Questions and answers about buying alcohol when travelling abroad
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about what rules apply to buying alcohol abroad and bringing it back home to Sweden.
I’m going to Germany and wonder what quantity of spirits I can bring back to Sweden.
You can bring in the quantity of alcohol that is regarded as being for your/your family’s private use.
Find out more about how much alcohol you may bring when returning to Sweden.
How much alcohol can I bring into Sweden if I buy it on a ferry running between Finland and Sweden via Åland?
You can bring a limited amount of duty-free alcohol with you because alcohol sold on board ferries via Åland is not taxed in the EU. Åland is a territory outside the EU tax area. If you bring more alcohol than the permitted quantities, you must declare it to Swedish Customs and pay excise duty.
In addition, for the alcohol to be exempt from excise duty, you must have been abroad for more than 20 hours.
To find out how much you can take home duty free, see Bringing alcohol into Sweden from a non-EU country on the Buying alcohol when travelling abroad.
Can i ask a friend acquaintance to buy me alcohol during their trip to Denmark?
Yes, but you must pay excise duty for the alcohol that your friend or acquaintance purchased for you. You should register as a trader in advance and pay excise duty to the Swedish Tax Agency. Swedish Customs may confiscate the alcohol and launch a tax inquiry if you fail to comply with the rules. Swedish Customs will always contact you by mail if we confiscate the alcohol.
Why, as a Swede, can’t I buy alcohol in a duty-free shop when I’m travelling within the EU or before I go through customs on returning to Sweden?
“Duty free” means that the price does not include the relevant tax. The duty-free shops at, for example, Sweden’s Arlanda airport are taxable operations, but are not run by Systembolaget (Sweden’s alcohol monopoly). Systembolaget has the sole right to sell alcohol in Sweden. Thus, these duty-free shops can only sell duty-free (i.e. tax-free) alcohol to travellers who are leaving the EU.
How much duty-free alcohol can i purchase on my flight fom Italy ?
As Italy is a Member State, you can bring alcohol for your or your family’s personal use. However, you cannot purchase duty-free alcohol within the EU. Duty-free sales are only available when travelling to a country outside the EU.
Find out more about how much alcohol you may bring when returning to Sweden.
What quantity of spirits can I bring back into Sweden when I’m coming from Thailand?
You may bring into Sweden 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of fortified wine (sparkling wine included therein), 4 litres of wine and 16 litres of strong beer without paying any charges.
If you wish to bring in alcohol above the charge-free quantity, you must pay customs duty, VAT and any other taxes on the excess alcohol. You must also declare the alcohol to Swedish Customs by choosing the red lane when crossing the border.
If I’m travelling from Thailand with an intermediate landing in Belgium, can I bring in alcohol from there too?
Yes. However, you must be able to produce receipts showing that you bought alcohol in an EU country on your travels.
If I want to take alcohol with me when going to Thailand, how much can I take?
Unfortunately, we can’t answer what rules apply in other countries. We recommend that you contact the country’s embassy or consulate.
Last updated:
What is updated: Linguistic adjustment