Removals to Sweden from the UK
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Household goods still go into Sweden duty-free after Brexit, but the relief comes with a clock: a year to bring them in, and a year before you can sell them. Here is how it works, how a lorry gets to your part of Sweden, and what to sort before you go.
Last updated: October 2026 · 5 min read
Written and fact-checked by the Removly editorial team · How we research prices
Do you pay duty on removals to Sweden?
Not on qualifying household goods. Swedish Customs (Tullverket) grants duty and VAT relief if you have lived outside the EU for at least a year without a break. The goods must have belonged to you for at least six months, and been used in your home outside the EU for six months too.
The relief has two clocks. You have one year from the day you arrive in Sweden to bring your belongings in. And for the first year after relief is granted, you must not sell, rent out, lend, give away or pledge those goods without telling customs and paying the duty. Alcohol and tobacco never count as household goods.
You apply on Tullverket's relief declaration, with the import declaration details. You can do it yourself at a customs office, or let your removal company handle it, which most people do. Sending things ahead of you is possible, but only with a declaration that you will move within six months and a customs guarantee.
Source: Swedish Customs (Tullverket), duty and VAT relief when moving to Sweden
Which way does a removal lorry go to Sweden?
It depends on where in Sweden you're going. Sweden is long, and Malmö, Gothenburg and Stockholm are reached in different ways.
For the south, the usual road runs through Denmark to the Öresund link. That is about 16 km of bridge, artificial island and undersea tunnel from Copenhagen to Malmö, with the toll paid on the Swedish side. The short Helsingør–Helsingborg ferry is the other way across the sound.
For the west coast and further north, ferries take some of the driving out. Lorries sail from Frederikshavn in Denmark or Kiel in Germany to Gothenburg, or from Rostock to Trelleborg. Your removal company picks the route; it is part of why a Gothenburg quote and a Stockholm quote differ at the same volume.
A part load shares the lorry with other households going the same way and costs less, with a delivery window rather than a fixed day. A dedicated vehicle runs on your dates. We don't publish a Sweden price, because none we could verify exists; a survey of your volume gives a fixed figure. Our European removals guide compares the wider continent.
What food can't go in the lorry?
Meat and dairy. Sweden doesn't allow them in from countries outside the EU, and the UK isn't one of the few exceptions. Clear the fridge and freezer before packing day. Bread, biscuits, chocolate and sweets without meat fillings are fine.
Source: Swedish Customs (Tullverket), buying foodstuffs when travelling
Moving to Sweden from the UK: what to sort first
Your right to live in Sweden comes first. Since Brexit, UK citizens need a residence basis; the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) is the place to check yours. We don't advise on it.
Then the population register. If you plan to stay a year or more, you tell the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket), using its "Moving to Sweden" e-service and then a visit to a service office. Registration is what gives you a personal identity number, which banks, doctors and landlords will ask for. Stays under a year aren't registered.
Keep your customs relief papers and the removal inventory together; the one-year rules depend on them. If your new home isn't ready on arrival, storage in the UK can hold your things until it is.
Can you bring a dog or cat to Sweden?
Yes, in a set order. The animal is microchipped first, then vaccinated against rabies at 12 weeks or older. You then wait 21 days before travelling, and it needs a health certificate from an official vet.
Sweden doesn't require tapeworm treatment, but the Swedish Board of Agriculture strongly recommends it. If your pet enters the EU in another country on the way, such as France or Denmark, you declare it to Swedish Customs when you arrive in Sweden.
Source: Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket), dogs, cats and ferrets to Sweden
Removals from Sweden to the UK
Coming back works the same way in reverse. If you have lived outside the UK for at least 12 months and owned your goods for at least six, they can come in free of duty and VAT under transfer of residence relief.
You apply online on form ToR1 before the goods are shipped, and HMRC gives you a reference for your removal company's customs agent. The same firms that run removals to Sweden carry loads home.
Removals to Sweden: FAQs
Do I pay duty on household goods when moving to Sweden from the UK?
Not if you qualify for relief. You need to have lived outside the EU for at least a year, and to have owned and used the goods for at least six months. You then have a year from the day you arrive to bring them in. Alcohol and tobacco don't qualify.
Can I send my belongings to Sweden before I move?
Yes, but Swedish Customs asks for two things: a declaration that you will move your home to Sweden within six months, and a customs guarantee to cover the duty in case you don't.
Can I sell furniture I brought to Sweden duty-free?
Not straight away. For the first year you must not sell, rent out, lend, give away or pledge goods that got relief without telling Swedish Customs and paying the duty and VAT.
How does a removal lorry get from the UK to Sweden?
By road and ferry. Moves to southern Sweden usually cross Denmark and take the Öresund link into Malmö. Moves to the west coast often take a ferry from Germany or Denmark into Gothenburg or Trelleborg.
Do I need to register when I move to Sweden?
If you plan to stay a year or more, you notify the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) to be entered in the population register. That registration is what gives you a Swedish personal identity number.
Can I move my dog or cat to Sweden from the UK?
Yes. The animal needs a microchip, then a rabies vaccination, then a 21-day wait, plus a health certificate. Worming against tapeworm is not required for Sweden, but the Swedish Board of Agriculture strongly recommends it.