How to Relocate Your Household & Pets to Sweden

Jump right in:

• Moving & shipping household goods to Sweden
• How to ship household items and belongings
• What are Sweden’s customs regulations?
• Home goods storage
• What are the vaccines & health requirements for Sweden?
• Can you bring pets into Sweden?

Moving & shipping household goods to Sweden

As with everything in the EU, how to move your household items and belongings depends on whether you are moving from within the EU to Sweden, or from outside of the EU. If you’re moving from another EU country, you’ll automatically be exempt from paying any sort of customs tax. You’re also not required to present your items to Swedish customs.

If you’re moving from outside the EU, you’ll need to apply for a relief from duty and tax on personal belongings. The rules for this will differ slightly depending on whether you are a new immigrant or returning to Sweden.

New or returning immigrant? 

You’re considered a new immigrant to Sweden if you meet the following requirements:

• You have never lived in Sweden or another EU country before.
• You’ve lived with your family permanently and worked in a country outside of the EU for at least one year.
• You're single and have no family ties currently in the EU.

To be considered a returning resident, you must have a residence in Sweden and have been a resident in a non-EU country for one year due to work.

How to ship household items and belongings

You can choose between several methods depending on your budget and needs:

• Sea freight is the most affordable choice for large items like furniture or vehicles. Major ports include Gothenburg, Stockholm, and Malmö.
• Air freight is more expensive, but ideal for faster delivery of smaller or time-sensitive packages.
• Road freight is a fast and affordable option within Europe.

Some shipping companies include:

• Hapag-Lloyd
• PostNord
• Scandinavian Shipping
• Sirelo: It can be used to compare moving company quotes.

What are Sweden's customs regulations?

Duty and tax relief does not cover new, unused products. To import your goods under duty and tax relief, you must provide proof that these goods have been used and in your possession for some time. It must be apparent that the goods are not of commercial interest.

Personal belongings that can be imported into Sweden include:

• household effects such as linens and furniture
• personal items
• cars, bicycles, or other vehicles such as boats (there are additional regulations for vehicles)

Customs allowances in Sweden

When thinking about what to pack when moving to Sweden, you need to keep in mind the customs allowances. If you’re moving to Sweden from within the EU, there are some limitations on the amount of alcohol and tobacco you can bring. However, if you’re bringing more, you must prove that it’s for personal use.

If you’re moving from a non-EU country, the following items will be limited when entering Sweden:

• Alcohol: 1 liter of spirits over 22% ABV, 2 liters of spirits under 22% ABV, 4 liters of wine, 16 liters of beer

• Tobacco: 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars, 250 grams of tobacco

• other goods valued up to 4,300 SEK (approx. 450 USD)

Items prohibited or restricted from being imported into Sweden include:

• firearms and ammunition (requires declaration and import permission from the Swedish police)

• meat and dairy products and some fresh fruits and vegetables from outside the EU/EEA. You can find more detailed information on the Swedish Board of Agriculture website.

Home goods storage

It takes foreigners and Swedes months, if not years, to find a permanent place to live, so long- and short-term storage is rife. Sweden has a variety of storage options, from small units to spaces for multi-bedroom homes.

Shopping around is a good idea when looking for a storage unit in Sweden. Due to high demand, competition for storage units is stiff and options are limited at times.

Some of the top storage providers include:

• Shurgard
• City förrådet
• Pelican self-storage
• Green storage

Depending on your needs, the cost for a storage unit in Sweden can range widely from 60 SEK to 1,000+ SEK (approx. 6 to 100+ USD) per month.

What are the vaccines & health requirements for Sweden?

The vaccinations required for Sweden are similar to those found throughout most of the EU. There are no immigration vaccination requirements to enter Sweden. Health and safety standards throughout the country are extremely high, and food and water-borne illnesses are rare.

In general, those moving to Sweden are expected to have been vaccinated against the following:

• measles-mumps-rubella
• diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis
• chickenpox
• polio vaccine
• influenza

Other recommended, but not required, standard travel vaccines include:

• hepatitis A
• hepatitis B
• rabies
• meningitis
• shingles
• tick-borne encephalitis

If you plan to spend a good amount of time in nature, it’s recommended to get vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Additionally, it can be a good idea to get an annual flu (influenza) shot in the autumn.

Can you bring pets into Sweden?

You can bring pets into Sweden as long as they meet standard EU animal import requirements. Just as with relocating yourself to Sweden, the rules and regulations for pet relocation into Sweden differ depending on whether the animal is coming from outside or inside the EU.

What are the requirements for relocating pets to Sweden?

When bringing your dog, cat, or ferret to Sweden, the requirements vary depending on which country you are bringing it from. Countries are divided into three categories according to the risk of rabies (you can check which category applies to you at Jordbruksverket). Here are the requirements by category:

1. EU and listed low-risk countries:

   • microchip, rabies vaccination, EU pet passport
   • a 21-day waiting period after initial rabies vaccination
   • notification of the arrival of your pet to Swedish customs

2. Rabies-controlled non-EU countries:

   • same initial requirements as above
   • additional recommended titer test
   • health certificate (or in some cases EU passport)

3. High risk/unlisted countries:

   • microchip, rabies vaccination, EU or health certificate
   • rabies vaccination (becomes valid after 21 days)
   • titer test (The blood sample must be taken at least 30 days after the vaccination.)
   • 3-month waiting period before a health certificate may be issued

Your pet must be declared at the Swedish border. If your animal arrives before or after you, it must do so within five days of your arrival into the country. In addition, it will need to arrive with a veterinary certificate as well as an authorization form from you stating that the animal is yours. You’ll also need to include a copy of your travel documents stating when you intend to arrive in Sweden.

How to transport horses to Sweden

Horses must be examined by a vet in their own country 48 hours before their arrival into Sweden. The vet will need to sign a health certificate demonstrating that the animal is healthy by EU standards. You must keep this certificate on you for a period of six months. The horse must have a horse passport or other valid identity document.

How to transport reptiles and other animals to Sweden

Reptiles and other animals may be brought into Sweden if you can provide proof that they were born and raised in captivity. They must also be transported and arrive with the owner or with an agent if the animal is coming from a non-EU country.