If you need personal data protected - for example your address and other contact information in Sweden - you can request this.
An application to higher education studies is considered a public record. This means all information in your application must be provided if someone requests it.
You can protect your personal data
If you believe you're living with a threat to your life such that you can't allow your personal and contact information to be public at the Swedish Council for Higher Education (the agency responsible for University Admissions), you can request personal data protection from us. This request should include:
- an explanation for your request
- any documentation you have to support your argument.
You shouldn’t begin the admissions process until you’ve received a decision.
If your request for protected personal data is granted, you cannot allow another person to represent you without power of attorney.
You have two types of protection to choose from: full and address.
Full privacy protection
Full privacy protection means that all data in your admissions application is protected.
If you have full protection, you’ll be required to use a paper process for your application. You won't be able to use Universityadmissions.se or Antagning.se.
Submitting your application
You'll submit your application using the protected personal data form. Send your completed form to the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) at the following address:
UHR SGA
Box 4030
171 04 Solna
Do not send your application to University Admissions or Antagningsservice.
After you submit your application
- it will be stored in a safe place
- your personal data and contact information will not be used in the admissions system
- you’ll receive information regarding your application and admissions results by regular mail
- UHR will mark your application as protected in the admissions system.
Protected address only
This type of protection covers just your address. One thing to consider is that the name of the university at which you're studying can indicate where you're located, even if your address is protected in the admissions system. If this isn't enough protection for your needs, you should instead choose full privacy protection.
If you only need to protect your address, you can use Universityadmissions.se and Antagning.se for application to university studies.
With a protected address, you can't receive an activation code to confirm your identity for your account. Instead, send an email to sekretess@uhr.se in order to confirm your identity at Antagning.se or Universityadmissions.se so that you can apply for university studies.
You choose yourself what contact information you wish to disclose
If you only protect your address, all other application information is public and can be provided to anyone who requests it. You can always choose later to increase your level of protection and switch to full privacy protection.
Things to consider when creating your account
- If you don’t wish to disclose your actual address, you can add a temporary address on 'My pages' here at Universityadmissions.se. This address can be the Swedish Tax Authority’s communications service, a box address, or another address that you can use that isn’t your own. Remember that this address is linked to your personal data in the admissions system, so think carefully about what address you wish to use.
- If you don’t wish to provide your actual telephone number when you create an account, write “00000”.
- Consider selecting an email address that can’t be linked to you.
- You shouldn’t upload or submit documents where your home address or other sensitive information is included.
How we manage your personal data
UHR and Sweden’s universities manage the admissions process together in a common data system. With “full privacy protection”, your actual personal data and contact information that you provide in your application are only available to a few admissions officers.
Many Swedish upper secondary and university grades, and even results from the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test, are downloaded from different databases to these electronic applications during the admissions process. These downloads can be blocked by privacy blocks. If you use a Swedish personal identity number (personnummer) that the system doesn’t recognise, your data won’t be downloaded either. If you notice you’re missing previous studies in your application, send attested copies of your documents to UHR by regular mail.
Universities are independent authorities and decide themselves what personal data to protect. They rarely make an assessment that differs from UHR, but they have the formal right to disclose the data UHR has protected in the admissions system.
If you're admitted
There are a number of practical details you need to discuss with your personal data officer at the university where you’re admitted, for example having your personal data protected in the study administration system (Ladok). Be sure to contact them for assistance.
New Identity
If you've received a new Swedish personal identity number from the Swedish Tax Authority (Skatteverket) and are living with a new identity without protected personal data, you can use Universityadmissions.se and Antagning.se for your application. However, you must be able to show that your old grade transcripts with your former identity number are actually yours. Contact a protected personal data officer at the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) to find out how to do this.
No personal protection in the Swedish population register
You can still be assessed for personal data protection in the admissions system even if:
- you aren't registered in the Swedish population register
- your need for protection is still under investigation
- in other circumstances.
Changing your data protection
You can always choose later to decrease your level of protection. If you no longer need any type of personal data protection, you must contact UHR. Please note that the Swedish Tax Authority will not inform UHR if you no longer have a protected address.
Changes in your data protection won't change your admissions application. If you submit your application before the deadline, it won't for example be considered a late application if you later receive personal data protection. You won't need to complete a new application if you change your data protection.