Flying the flags of other countries in Sweden

Flags from other countries are a common sight in Sweden: at embassies, hotels and businesses, during state visits and sporting events, and at private homes. There is no ban on flying another country’s flag in Sweden, but there is an established order for how the flags are placed when several countries’ flags fly at the same time. This guide summarises Riksarkivet’s guidance.

Private individuals

According to Riksarkivet, foreign citizens living in Sweden may fly their own country’s flag. On Swedish holidays and general flag days, foreign missions and consulates, as well as foreign citizens living here, usually fly their own countries’ flags. Foreign citizens permanently resident in Sweden are also welcome to fly the Swedish flag on the general flag days.

Under the Swedish recommendations, the following also applies:

• One nation per pole. Only one flag is raised on each flagpole.
• The same size. When several national flags fly at the same time, they are the same size.

The place of honour

According to Riksarkivet, the Swedish flag always has the place of honour when flags of several nations are flown. The place of honour is determined with one’s back to the building or place where the flags fly:

• Odd number of poles: the Swedish flag is raised on the middle pole.
• Even number of poles: the Swedish flag is raised on the pole immediately to the right of the middle, and that pole then becomes “the new middle”.

The order of several countries

According to Riksarkivet, the other national flags are raised in alphabetical order of the countries’ names in Swedish, from the place of honour outwards, alternately to heraldic right and heraldic left. Where needed, Swedish flags are raised on the outermost poles so that no poles stand empty.

Riksarkivet’s examples, where pole no. 1 is the place of honour:

When the flagpoles stand in two rows in front of a building, according to Riksarkivet the two poles nearest the building count as the place of honour, and both carry Swedish flags. When the poles stand in a row leading away from the building, the pole nearest the building is the place of honour.

The EU flag and other international flags

The EU flag and the UN flag are not national flags, but the same logic applies: the Swedish flag has the place of honour. Riksarkivet gives the example of a county administrative board flying the Swedish flag, the EU flag and its own flag: the Swedish flag goes on pole no. 1, the EU flag on no. 2 and the board’s flag on no. 3. During visits from several EU countries, the EU flag can be raised on pole no. 2 instead of choosing between the countries.

According to Riksarkivet, international flags, company flags and association flags are not flown at half-mast. More in the guide to half-mast.

Days when many fly other flags

Several municipalities and authorities fly other flags on certain days. These are not general flag days but decisions each organisation makes. The City of Stockholm, for example, flies flags as follows:

On the national minorities’ days, municipalities often fly the Swedish flag together with the minority’s flag.

State visits and official visits

During official visits from another country, it is common for authorities, municipalities and businesses to fly the guest country’s flag as a courtesy. According to Riksarkivet, the Swedish flag has the place of honour then too, and the guest country’s flag is raised on pole no. 2 and, where there are more poles, no. 3. More about ceremonies in the guide to flag protocol at ceremonies.