Buying foodstuffs when travelling abroad
When bringing foodstuffs into Sweden for private use, different rules apply depending on whether the foodstuffs are being brought from an EU country or from a country outside the EU. Some goods require a phytosanitary certificate issued by the country of origin. This certificate should be inspected an certified by the Swedish Board of Agriculture prior to bringing the goods to Sweden.
Foodstuffs from an EU country
If you are buying foodstuffs in another EU country, you do not have to pay customs duty, Swedish VAT and any other taxes on the foodstuffs. There are no restrictions on the types of foodstuffs that you may bring, assuming that they are not classified as narcotics or pharmaceutical products (according to Swedish legislation on pharmaceutical products).
Foodstuffs from a country outside the EU
There are various rules if you are bringing foodstuffs in from a country outside the EU. These rules depend on whether the foodstuffs are being sent by post, freighted via a transport company or carried personally into Sweden. In all cases under the present heading, you may not bring any meat or dairy products into Sweden without an authorisation from the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
If you are travelling on a commercial flight or ferry, you may bring in goods to a value of SEK 5,000 without having to pay customs duty, VAT and any other taxes. If you are travelling some other way, you may bring in goods to a value of SEK 3,500 without having to pay customs duty, VAT and any other taxes. These sums include all goods except alcohol and tobacco that you buy while travelling. Remember that you must transport (carry) these foodstuffs personally.
If the value of your goods is above the sum that you may transport free of customs duty, VAT and taxes, you have to declare this to Swedish Customs. You make the declaration at the Swedish border. Here, you will also pay any customs duty, VAT and any other taxes.
More information about how to declare goods to Swedish Customs.
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Is the country a Member State?
If you are uncertain whether the country that you are trading with is a Member State, you can visit the website of the European Union and consult a list of Member States or search for a specific country.
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