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Flight compensation in Sweden: delays, cancellations and how to claim

By passengers on routes within Europe in Eurostat’s 2024 data, Stockholm Arlanda – a hub of SAS – was by far Sweden’s busiest airport, followed by Gothenburg Landvetter and Stockholm Bromma. EU261 covers every departure from Sweden, whatever the airline, and flights to Sweden from outside the EU, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland when an airline licensed in one of those countries operates them.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: How we write our guides

Check compensation or start a claim with AirHelp straight away

In short: Every flight departing from Sweden is covered by EU261, whatever the airline: €250–€600 per passenger for a delay of 3 hours or more at arrival, a cancellation with less than 14 days’ notice or denied boarding – unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Flights into Sweden from outside the EU are covered only on EU airlines. Complain to the airline first, then to Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) or an ADR body, and if needed go to court.

Which flights are covered

Your flightRulesWhich airlines
From Sweden to anywhereEU261Any airline
From another EU/EEA country or Switzerland to SwedenEU261Any airline
From the UK to SwedenUK261 (EU261 too on an EU airline)Any airline
From outside Europe to SwedenEU261EU airlines only

Whatever the cause, from 2 hours’ delay the airline must also provide meals and drinks, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight; after a cancellation or a 5-hour delay you can choose a refund. Care and refunds.

Check your flight from Sweden

Two minutes, free, no sign-up.

What happened?Step 1 of 4

What happened to your flight?
Where did you fly from and to?

With a connection, enter your first departure and your final destination – compensation is based on the total distance.

How late did you arrive at your final destination?

What counts is when the aircraft doors opened at your destination – not the departure delay.

When were you told about the cancellation?
When did you arrive on the replacement flight?
Which airline operated the flight?
When was the flight?

How many passengers were on the booking?

1 passenger

Every passenger gets their own compensation, children too. Infants under 2 without their own seat do not count.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Fee only if successful (35%)
  • AirHelp: Trustpilot 4.5/5

Rather skip the questions? Start a claim with AirHelp straight away

How much: example routes from Sweden

Compensation per passenger for a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation on the busiest international routes (Eurostat 2024):

RouteDistanceOutboundReturn
Stockholm Arlanda – Copenhagen547 km€250€250
Stockholm Arlanda – Oslo Gardermoen385 km€250€250
Stockholm Arlanda – Helsinki398 km€250€250
Stockholm Arlanda – Amsterdam Schiphol1,152 km€250€250
Stockholm Arlanda – Málaga3,016 km€400€400
Stockholm Arlanda – Paris Charles de Gaulle1,539 km€400€400
Stockholm Arlanda – Frankfurt1,224 km€250€250
Stockholm Arlanda – Munich1,317 km€250€250
Stockholm Arlanda – Alicante2,711 km€400€400
Stockholm Arlanda – Vienna1,286 km€250€250

How to claim in Sweden

  1. Claim from the airline in writing – its online form or a letter (complaint letter generator). Keep your booking, boarding pass and receipts.
  2. National enforcement body: Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) – Consumer guidance in several languages, including English, on hallakonsument.se. It deals with flights departing from Sweden, and flights arriving there from outside the EU.
  3. Alternative dispute resolution: The National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN) handles delayed and cancelled flights. It costs 150 kr (not refunded), its decisions are recommendations, and you must apply within one year of first complaining to the airline; the minimum claim for EU passenger-rights cases is 750 kr.
  4. Court: the local court for the departure or arrival airport, or – for cross-border cases – the European Small Claims Procedure.

Prefer not to do it yourself? A claims company does the work for a share of the compensation – see claim companies compared.

Airlines from Sweden

Airports in Sweden

Delay causes, busiest routes and seasonal patterns: flights to Sweden · European delay statistics.

Strikes in Sweden

No strikes affecting flights in Sweden are announced in our strike calendar at the moment.

Strike days at Sweden’s airports since 2024

EUROCONTROL recorded no arrival flow restrictions due to industrial action at Sweden’s airports between January 2024 and 30 September 2026. Strikes by air traffic controllers elsewhere and by airline staff are not included. Check a specific day.

Good to know

  • ARN is not free but cheap: 150 kr. Apply within a year of your first complaint to the airline.
  • Arlanda had almost no arrival flow-control delay in EUROCONTROL’s 2025 data, so if your flight from Stockholm was badly delayed, ask the airline in writing for the specific reason.
  • Konsumentverket’s consumer guide hallakonsument.se explains passenger rights in English as well as Swedish.

Frequently asked questions

How much compensation can I get for a delayed flight in Sweden?

Under EU261, €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500–3,500 km (and for every flight within the EU over 1,500 km) and €600 for longer flights (€300 if a long-haul flight arrives 3–4 hours late), per passenger, if you arrive 3 hours or more late and the airline cannot prove extraordinary circumstances. It does not matter where you live – only where you flew from, where to, and with which airline.

Where do I complain in Sweden if the airline refuses to pay?

To Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket), the national enforcement body for Sweden (Consumer guidance in several languages, including English, on hallakonsument.se). It handles complaints about flights departing from Sweden and flights arriving there from outside the EU. Alternative dispute resolution: The National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN) handles delayed and cancelled flights. It costs 150 kr (not refunded), its decisions are recommendations, and you must apply within one year of first complaining to the airline; the minimum claim for EU passenger-rights cases is 750 kr.

How long do I have to claim in Sweden?

The time limit depends on which country’s courts hear the claim, and we have not found an authoritative statement of the period for Sweden. Claim as soon as you can, and check with Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) or the European Consumer Centre. See time limits by country.

I live in Sweden but my flight left from another country. Where can I claim?

Your rights depend on the flight, not on where you live. For a flight between two EU countries you can sue in the courts for the place of departure or the place of arrival (CJEU C-204/08 Rehder); for cross-border cases the European Small Claims Procedure works by post and online. The enforcement body to complain to is the one in the country where the incident happened.

Information only, not legal advice. Enforcement bodies and dispute schemes as listed by the European Commission, checked November 2026.

Sources

  1. National enforcement bodies under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (updated 13 October 2026) – European Commission
  2. Resor – tvisteområden – Allmänna reklamationsnämnden
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text (Article 3: scope; recital 15: air traffic management decisions) – EUR-Lex
  4. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
  5. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 (flights by destination from UK airports) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  6. Airport arrival ATFM (flow-control) delay data, 2024–2025 – EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit
  7. Air passenger transport by reporting airport (avia_par), 2024 – Eurostat
  8. Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
  9. EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
  10. C-204/08 Rehder v Air Baltic (jurisdiction: place of departure or arrival) – EUR-Lex

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.