Accessing public records
The principle of public access gives you the right to view public records that are held by SMHI (Chapter 2 of the Freedom of the Press Act [1949:105]). Most documents received by or created by SMHI are public records. Public records can be either accessible or classified, meaning they are confidential. A confidentiality assessment is conducted under the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act (2009:400) in each individual case before a document is disclosed.
If you wish to access a public record, you can contact SMHI's registry via email. When a request to access a public record is made, it should be processed immediately or as soon as possible. If there is a delay in disclosing a public record, it may be because we need to determine if the information in the record is confidential under any provisions of the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act.
Email SMHI's registrar at registrator@smhi.se
Fees for Accessing Public Records
Provided that the records are not classified, you have the right to access public records free of charge at SMHI’s premises.
According to Chapter 2, Section 13 of the Freedom of the Press Act, anyone wishing to access a public record also has the right, for a set fee, to receive a copy or excerpt of the record, if it can be disclosed. Authorities are not obligated to provide records electronically. However, SMHI will, if possible, accommodate requests to send copies of public records electronically and will charge a fee for this, similar to the fee for paper copies. When determining if a public record can be provided electronically, considerations include, among other factors, whether the record contains personal data.
The fee for obtaining a record from SMHI depends on the extent of the record and the desired method of delivery. The fee will be invoiced.
Regarding Fees
The cost for paper copies is regulated by the Fee Regulations (1992:191). The fee for electronic records has been decided by SMHI under Section 4, Subsection 8 of the Fee Regulations and established in SMHI's Data Policy.
Paper Copies
- The first nine pages are free; the tenth page costs 50 SEK, and each subsequent page costs 2 SEK.
- Any postal costs will be additional.
- No fees are charged for government authorities.
Electronic Records
Many records are stored electronically and can be sent via email. The fee for requesting such records is as follows:
- The first nine records/files are free; the tenth record costs 50 SEK, and each additional record costs 2 SEK each.
- For material that needs to be scanned, the fee is as follows:
- The first nine pages are free; the tenth page costs 50 SEK, and each subsequent page costs 2 SEK.
- No fees are charged for government authorities.
Anonymity
A public authority is not allowed to investigate who is requesting access to public records or the purpose of the request beyond what is necessary to determine if there are any restrictions on disclosing the record.
This provision means that everyone generally has the right to access all public records held by an authority without having to disclose their identity or the intended use of the record. However, if you reveal your identity in your request, such as in an email, you are no longer anonymous.