Am I allowed to drive a foreign car in Sweden?
Yes, but an imported car must be registered in Sweden before you keep using it. On private import you may drive on foreign plates for a maximum of 7 days from when the car entered the country, then Swedish registration is required. The process is an origin check at the Transport Agency and then a registration inspection. For a car from the EU there is no customs duty, but 25% VAT if the car counts as new — and new is not what people assume: it is enough that it was bought within 6 months or has been driven under 6,000 km. From outside the EU add 10% duty plus 25% import VAT. If you are moving here, removal-goods relief can apply if you owned and used the car for at least 6 months abroad.
📋 The rules
- Private import: drive on foreign plates for max 7 days
- Then an origin check + registration inspection is needed
- EU car: no duty, but 25% VAT if the car is new
- New car = bought within 6 months or driven under 6,000 km
- Non-EU: 10% duty + 25% import VAT
🔓 Exceptions
- Removal-goods relief: duty/VAT-free if you owned and used the car ≥6 months abroad
- Temporary registration is possible for 3 months
- Visitors resident abroad may keep driving foreign-registered cars
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The real costs come after the border, not at it. Driving the car despite a driving ban brings a fine of around 1,500 kr. Worse is the insurance gap: a car without traffic insurance incurs a traffic-insurance charge (TFF) per day, deliberately set above a normal premium, so a few forgotten weeks can grow into a substantial debt. Unpaid vehicle tax brings a use ban — the car may not be driven at all until the tax is paid. And if you miss that the car counts as new, 25% VAT to the Tax Agency lands on top.
📎 Official sources
- Transport Agency · Vehicle import and origin check →
- Tax Agency · VAT on means of transport →
- Customs · Buying a car across the border →
❓ Frequently asked
How long can I drive on foreign plates?
On private import a maximum of 7 days from when the car entered the country, then Swedish registration is required. If you need longer, temporary registration for 3 months is possible while the paperwork is done.
Do I pay VAT on an EU car?
Only if the car counts as new — bought within 6 months or driven under 6,000 km. If it meets either test you pay 25% VAT in Sweden; if it is both older and more driven, there is no Swedish VAT at all.
What does importing from outside the EU cost?
10% duty on passenger cars plus 25% import VAT. The VAT is calculated on price, shipping, insurance and duty together, so the final bill comes to more than 25% of what you paid the seller for the car.
How do I register the car in Sweden?
First an origin check at the Transport Agency, then a registration inspection. Only once both steps are done does the car get Swedish plates — and after the first 7 days it may not be driven before that.
Do I avoid duty if I move to Sweden?
If you have owned and used the car for at least 6 months abroad, removal-goods relief can apply, meaning duty- and VAT-free import. The test covers both ownership and actual use, and you may have to prove both.
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