after the document was sent, whether you opened it or not.
- beslutdecision
- The formal answer to your case. A beslut is legally binding until it is changed. Read the date on it: most time limits for challenging it start from the day you received it.
- överklagaappeal
- To ask a court or higher body to change a decision. The letter must tell you how and by when. Missing the deadline usually means you lose the right to appeal.
- Mina sidorMy pages (your account)
- Your personal logged-in pages on an agency's website, where you see letters, decisions and messages. Migrationsverket calls it Min sida.
- senastat the latest, no later than
- Marks a deadline: senast 15 november means 15 November is the last day. It must usually have arrived by then, not just been posted.
- ärendenummercase number
- The reference number of your case, also called diarienummer or dnr. Quote it in every contact.
- fullmaktpower of attorney
- Written permission for someone else to act for you, for example a relative calling the agency on your behalf.
What to do next
- Find the date and the deadline. Look for senast, inom and förfallodag. Write the deadline in your calendar.
- Find who to contact. The handläggare and a phone number are usually at the end. You can ask them to explain the letter in simpler Swedish or English, and to book an interpreter.
- Answer in writing when it matters. Our email templates include a polite Swedish message asking an agency to explain a letter.
- Look up other words in the all-agency glossary or the Swedish dictionary.
Letters from other agencies
Reading letters like these gets easier fast once the everyday words are automatic. Season 1 of our course is free in full, and the guide to the language you need when moving to Sweden covers the basics.