THE SHORT ANSWER
A burglary is both a crime and an insurance claim, and the order matters. The Swedish Police Authority says burglary and attempted burglary in a home are reported by phone, and asks you not to clean up before the police have been there. In one insurer's terms from December 2025, theft must also be reported to the police, and the claim must be reported to the insurer as soon as possible.
This guide goes through the first steps, how stolen items are usually valued and how the rules in the terms on locks, doors and keys can affect the payment. How to show what you owned when the receipt is missing is covered in the guide to receipts and proof after a claim. [1][6]
Keep these points in mind
- Call the police and leave any traces in place until the police have been.
- The case number from the police report is used when contacting the insurer.
- If the lock rules in the terms are not followed, the payment can be reduced.
STEP BY STEP
How to check your cover
Call the police and touch as little as possible
According to the Swedish Police Authority, many crimes can be reported online, but burglary and attempted burglary in a home need to be reported by phone. Call 112 if the crime is in progress or if the police need to come quickly to secure evidence. The police can also be reached on 114 14. If several people are affected, each one makes a separate police report.
Do not clean up before the police have been there. The police say traces left by the burglar can disappear if you clean, and that you need to avoid entering the crime scene as far as possible. Cover broken windows temporarily with plastic or a board if you can. If the door has been forced, you can contact a locksmith or a door supplier.
[1]Report it to the insurer with the case number
The police say the case number is printed at the top of the report and that you can use it when contacting your insurer. A copy of the report arrives within about ten working days. According to the police, if you are insured you also call your insurer to report the burglary.
In the terms from December 2025, the claim must be reported as soon as possible, and you must be able to show that an insured event has occurred. Damaged items must be kept so they can be inspected. When damage has occurred, you must do what you can to prevent or limit it, and reasonable costs for this are paid there if you are not entitled to compensation from elsewhere.
[2][1][6]List what is missing, in as much detail as you can
The police ask you to describe what was stolen in as much detail as possible and to say whether the items are theft-marked. If you later remember more missing items, add them to the report as soon as possible. The faster and more detailed your description, the better the chance of getting the items back, according to the police.
The insurer also needs to know what you owned and what it was worth. According to Konsumenternas, there is no requirement to show a receipt, but it is often good evidence. Bank statements, photos and product boxes can also show what you have lost. Write down what you know about the purchase year and price of each item, and mark what is an estimate.
[1][3]Change the locks and block cards and ID documents
If a key is missing after the burglary, read what the terms say about changing locks. In the terms from December 2025, you must change the lock immediately if you have reason to suspect that an unauthorised person has a key to the home. The cost of changing the lock is paid there if the key was lost in a way the policy covers and it is likely that an unauthorised person may use it.
If cards or ID documents are gone, contact the bank right away. The Swedish Consumer Agency says there is often a blocking number staffed around the clock, and that you can ask the bank whether to block BankID, accounts and cards. Also block your ID card or driving licence. The agency also mentions that you can place a block on your personal identity number with the credit reference agencies, and check with the Swedish Tax Agency that nobody has changed your registered address.
[6][7][8]
How stolen items are valued
According to Konsumenternas, you are paid the market value of your belongings just before the loss, and sentimental value does not count. Many policies use valuation tables: new items are paid at the new price, and after that the value drops by fixed percentages each year. For electronics, the most you can get is what an equivalent new product costs in a shop. How age deductions and the deductible fit together is explained in the guide to deductibles and age deductions.
In the terms from December 2025, computers, tablets, bicycles and glasses, for example, are paid on the basis of purchase price and age according to a table. Other items are paid at market value, meaning what a used equivalent in the same condition costs. If the market value is at least 70 percent of the new price, you are entitled there to a new item if you buy it within six months. There are also separate limits for cash, valuable documents and bicycles, among other things, which the guide to valuables and policy limits goes through.
[3][6]Lock rules and burglary protection in the terms
Home insurance terms can contain safety rules: instructions on how to act to reduce the risk of damage. Under the Insurance Contracts Act, the payment can be reduced if such a rule was not followed. The reduction must be reasonable, taking into account the link to the damage, the degree of intent or negligence and the other circumstances. The police urge you to ask your insurer whether special window locks, an alarm or anything else is needed for the home insurance to cover a burglary.
In the terms from December 2025, front doors must be locked with a lock designed for front doors, and patio, terrace and balcony doors must be closed and bolted. Windows must be closed and latched when nobody is at home. Keys must not be hidden near the home or labelled so that someone can tell where they belong. If such a rule is not followed, the deduction is normally 25 percent, but it can be larger in serious cases and smaller if the neglect was less serious. Konsumenternas says a theft claim normally requires traces of the break-in, such as pry marks or a broken lock.
- How front doors must be locked and whether a specific lock is required
- What applies to windows and to patio and balcony doors
- Where keys may be kept and when the lock must be changed
- Whether the policy document requires a burglar alarm
- How large the deduction is if a rule is not followed
See what your home insurance says about theft
Keep the home insurance policy document and terms in My Forsio. You then have the documents in one place, and each detail shows the passage it came from, such as safety rules, the deductible and limits for theft. If the terms are missing from the documents, the lock rules are shown as Not verified, not as missing.
Forsio does not decide whether a burglary claim is paid, how stolen items are valued or whether a deduction is correct. The insurer decides that. Forsio is not an insurance intermediary and does not provide insurance advice.
Fictional example
A forced door. Three questions in the documents.
Sara came home to a forced front door. She has called the police and is reading her home insurance before sending the list of what is missing.
- Police report
- Case number received
- Lock rules in the terms
- Not verifiedThe terms are not in the documents.
- Stolen computer, four years old
- Valued by agePotential gapThe payment may be lower than the new price.
The report is made. The lock rules need reading in the terms, and the insurer decides the valuation and any deduction.
Common questions
How do I report a burglary at home?
According to the Swedish Police Authority, burglary and attempted burglary in a home are reported by phone. Call 112 if the crime is in progress or the police need to come quickly; otherwise you can call 114 14. Other crimes can often be reported through the police e-service, which is open to people with a Swedish personal identity number or coordination number. To add to the report later, you can use the e-service or call 114 14. [1]
Why does the insurer need a police report?
The terms may require it. In one insurer's terms, theft, vandalism and robbery must be reported to the police, and you must be able to show that an insured event has occurred. The police say the case number is at the top of the report and can be used when contacting the insurer. The copy of the report arrives within about ten working days. [6][2]
Can I get paid for stolen items without a receipt?
It may be possible. According to Konsumenternas, there is no requirement to show a receipt, although it is often good evidence. Bank statements, photos and product boxes can also help show what you lost. Items are normally paid at their market value just before the loss, not at the purchase price. [3]
What happens if the door was unlocked or a window was open?
The payment can be reduced if a safety rule in the terms was not followed, and under the Insurance Contracts Act the reduction must be reasonable. In one insurer's terms, the deduction for rules on doors, windows and keys is normally 25 percent. There, a spouse, partner or other family member sharing the home is treated the same as you. Konsumenternas says a theft claim normally requires traces of the break-in. If you disagree with the decision, read the guide to when the insurer says no. [5][6][4]
Does home insurance pay for new locks if my keys were stolen?
It can. In one insurer's terms from December 2025, the cost of changing the lock is paid if the key was lost in a way the policy covers and it is likely that an unauthorised person may use it. If you have reason to suspect that an unauthorised person has a key, you must change the lock immediately there. Under the same terms, someone who enters with a key they were allowed to have does not count as entering without permission. [6]
What do I do if bank cards or ID documents were stolen in the burglary?
Call the bank right away and ask whether to block BankID, accounts and cards, the Swedish Consumer Agency says. Block your ID card and driving licence and report it to the police. If you find an unauthorised transaction, dispute it when you contact the bank. According to Konsumenternas, ID protection is included in most home policies, but not in all. In one insurer's terms, after identity theft you report it to the police, notify banks and card issuers and tell the insurer as soon as possible. [7][8][4][6]
MY FORSIO
Keep the terms close if something happens at home.
Keep your home insurance policy document and terms in My Forsio. Read safety rules, limits and details that need confirmation, with the passage each detail came from. Free for individuals.
Sources and references
Sources checked
This guide explains general principles of Swedish insurance. Your policy schedule and terms set out what applies to you.
- Swedish Police Authority: burglary in a home, basement, garage, holiday home or office
- Swedish Police Authority: police reports, copies and case numbers
- Konsumenternas: how belongings are valued and paid for under home insurance
- Konsumenternas: what home insurance includes, including theft, burglary and ID protection
- Swedish Parliament: Insurance Contracts Act, Chapter 4, Section 6 on safety rules
- An insurer's home insurance terms, December 2025
- Swedish Consumer Agency: bank fraud and card fraud
- Swedish Consumer Agency: if you are a victim of identity theft