Kan man resa utomlands med villkorlig dom/ can i travel abroad during villkorlig dom
Lawline svarar
Hello,
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As I understand you, you have been convicted of a crime in Sweden and been sentenced to “villkorlig dom and dagsböter”, and you wonder what this means and if you are allowed to leave Sweden during a short period of time.
I will answer you in English, but I will, as you do, use the Swedish term “villkorlig dom och dagsböter”, since you use it and there is not an entirely accurate term for it in English. However, of course I will explain to you what these terms mean.
What is “Villkorlig dom and dagsböter”?
The term ”villkorlig dom” should not be confused with the typical meaning of the English term “parole”. Parole usually follows a jail sentence, as a period of time after release under which one is supervised, “Villkorlig dom” is not this, since it is an independent form of punishment aside from jail. The term “villkorlig” means “conditional”, and is a substitute for jail time, a second chance if you will. One usually receives “villkorlig dom”, when the crime in question should lead to jail time, but as an alternative, you get “villkorlig dom” usually if it’s your first offence or if the court believes that there is no risk for a relapse in criminal activity. This means in practice, that the defendant doesn’t get any jail time. “Villkorlig dom” is, as you mention, combined with a time of supervision of 2 years after the verdict. This supervision does not mean any physical supervision or any obligation to report to anyone, but more as a time during which, if one gets convicted of another crime, the court can rule a harder sentence because the new crime was committed during the “villkorlig dom”. This practically means that as long as one does not get convicted for another crime during the “villkorlig dom”, one does not receive any actual consequences or obligations. The “villkorlig dom” will nevertheless register in the criminal record, regardless of whether or not one commits further crimes. You can find the legal regulations of “villkorlig dom” in chapter 27 of “brottsbalken”.
The term “dagsböter” is a form of fine, based upon two aspects. A bit simplified, the first is based upon the severity of the crime, which gives a number between 30 and 150. The other is based upon the defendant’s financial conditions and gives a number between 50 and 1000 (25 kap. 2§ brottsbalken). These two numbers are then multiplied, which concludes the fine in total. You must pay within the prescribed time, which usually is 30 days since the verdict gained legal force, which is usually 21 days after the verdict has been announced (in practice 21 + 30 days after the date of the announcement of the verdict). One has to pay the entire fine at once, it is not possible to split the fine into multiple payments. If you don’t pay on time, you will receive one reminder, then the fine will be handed over to the Kronofogdemyndigheten, the Swedish Enforcement Authority, to collect the fine.
“Villkorlig dom” usually is combined with “dagsböter”. This means that one must pay the fine, regardless of whether or not one commits further crimes during the supervision period of the “villkorlig dom”. In other words, when you get the invoice from the police authorities, you have to pay it, regardless of how you have behaved during your “villkorlig dom”.
Does the “villkorlig dom” mean that you can’t travel abroad?
The short answer to this question is no. Since “villkorlig dom” is not a parole time, but only a registration in the criminal record to be activated only if one commits further crimes, this punishment does not affect the possibility for you to travel abroad in any respect. However, I cannot account for what this punishment means to different countries, but in regard to Sweden and the Swedish criminal justice system, “villkorlig dom” is not affect by, nor does it affect one’s possibilities or permission to travel abroad. As long as the fine is paid on time, you can travel as much as you’d like, and even leave Sweden and never come back, if you so wish.
Conclusion and advice
In conclusion, “villkorlig dom” is in practice only a note on the criminal record and does not lead to any consecuenses or obligations, unless one is convicted of a new crime during the 2 year period after the conviction. If you have received “villkorlig dom and dagsböter”, you have to pay the fine regardless of how you behave during your two year supervision. The fine is combined with the “villkorlig dom”, and not an alternative to it. If you have questions about the fine, you can call the Swedish police authorities on +46 10 56 335 04, or e-mail domstolsboter@polisen.se . if you want to pay the fine from another country, use the police authorities IBAN number: SE50 1200 0000 0128 1010 9869. BIC-adress: DABASESX, Danske Bank, Norrmalmstorg 1, 103 92 Stockholm. Read more about this process at the police’s website.
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Best regards,
