An utdrag ur belastningsregistret (an extract from the Swedish Police criminal records register) for working with children is ordered by the nanny herself from the Police, is free of charge and shows whether the person has been convicted of certain serious crimes, including sexual offences and serious violent crime. An extract should be no more than a year old. It is a necessary first filter, but it replaces neither an interview nor references.
A mother in Hägersten rang us this spring and said she had a candidate from an advert, a nice girl who seemed good with the children. She wondered whether she could get a record extract on her. The short answer is no, not yourself. The longer answer is this article: how the extract works, what it actually shows, and what else you should do before anyone is alone with your child.
What the extract is
The belastningsregister (criminal records register) is kept by the Police and holds details of people convicted of crimes. There are several different kinds of extract. The one that matters for nannies is the one created for working with children, and it is based on the law on register checks for people who will work with children. The same kind of check is required in förskola (municipal preschool, from age one) and in schools.
That extract is limited. It does not show everything a person has been convicted of, but a selection of crimes that lawmakers consider particularly relevant when someone will be working closely with children: sexual offences, serious violent crime and certain crimes against children. A parking fine, a speeding ticket or shoplifting ten years ago will not appear. That is important to know, both so that you do not overestimate what a clean extract means, and so that you do not reject someone for something that does not belong there.
How it works, step by step
- The nanny orders it herself. The extract is personal and can only be requested by the person it concerns. It is done through the Police website or with a paper form. It costs nothing.
- It is posted to her home. The extract arrives by post at the person's registered address. Processing normally takes a couple of weeks, sometimes less.
- She shows it to you. The extract is shown in the original to whoever is going to hire her. A photo on a phone is worse than the paper, because it is easier to edit.
- It must not be old. For förskola and schools the law says a maximum of one year. We apply the same limit.
One thing that often surprises people: the extract is not a document you as a family can obtain about someone else. You cannot ring the Police and ask about a person. The only way is for the person to order it themselves and show it to you. Anyone who refuses to show an extract has given you an answer.
What a clean extract means, and what it does not
| The extract tells you | The extract does not tell you |
|---|---|
| That the person has not been convicted of the crimes the extract covers | Whether the person is good with children |
| That there is no conviction for sexual offences or serious violence | Whether she turns up on time and keeps to agreements |
| That she is willing to show it, which is a sign in itself | Whether she can handle a screaming baby or a defiant three-year-old |
| How things stood on the day it was printed | What has happened since the date it was printed |
We see the extract as a minimum. Nobody works with us without one. But we have never hired anyone because of a clean extract, only turned someone down because of one that was not. The judgement of whether a person is right for a family is made in the interview, in the reference calls and in your home.
Why we want it from the day of the interview
When we interview a candidate we ask her to bring an extract that is as fresh as possible, ideally ordered when she applied for the job. The reason is simple: an extract shows the situation on the day it was printed. The closer it is to the start with a family, the more it says. We note the date and send a reminder for a new extract before the year is up. It is one of the few steps in recruitment that can be done entirely mechanically, and so it should be.
If you hire a nanny on your own
Many families in Stockholm find a nanny through adverts, parent groups or a friend of a friend. That can work very well. But then you are the employer, and then it is you who has to ask for the extract. Do it early in the process, not after the third session when it feels awkward. Say it as it is: we ask everyone who will be alone with our children to show an extract, it is nothing personal. Anyone used to working with children will not find that strange. Schools and förskolor require the same thing. If you want the full picture of what employing someone yourself involves, read Employing a nanny yourself.
What should be there in addition to the extract
- A real interview. First by phone or video, then in person. Ask about concrete situations: what do you do if the two-year-old refuses to sleep, what do you do if the baby screams for forty minutes?
- References from real employers. Two or three, and ring them. Ask whether she turned up on time, how the children reacted when she arrived, and whether they would hire her again.
- Paediatric CPR. A certificate from a course, or a few check questions about what you do when a child chokes. Read more in Paediatric CPR.
- A first meeting with the children present. How she sits down, whether she talks to the child or only to you. That says more than a CV.
How we do it with our families
This is how it works with us: Aleksandra interviews every candidate herself, first by phone and then in person. The candidate brings an utdrag ur belastningsregistret to the interview, ideally ordered the same week she applied. Aleksandra looks at the date and the contents, and notes when the next one is due. Then she rings two or three previous employers. Only after that is a meeting booked in a family's home. When Doaa started with us in February 2025, the extract was the first thing on the table, and it was the least interesting part of the whole conversation. That is how it should be.
Would you like a nanny who comes the same days every week and whom the children know? Book a free first meeting with the nanny in your own home, and we will work out a quote for your hours.
Read more: Paediatric CPR · How to choose a nanny agency · Employing a nanny yourself · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who orders the extract, the family or the nanny?
The nanny herself. The extract is personal and is ordered from the Police by the person it concerns. You as a family cannot request an extract about someone else. What you can do is ask to see it, and that is exactly what a serious nanny agency does before anyone is given an assignment.
Does it cost anything to order?
No, the extract is free of charge. It is ordered through the Police website or with a paper form, and is then posted to the person's registered address. Allow a couple of weeks for processing, sometimes less. That is why we ask candidates to order it when they apply, not once they have the job.
How long is an extract valid?
For work in förskola and schools the law says the extract may be no more than one year old when it is shown. The same principle is reasonable for nannies. An extract that is three years old says nothing about what has happened since.
Does the extract show everything?
No. The extract for working with children is limited to certain crimes, including sexual offences, serious violent crime and certain crimes against children. It is not a complete record of everything a person has been convicted of, but a selection that lawmakers consider relevant for anyone who will work closely with children.
Is a clean extract enough proof that a nanny is good?
No. A clean extract means the person has not been convicted of the crimes the extract covers. It says nothing about how she is with children, whether she turns up on time or whether she can calm a screaming two-year-old. That takes an interview, references and a meeting in your home.