15. Customs privileges and duty-free imports

15.1 General information

For embassies and career consulates, exemption from customs duties for imports from non-EU/EEA countries is granted in accordance with the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations. The exemption covers:

• articles for the official use of a mission or a career consular post, and
• articles for the personal use of a diplomatic agent or a career consular officer who is not a Swedish national or a permanent resident of Sweden, and members of their family forming part of their household

Administrative and technical staff and consular employees (who are not Swedish nationals and not permanent residents of Sweden), and family members forming part of their household, enjoy exemption from customs duties only on articles for personal use imported at the time of their first installation (for a period of twelve months).

A consular post headed by an honorary consul enjoys exemption from customs duties only for the following articles, provided that they are for the official use of the consular post: coats-of-arms, flags, signboards, seals and stamps, books, official printed material, office furniture, office equipment and similar articles supplied by or at the instance of the sending State.

Any other use of goods imported duty-free, such as sales, would be in contravention of Swedish law and the Vienna Conventions. All tax-free purchases have to be reasonable in quantity. 

Duty-free imports for international organisations and, where applicable, their staff are regulated by the host-country agreement or statute in force in relation to each particular organisation. 

Swedish Customs: Goods for embassies, consulates and international organisations - external website,

15.2 EORI number

An economic operator registration and identification (EORI) number is required for all operators involved in customs activities within the European Union. Foreign missions in Sweden are required to possess an EORI number in order to import goods (including duty-free goods) to Sweden. Private individuals (including staff of foreign missions) who only import or export goods for their personal use are not required to possess an EORI number.

Applications for an EORI number should be submitted online via the Swedish Custom's webpage:

Swedish Customs: EURI - external website,

15.3 Importing shipped personal belongings when moving to Sweden

For staff members moving to Sweden, the procedure for duty-free imports of personal belongings at the first instalment is as follows. The two forms called Single Administrative Document and the Declaration for obtaining relief from customs duty and tax on personal belongings when moving to Sweden must be completed and submitted directly to the customs station at which the goods will arrive in Sweden.

740.45 Declaration for obtaining relief from customs duty and tax on personal belongings when migrating to Sweden - external website, - external website,

Alternatively the ordinary procedure for duty-free imports can be followed. See Chapter 15. 

15.4 Freedom from customs inspection

The personal luggage of diplomats, career consular officers and their families is exempt from customs inspection. If there are serious grounds for suspicion that luggage contains articles that are prohibited to import or export, or articles other than those intended for the official use of the mission or personal use of a diplomatic agent, customs inspection may be required. In this case the inspection is carried out in the presence of the diplomatic agent or their authorised representative.

15.5 Restrictions on certain goods

There are restictions on imports and exports on certain goods, such as food, drugs, weapons and other dangerous objects, endangered animals and plants. In some cases a special permit may be required and the rules may differ depending on whether the goods are brought from within or outside the EU/EEA. 

As a general rule, embassies, career consulates and international organisations and their staff, need to follow special rules pertaining to certain goods, whereas certain restrictions may not apply by virtue of the Vienna Conventions or an applicable host country agreement. For more information: 

Swedish Customs: Special regulations for certain goods - external website,

For more detailed information contact the Swedish Board of Agriculture or Swedish Customs.

Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket)  - external website,

Swedish Customs  - external website,

15.6 Temporary duty-free imports from non-EU countries for exhibition and fair purposes

ATA Carnet

Those who have an ATA Carnet are not required to make a deposit to Swedish Customs. An An ATA Carnet can be purchased through a chamber of commerce in the sending State (if it is connected to the ATA Carnet system). When you use an ATA Carnet, you do not show any other customs documentation at Swedish border crossings.

The ATA Carnet is an international customs document used worldwide to facilitate customs clearance of goods temporarily imported into a member country. It may be used for purposes such as imports of commercial samples and goods intended for exhibitions organised by a diplomatic mission or consular post.

More information on the ATA Carnet:

Stockholm Chamber of Commerce: ATA Carnet  - external website,

15.7 Application for duty-free import

In order to bring in items from countries outside the EU through duty-free import, missions must present the form Application for duty-free import Tv 740.22 (for embassies) or Tv 740.32 (for career consular posts), signed and sealed in advance by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, at the customs station where the goods are to be collected.

Application for duty-free import 740.22 (Embassy)  - external website,

Application for duty-free import 740.32 (Consular posts) - external website,

When importing goods in customs storage, the goods should be declared for customs in the EU country where they are stored. If they are not declared for customs, a permit for T1 transfer acquired through the EU-wide New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) is required.

The form and specifications of the articles in question, i.e. nature of goods, quantity (including total quantity in figures as well as in letters), value, country of purchase and supplier, and information about the consignee must be submitted in duplicate. When importing motor vehicles, the information should include its make and model, year of manifacture, purchase price and registration number and be accompanied by a certificate of origin. The form should be provided with the official seal of the diplomatic mission or consular post. No corrections are allowed.

If the application form has been signed by a chargé d'affaires, a note to the Protocol Departments at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs must accompany the application form, stating the name of the chargé d'affaires and the duration of their temporary status. If such a note has already been forwarded to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, a copy of the note accompanying the application form is sufficient.

Honorary consular posts should apply directly to the relevant local customs authority when requesting duty-free imports.

All goods specified in the application must be cleared through customs on the same occasion.

In order to bring in items from countries within the European Union through duty-free import, missions must present the form VAT and/or excise duty exemption certificate. 

VAT and/or excise duty exemption certificate