Kreditupplysning (credit report)
A kreditupplysning is a report on your finances, your income, debts, any payment defaults and a credit score, that a lender, landlord or sometimes an employer orders before making a decision about you. Bureaus such as UC and Creditsafe compile it, licensed by the privacy authority IMY under the Credit Information Act.
Who may order one
Anyone requesting a report on you must have a legitimate need (legitimt behov). In practice that means they are about to enter a credit agreement with you or otherwise need to assess a financial risk: a bank granting a loan, a landlord signing a lease, or an employer hiring you for a role with financial responsibility. Idle curiosity is not a legitimate need, and the bureau is responsible for checking that one exists.
You always get a copy
When a report is taken on you as a private individual, a copy (omfrågningskopia) is sent to you showing what was disclosed and who asked. This is your check on the system: if you receive one for a request you never triggered, you can contact the bureau, which must investigate whether there really was a legitimate need. Company reports do not generate a copy.
What is in it, and the score
A report typically lists your income, debts, any betalningsanmärkning and a credit score, a risk grade estimating how likely you are to repay. The exact scoring model is the bureau's own and is not public. A commonly repeated claim is that many separate inquiries in a short time can look risky; treat that as a rule of thumb, not a precise rule, since the copy you receive lets you see and question what was actually reported.
You can order a report on yourself for free from the bureaus, and it does not count as a lender inquiry or affect your standing. Doing so before you apply for a mortgage or loan lets you fix errors and see what a lender will see, so there are no surprises in the decision.