Permits for very hazardous chemical products
Innehållsförteckning:
A permit is required for sale and private use of very hazardous chemical products. The rules are national and will only apply to very hazardous products in Sweden.
Find the rules
You will need a permit either if you as a professional are placing very hazardous chemical products on the Swedish market or if you are a private user. This applies whether you sell the product to another company or directly to a private user. The applicable rules can be found in 7-15 §§ Swedish Ordinance (SFS 2008:245) and in Chapter 4 in the Swedish Chemical Agency’s Regulations (KIFS 2017:7).
Go to the Chemical Products and Biotechnical Organisms Ordinance (2008:245)
External link. (in Swedish)
Go to the Swedish Chemical Agency’s Chemical Products and Biotechnical Organisms Regulations (KIFS 2017:7) (in Swedish)
Very hazardous chemical products
Very hazardous chemical products are those products that on classification and labelling according to the CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 are assigned at least one of the hazard classes and categories below:
Acute toxicity in hazard categories 1, 2 and/or 3
Hazard pictogram GHS06: Skull and crossbones. Signal word: "Danger".
Carcinogenicity in hazard category 1A or 1B,
Germ cell mutagenicity in hazard category 1A or 1B,
or
Reproductive toxicity in hazard category 1A or 1B
Hazard pictogram GHS08: Health hazard. Signal word: "Danger".
Specific organ toxicity, single exposure in hazard category 1
Hazard pictogram GHS08: Health hazard. Signal word: "Danger".
Skin corrosion in hazard category 1A
Hazard pictogram GHS05: Corrosive. Signal word: "Danger".
Read more about classification and labelling in Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the CLP Regulation
How do I apply for a permit?
You need to apply for a permit if you as a professional place very hazardous chemical products on the market. Also, as a consumer you must apply if you need to use a very hazardous chemical product for artistic, technical, scientific or similar purpose. You need to be at least 18 years old to be able to get a permit.
You apply for a permit from the County Administration in the county where your business is conducted. If you apply as a private user you shall apply for a permit in the county where you live. The permit is normally valid for five years.
You are yourself responsible for applying for a permit as well as for the renewal of the permit. The County Administration shall ensure that the permit applicant has sufficient competence to handle the products and that the facilities are correctly set up. The County Administration is authorised to lay down the conditions for the permit and to withdraw a permit already granted.
Go to the County Administration website. External link. (in Swedish)
Exemptions from the permit requirement
According to Ordinance (SFS 2008:245), the permit requirement do not apply to products covered by the Food Act, the Animal Feed and Animal By-products Act or the Medical Act.
There are also the following exemptions from the permit requirement in the Swedish Chemcials Agency's regulations (KIFS 2017:7):
- Professional sale and private use of sodium and potassium hydroxide (as substances or as ingredients in a mixture). However, products containing sodium or potassium hydroxide and intended for drain cleaning or drain opening, will require a permit for private use from 1 January 2025.
- Professional sale and private use of explosives or fuel oils.
- Professional sale and private use of fuels for engine operation. However, for methanol used as fuel for engines a permit is required for the professional sale, but not for consumer use.
- Professional sale of skin corrosive products in hazard category 1A.
- Private use of of liquids containing nicotine for e-cigarettes, also known as e-liquids. However, professional sale of very hazardous e-liquids requires a permit from that date.
Exemption for private use of e-liquids
Since 1 July 2022, private handling of liquids containing nicotine for e-cigarettes, also known as e-liquids, is exempted from the permit requirements. However, professional sale of very hazardous e-liquids requires a permit from that date. This applies whether you sell a e-liquid labelled with skull and crossbone to another company or directly to a private user.
Read more about rules for liquids for e-cigarettes
Permit requirement for private use of drain cleaner
From 1 January 2025 private users need a permit to buy and use some corrosive drain cleaners. This apply to products intended for drain cleaning or drain opening containing sodium or potassium hydroxide in such concentrations that they are considered as very hazardous chemical products. If you sell such drain cleaners you need to keep records of sells and make sure that your private customers have a valid permit. However, you will not need a permit yourself for placing such products on the market.
Duty of recording
If you sell chemical products that require a permit you must record information concerning:
- the date of sale
- the name and quantity of the product
- the name and address of the purchaser or his business
- whether the product has been supplied for professional handling or for private use
Products exempted from the permit obligation are also exempted from the duty of recording.
The sale of methanol as a fuel for engines must be recorded, even when the sale is for private use. Also skin corrosive products in hazard category 1A that require permits shall be recorded when sold to private users.
However, the duty of recording does not apply when selling very hazardous e-liquids to private users.
Bans in other regulations
There is also a Swedish ban on liquid chemical products for drain cleaning that are strongly corrosive.The prohibition imply that some of those products are not allowed to be sold in Sweden.
Go to the ban in 15 § Ordinance 1998:944 External link. (in Swedish)
Authorisations according to Reach
Please note that there are also EU based rules on authorisation for use of substances of very high concern in the REACH-regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.
Go to the European Chemicals Agency´s webpage on authorisations according to Reach External link.
Permit according to rules on explosives precursors
Private use of chemical products containing certain substances that can be used to make homemade explosives is subject to a ban or permit requirement under EU common rules on explosives precursors. In Sweden, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) is the responsible authority and applications for permits under the rules on explosives precursors are made to MSB. The rules also impose requirements on you who sell restricted explosive precursors, for example you must record information upon sale. Please note that these rules apply in parallel with our national rules on permits for very hazardous chemical products.
Go to the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency´s webbpage on explosives precursors External link. (in Swedish)