Customs duties and taxes when shopping online
When you order goods from a country outside the EU, you always pay VAT and possibly other taxes. How much you have to pay in customs duty depends on what type of product it is, what it costs and what country it is sent from. When you order goods within the EU, you do not pay any fees to Swedish Customs.
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.
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.
The Customs Calculator – what are the duties for my goods?
Our Customs Calculator can help you work out customs duties, VAT and other taxes.
From an EU country
When ordering goods from another EU country, you do not need to pay customs duties, VAT or other taxes to Swedish Customs.
Excise duty may apply to certain products such as alcohol, tobacco and nicotine.
Is the country part of the EU?
If you are unsure whether the country you are trading with is an EU Member State or not – here is a list of all EU countries.
From a country outside the EU
From 1 November 2026, a handling fee of EUR 2 is charged for all goods regardless of their value. This fee will apply to all goods regardless of value when purchased online and dispatched from a country outside the EU.
We have collected the most frequently asked questions about customs duties and fees when shopping online.
Charges that may apply:
Customs duty
The amount of customs duty depends on the type of goods, the value of the goods and the country of origin.
Your parcel is worth €150 or less:
- From 1 July 2026, a customs duty of €3 per item will apply.
Your parcel is worth more than €150:
- The customs duty is a certain percentage of the value of the goods, including, for example, shipping costs.
- The rate of customs duty is calculated on the basis of the rate of duty applied to the goods.
- Some goods can be completely duty-free while others can have up to 20 percent duty.
- It is usually the transport company, such as Postnord, that sends you an invoice for the charges once the package has arrived in Sweden.
The established Swedish amount for €150 is SEK 1 655.30.
Handling fee
On 1 November 2026, a handling fee will be introduced. This fee will apply to all goods regardless of value when purchased online and dispatched from a country outside the EU.
The fee has not yet been formally established, but is highly likely to be set at €2.
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 6%.
- 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.
Excise duties
For certain goods, an excise duty is levied to reduce the consumption of that particular item. Examples of such goods include tobacco and nicotine. It is not allowed to buy alcohol online from a country outside the EU.
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.
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.
When you have shopped online and have to pay customs duty and VAT retroactively.