Lift and Elevator Codes and Standards in Sweden
Lifts are 'motor-driven devices' under the Planning and Building Act (PBL 2010:900) and Ordinance (PBF 2011:338), with detailed rules from Boverket. From 1 December 2025 Boverket's former BFS 2011:12 (H) was replaced by three regulations: BFS 2025:11 (use of motor-driven devices, incl. recurring inspection and improvement requirements for existing lifts), BFS 2025:12 (inspection and accreditation of inspection bodies) and BFS 2025:13 (lifts and lift safety components, implementing 2014/33/EU). The owner must keep the lift maintained and have it inspected by an accredited inspection body (kontrollorgan); the municipal building committee supervises, and Arbetsmiljöverket supervises inspection rules in workplaces.
Who regulates lifts
Boverket (National Board of Housing, Building and Planning); supervision by municipal building committees (byggnadsnämnden) and Arbetsmiljöverket for workplace buildings
Periodic inspection
Accredited inspection body (kontrollorgan). BFS 2025:11 ch.2 §11: first recurring inspection after 2 years; thereafter 1 year for most lifts, 2 years for goods/small goods lifts, refuse lifts, stair lifts and platform lifts serving max two dwellings. Escalators/moving walks: first 2 years, then 1 year. Building committee may extend an interval for a low-wear lift (max double).
Installer and maintenance licensing
No national licence for lift companies identified; inspection bodies must be accredited (BFS 2025:12).
Laws, codes and standards
- Directive 2014/33/EU (2014) — Lifts Directive — harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to lifts and safety components for liftsMandatory · Transposed by BFS 2025:13 (previously BFS 2011:12) · European Parliament and Council
- Plan- och bygglagen (2010:900) — Planning and Building ActMandatory · Act of Parliament · Riksdagen
- BFS 2011:12 (H 14 etc.) — Boverket's regulations and general advice on lifts and certain other motor-driven devicesSuperseded · Boverket
- BFS 2025:11 (2025) — Boverket's regulations on requirements for the use of motor-driven devicesMandatory · PBF 2011:338 · Boverket
- BFS 2025:12 (2025) — Boverket's regulations on inspection and accreditation of inspection bodies for motor-driven devicesMandatory · PBF 2011:338 · Boverket
- BFS 2025:13 (2025) — Boverket's regulations on lifts and lift safety componentsMandatory · PBF 2011:338; implements Directive 2014/33/EU · Boverket
- Plan- och byggförordningen (2011:338) — Planning and Building OrdinanceMandatory · PBL 2010:900 · Regeringen
- EN 81-20 (2020) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts — Lifts for the transport of persons and goods — Part 20: Passenger and goods passenger liftsHarmonised (presumption of conformity) · Directive 2014/33/EU (Lifts Directive) via Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/76 as amended; national transposing act · CEN
- EN 81-28 (2022) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts — Lifts for the transport of persons and goods — Part 28: Remote alarm on passenger and goods passenger liftsHarmonised (presumption of conformity) · Directive 2014/33/EU (Lifts Directive) via Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/76 as amended; national transposing act · CEN
- EN 81-50 (2020) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts — Examinations and tests — Part 50: Design rules, calculations, examinations and tests of lift componentsHarmonised (presumption of conformity) · Directive 2014/33/EU (Lifts Directive) via Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/76 as amended; national transposing act · CEN
- EN 81-70 (2021+A1:2022) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts — Particular applications for passenger and goods passenger lift — Part 70: Accessibility to lifts for persons including persons with disabilityHarmonised (presumption of conformity) · Directive 2014/33/EU (Lifts Directive) via Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/76 as amended; national transposing act · CEN
- EN 81-72 (2020) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts — Particular applications for passenger and goods passenger lifts — Part 72: Firefighters liftsHarmonised (presumption of conformity) · Directive 2014/33/EU (Lifts Directive) via Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/76 as amended; national transposing act · CEN
- EN 81-73 (2020) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts — Particular applications for passenger and goods passenger lifts — Part 73: Behaviour of lifts in the event of fireHarmonised (presumption of conformity) · Directive 2014/33/EU (Lifts Directive) via Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/76 as amended; national transposing act · CEN
- EN 81-77 (2022) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts — Particular applications for passenger and goods passenger lifts — Part 77: Lifts subject to seismic conditionsHarmonised (presumption of conformity) · Directive 2014/33/EU (Lifts Directive) via Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/76 as amended; national transposing act · CEN
Lift associations and bodies
- Swedish Association of Lifts and Escalators
- Swedish Electrical Workers' Union (SEF)
- National Board of Housing, Building and Planning
- Swedish Work Environment Authority (AV)
Last verified 2026-10-16. Standards are copyrighted: we list which one applies and its legal status, not its text.