Purchasing alcohol when travelling
When you return home from a trip abroad, you can take alcohol with you for personal use without paying any taxes. The amount of duty-free alcohol you can bring back depends on the country where you bought the alcohol, either in an other Member State or in a non-EU country.
Bringing in alcohol from another country - Applicable rules
If you are travelling to Sweden from another EU country or from a non-EU country, the rules differ, but there are three rules that always apply:
- You must be at least 20 years old.
- You must transport or carry the alcohol yourself.
- The alcohol must be for your or your family´s personal use.
Bringing back alcohol from an EU Member State
No fees
If you purchase alcohol in a Member State, you do not have to pay any fees, provided that you transport or carry the alcohol yourself. The alcohol must be for your or your family's personal use.
Personal use
You can bring alcohol for your and your family´s personal consumption. Your family includes your close relatives with whom you share a household. In other words, you are not allowed to purchase alcohol for resale.
Offering alcohol
You may occasionally give alcohol as a gift, provided that you do not receive any payment for it. Personal use includes serving the alcohol at weddings or parties, but you may be asked to prove this.
How does Swedish Customs determine the amount of alcohol for personal use
Provided that the alcohol is for your and your family's¹ personal use, we will take into account, among other things, the quantities set out in the Swedish Alcohol Tax Act²:
- 10 litres of spirits
- 90 litres of wine (including 60 litres of sparkling wine)
- 20 litres of fortified wine
- 110 litres of beer
The amount is not the only decisive factor
Please note that the quantity of alcohol is not the only decisive factor when assessing whether the alcohol is actually intended for your personal use.. Swedish Customs will make an overall assessment of the circumstances. It is up to you to demonstrate to the customs officer at the border that the amount of alcohol is reasonable for your or your family's personal use.
Bringing in more alcohol than the above
If you are bringing in more than the above amount, for example for a large party, you must be able to prove that the alcohol is for your personal use by bringing details and documents to prove that you are having a wedding or other large party, for example.
Bringing in less alcohol than the above
As the quantity of alcohol is not the only decisive factor, you may also need to prove that a smaller quantity of alcohol than above is for the personal use of you and your family.
¹ Family refers to close relatives with whom you share a household (for example, wife or husband). Swedish Customs refers to a judgement of the Court of Appeal of Skåne and Blekinge of 20 April 2006 (case number B2328-04). In the absence of a judgement from the Supreme Court, it is regarded as legal precedence.
² The quantities are set out in Chapter 2, Section 11, second paragraph of the Alcohol Tax Act (2022:156).
If the customs officer suspects that the alcohol is not for personal use
The individual customs officer at the border will determine if the alcohol can reasonably be for personal use. If the customs officer determines that the alcohol that you are carrying is not for your personal use, you will be suspected of tax offence or smuggling.
Suspected tax offence
If a tax offence is suspected, the alcohol will be seized and a tax investigation will be carried out (under the Act (1998:506) on Excise Duty Control of Transport etc. of Alcohol Products, Tobacco Products and Energy Products).
When the alcohol is seized for tax investigation, you must be able to prove that it is for personal use.
Suspected smuggling
If suspicion of smuggling arises, the alcohol will be seized and a criminal investigation will be initiated (under the Smuggling Act 2000:1225).
Once the alcohol has been seized, it is up to Swedish Customs to prove the smuggling offence. A prosecutor makes the judgement as to whether the investigation should be closed or lead to prosecution. A court may dismiss the prosecution, in which case the seizure of the goods is cancelled. When the seizure is cancelled, the alcohol may be seized by Swedish Customs for tax investigation.
Bringing in alcohol from another EU country
Fees may apply depending on the amount
If you buy alcohol in a country outside the EU, you can bring a limited amount with you without paying any taxes. This is provided you have been abroad for at least 20 hours or you are travelling on a commercial flight. To find out how much alcohol you can bring free of charge, see the section on quantities below.
Alcohol in excess of the duty-free allowance should be declared
If you are carrying more alcohol than the duty-free allowance, select the red ‘Goods to declare’ lane in the customs filter at the border. There you will declare the amount of alcohol you have with you and pay customs duties and taxes.
You may bring the following amounts from a country outside the EU
The following amounts are duty-free:
- 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of fortified wine (including sparkling wine)
- 4 litres of wine
- 16 litres of beer
You may bring alcohol from all thee categories, but the quantities may not exceed the limit for each category respectively. For example, you may bring 2 litres of fortified wine, 4 litres of wine and 16 litres of beer.
If you bring more alcohol than the above amounts it should be declared to Swedish Customs and you will be liable to pay customs and excise duties.
Fees – Customs and excise duty
If you want to bring more alcohol than the duty-free amount, you should pay customs and excise duty. This is done by using the red ‘Goods to declare’ lane in the customs filter at the border where you present the goods to a customs officer.
Declaring goods to Swedish Customs – Red, blue or green lane
Rates of customs and excise duty
You are liable to pay customs and excise duty for alcohol brought from countries outside the EU in excess of the duty-free quantity. The following rates apply:
- Spirits, customs duty SEK 4/litre, excise duty SEK 267/litre
- Fortified wine, customs duty SEK 2/litre, excise duty SEK 92/litre
- Wine, customs duty SEK 1/litre, excise duty SEK 41/litre
- Beer, customs duty SEK 3/litre, excise duty SEK 23/litre
Bringing in alcohol from Canary Islands o Åland
Some areas are part of the EU, but outside the Customs Territory of the Union, for example the Canary Islands or Åland. If you buy alcohol you can bring the same quantity as though you came from a country outside the EU, without paying customs or excise duties. The same rules apply when you buy alcohol in a duty-free shop.
The following rules apply to people living in Sweden:
- You should have been abroad for at least 20 hours, or;
- The inbound flight should be operated by a commercial airline.
If you are bringing alcohol in excess of the duty-free amount and if you do not meet the above conditions for duty exemption (for example when travelling by ferry and you have been abroad for less than 20 hours), you should present your goods to Swedish Customs and pay duties. Present the alcohol to Swedish Customs by choosing the red lane at the border.
EU excise territories – The Swedish Tax Agency (in Swedish).
Further information
Questions and answers about buying alcohol when travelling abroad.
Is the country an EU Member State
If you are unsure whether the country you are trading with is an EU Member State or not, you can see a list of all EU Member States or search for a specific country on the website of the EU.
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