Buying weapons and dangerous objects when travelling
You must always notify Swedish Customs when you carry firearms, silencers, and ammunition across the Swedish border. You may also need to report that you are carrying other weapons, dangerous objects and laser pointers.
When you bring a firearm, silencer, ammunition, other weapon, dangerous object or laser pointer across the Swedish border, you need a permit from the Police Authority, the Inspectorate of Strategic Products or the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. Find out what each authority requires in your particular case.
Buying a weapon in another country and bringing it to Sweden
To Sweden from an EU Member State
Applying for a permit
Depending on what you have purchased, you may need to apply for a permit from more than one authority. Make sure to apply for a permit well in advance of your trip.
Notifying Swedish Customs
You need to present the following to Swedish Customs at the border:
- Form: Details of importation or exportation of firearms and ammunition for a purpose other than temporary hunting or competition (original copy)
- Weapon licence issued by the Swedish Police Authority
- Any firearms, silencers, ammunition, other weapons or dangerous objects that you carry with you.
We will verify that the information corresponds to the carried weapons and your permit from the Police Authority.
Forms
The country from which you travel may place export restrictions on weapons, silencers and ammunition. Please contact the relevant embassy or competent authority.
To Sweden from a country outside the EU
Applying for a permit
Depending on what you have purchased, you may need to apply for a permit from more than one authority. Make sure to apply for a permit well in advance of your trip.
Notifying Swedish Customs
You need to present the following to Swedish Customs at the border:
- Form: Single Administrative Document (SAD)
- Form: Details of importation or exportation of firearms and ammunition for a purpose other than temporary hunting or competition (original copy)
- Weapon licence issued by the Swedish Police Authority
- Any firearms, silencers, ammunition, other weapons or dangerous objects that you carry with you.
We will verify that the information corresponds to the carried weapons and your permit from the Police Authority.
Forms
The single administrative document (SAD)
How to complete the single administrative document when you import or export a weapon (in Swedish)
Paying fees
When bringing goods to Sweden from a another country you may be liable to pay customs duties and VAT.
The country from which you travel may place export restrictions on weapons, silencers and ammunition. Please contact the relevant embassy or competent authority.
Buying a weapon in Sweden and bringing it to another country
From Sweden to an EU Member State
Applying for a permit
Depending on what you have purchased, you may need to apply for a permit from more than one authority. Make sure to apply for a permit well in advance of your trip.
Notifying Swedish Customs
You need to present the following to Swedish Customs at the border:
- Form: Details of importation or exportation of firearms and ammunition for a purpose other than temporary hunting or competition (original copy)
- A permit from the Swedish Police Authority
- Any firearms, silencers, ammunition, other weapons or dangerous objects that you carry with you.
We will verify that the information corresponds to the carried weapons and your permit from the Police Authority.
Forms
The country to which you travel may place import restrictions on weapons, silencers and ammunition. Please contact the relevant embassy or competent authority.
From Sweden to a country outside the EU
Applying for a permit
Depending on what you have purchased, you may need to apply for a permit from more than one authority. Make sure to apply for a permit well in advance of your trip.
Notifying Swedish Customs
You need to present the following to Swedish Customs at the border:
- Form: Single Administrative Document (SAD)
- Form: Details of importation or exportation of firearms and ammunition for a purpose other than temporary hunting or competition (original copy)
- Authorisation from the Inspectorate for Strategic Products (ISP)
- Any firearms, silencers, ammunition, other weapons or dangerous objects that you carry with you.
We will verify that the information corresponds to the carried goods and your permit from the Inspectorate of Strategic Products (ISP).
Forms
The single administrative document (SAD)
How to complete the single administrative document when you import or export a weapon
The country to which you travel may place import restrictions on weapons, silencers and ammunition. Please contact the relevant embassy or competent authority.
These are weapons, ammunition and silencers
Firearms include, for example:
- Bullet and pellet firing weapons
- Crossbows
- Tear gas and pepper spray devices
- Electroshock weapons (stun guns, tasers and similar devices)
- Certain weapons parts.
Ammunition refers to cartridges and projectiles for handguns, as well as primers and other ignition devices for such cartridges and projectiles.
Silencers are not classified as firearms, but are regulated in much the same way as ammunition. Anyone with a firearms licence may, without special permission, possess silencers that are suitable for their weapon.
Silencers – Swedish Police Authority (in Swedish)
Other weapons
There are other weapons that, under certain conditions, do not require a licence under weapons legislation. These include certain air and carbon dioxide weapons and harpoon weapons. Different weapons are subject to different rules and require different licences.
Air and carbonic acid weapons (limited-effect weapons)
Air and carbon dioxide weapons are what we call power-limited weapons. These are weapons that are powered by things like gas, carbon dioxide, air, springs, or other similar propellants.
You can bring an air or carbon dioxide weapon into Sweden without a licence if:
- You are over 18 years old.
- The weapon has a power limitation, which means that the projectile fired has an impact energy of less than 10 joules at 4 metres’ distance from the muzzle of the weapon.
- The impact energy is a maximum of 3 joules at 4 metres’ distance from the muzzle of the weapon for a fully automatic weapon.
- The impact energy is a maximum of 10 joules at 4 metres’ distance from the muzzle of the weapon for a semi-automatic weapon.
- The projectile (paintball) has a minimum diameter of 16 mm (applies to paintball weapons).
If your air or carbon dioxide weapon does not meet the requirements for licence exemption, you need a licence. The same rules apply as for ordinary firearms, and you must always notify Swedish Customs when you bring the weapon across the border.
An example of a power-limited weapon is an air rifle with a 4.5 mm air rifle pellet travelling at a maximum of 200 m/sec, measured 4 metres from the muzzle of the weapon.
Harpoons
You need a permit from the Swedish Police Authority to bring harpoon weapons into Sweden if:
- You are under 18 years old.
- The distance between the front edge of the bow and the hooking device is more than 50 cm.
- The harpoon is powered by more than one tension band.
- The harpoon is powered by explosive substances such as carbon dioxide, compressed air or a coil spring.
Dangerous objects
Dangerous objects include switchblades, stilettos, butterfly knives, brass knuckles, throwing stars, batons, karate sticks, lead weights, claw or studded gloves, nail clubs and similar items. To bring such goods into Sweden, you need a special permit from the Swedish Police Authority.
Permit for laser pointers
You need a permit from the the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority to bring laser pointers into Sweden. A powerful laser pointer is defined as a battery-powered laser pointer that is held in the hand and belongs to laser class 3R, 3B or 4. In most cases, this means laser pointers that are more powerful than 1 milliwatt (1 mW).
Questions and answers
I’m going to a weapons fair in France to buy a rifle. What rules reply when coming back into Sweden?
You have to apply for a permit or a possession permit (weapon licence) from the Swedish Police Authority. If, before you leave, you already know which weapon you are going to buy, you can apply for a weapon licence from the police authority in the place where you live. In other cases, a permit is enough. You must also have a transfer licence for the weapon. This is issued by the competent authority in France.
When you cross the Swedish border, you must present your new weapon, the weapon licence or permit and the transfer licence. You must also submit a completed copy of the form:
I’m going to Belgium to buy an air rifle. Do I have to declare this on coming back into Sweden?
This depends on whether or not the weapon requires a permit. Under the “Air and carbonic acid weapons” heading above, you can read more about which air guns require permits. If the weapon requires a permit, you must declare it to Swedish Customs. If the weapon does not require a permit, you do not have to declare it to us. You must be over 18 to bring an air rifle into Sweden.
I’m going to the USA and know that you can buy empty cartridges and shells cheaply there. Can I bring these back into Sweden or must I have some sort of permit?
Under Sweden’s Offensive Weapons Act, empty cartridges and shells are not classed as ammunition. Thus, you can bring them into Sweden without a permit. However, remember that you cannot bring percussion caps back without a permit or a weapon licence. Under our Offensive Weapons Act, percussion caps are classed as ammunition.
If you are travelling to Sweden on a commercial flight or maritime vessel, you may bring in goods to a value of SEK 5,000 without paying any charges on them. If you are travelling in some other way, the charge-free sum is SEK 3,500. These sums include all goods except alcohol and tobacco that you buy while travelling.
I’m thinking about buying a replica weapon from Germany. Can I bring it back into Sweden?
Yes, you can bring it back. Replica weapons or dummy weapons of a design that permanently precludes the firing of a projectile do not require a permit from the Swedish Police Authority.
My daughter is in Japan and wants to bring nunchakus back into Sweden. Is this all right?
A permit from the Swedish Police Authority is required to bring nunchakus into Sweden. Nunchakus are classed as dangerous objects and are regulated in Sweden’s Ordinance on permits for importation of certain dangerous objects (1990:415).
I’m going to Australia to dive for fish. I thought I’d use the opportunity to buy a harpoon gun. Can I bring it back into Sweden with me?
A permit from the Swedish Police Authority is required for quite a few harpoon weapons.
A harpoon weapon requires a permit if:
- The harpoon is launched by a rubber cord and the distance between handle and the furthest forward point of the bow is more than 50 cm.
- The weapon has more than one rubber cord.
- The harpoon weapon’s harpoon is propelled by an explosive substance, carbonic acid, compressed air or a coiled spring.
I will be travelling around Asia and am thinking about buying a sabre or a sword as a souvenir. Can I bring it back into Sweden with me?
Yes. A permit from the Swedish Police Authority is not required to bring in a sword, sabre or, for example, a machete. Under our legislation, these are not dangerous objects.