Customs duties and taxes when shopping online
When ordering goods from another EU country, you do not need to pay customs duties, VAT or other taxes to Swedish Customs. You are always required to pay VAT on purchases from a country outside the EU; if the value of the goods exceeds SEK 1,800, you may also have to pay customs duty.
Whether you’re shopping within or outside the EU, there is no difference between new and second-hand goods – the same rules and charges apply.
The Customs Calculator – what are the duties for my goods?
Our Customs Calculator can help you work out customs duties, VAT and other taxes.
Shopping online from an EU Member State
When ordering goods from another EU country, you do not need to pay customs duties, VAT or other taxes to Swedish Customs.
Is the country part of the EU?
If you are unsure whether the country you are trading with is an EU Member State – here is a list of all EU Member States.
Shopping online from a country outside the EU
Charges that may apply:
- Customs duty
- VAT
- Excise duties
- Carrier fee
Customs duty
That amount of customs duty depends on the type of goods, the value of the goods and the country of origin.
Things to consider
- You may have to pay customs duty on goods with a total value of over SEK 1,800.
- Some goods may be completely duty-free, whilst others may be subject to a customs duty of up to 20%.
- The customs duty is calculated based on the value of the goods, including the any freight charges.
- If you order an item from a company within the EU which in turn sends the item from a country outside the EU, such as the USA or China, the same rules apply as if you had made your purchase directly from the country outside the EU.
- It is usually the transport company, such as Postnord, that sends you an invoice for the charges once the parcel has arrived in Sweden.
Customs duty from 1 July 2026
Tullavgift från den 1 juli 2026
On 1 July 2026, a customs duty of €3 per item worth less than €150 (SEK 1,800) will be introduced. If the value of the item is €150 or more, you will always pay customs duty based on the value of the item. The decision to introduced this customs duty was made by the European Council.
VAT
You must always pay VAT on goods you buy from countries outside the EU, regardless of their value.
When you shop at certain online stores that have registered with the IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop), you will pay the VAT at the time of purchase, rather than at the time of import into Sweden.
Things to consider
- The rate of VAT on most goods is 25%.
- The rate of VAT on foodstuffs is 12%.
- The rate of VAT on printed materials (such as books) is 6%.
- VAT is calculated on the sum of the price, freight charge and customs duty of the goods.
Rate of VAT on goods and services – The Swedish Tax Agency
Excise duties
For certain goods, an excise duty is levied to reduce the consumption of that particular item. Examples of such goods include alcohol, tobacco and nicotine. The goods that may be subject to excise duty when shopping online are alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, energy (including carbon dioxide and sulphur) and chemicals.
Carrier fee
Your carrier will often charge a fee for handling your package and making your customs declaration. Contact your carrier if you want to know they calculated their fees.
Example of how customs duty, VAT and shipping costs are calculated
You want to buy a handbag with a plastic exterior from China. The total price shown when placing your order is SEK 2,000. To get an understanding of what may be the final price, you need to factor in the following costs:
- Customs duty (6.5%): 2,100 x 3% = SEK 63
- VAT (25%): (2,100 + 63) x 25% = SEK 540.75
- Shipping and insurance: SEK 100
- Total: (2,000 + 100)+ 63+ 540.75) = SEK 2,703.75
- Thus, the total price of the handbag may land around SEK 2,704.
Depending on which company is transporting your goods, you may also have to pay an import customs declaration fee or an administration fee of around SEK 125.
You can buy a product online from a country outside the EU and have it sent directly to someone else as a gift. Please note that the recipient will have to pay customs duty and VAT.
Usually, your transport company will help you determine which charges you need to pay. However, if you have not been given the opportunity to pay customs duty or VAT, please email us and we will send you a customs invoice.