Import declaration in Sweden: how it works, and how we do it for you within 2 hours
All goods from countries outside the EU must be declared to Swedish Customs before they can be released into Sweden. The wrong commodity code, the wrong customs value or an invoice with missing details stops the goods at the terminal, and every day costs money. Here you get the whole process step by step, what it costs and when it pays to let a broker do it. Send us the invoice and the import declaration is ready within 2 hours. Call +46 31 755 77 76 or email info@easytull.com.
When is an import declaration required?
Every time goods enter Sweden from a country outside the EU. That includes purchased goods, samples, gifts, returns and machinery moved within a group of companies, and it applies even when the duty rate is 0 per cent. Norway counts as outside the EU despite the EEA, see our guide to importing from Norway (in Swedish). Goods from another EU country are not declared at all; the VAT rules for intra-EU trade apply instead.
“The freight forwarder handles customs”
The freight forwarder lodges the declaration, but the details in it are your responsibility as the importer. If the forwarder picks a commodity code that is wrong, you are the one who gets the post-clearance demand, sometimes years later, not the forwarder.
We classify your goods and document why, so the code holds up at a post-clearance audit.
What is an import declaration, and which type should you use?
An import declaration is the electronic notification to Swedish Customs stating what you are importing, from where, at what value and under which commodity code. Swedish Customs uses it to decide whether the goods may be brought in and to calculate duty and VAT. According to Swedish Customs there are three ways to declare goods for import, plus a special declaration for consignments worth no more than 150 euros.
MOST COMMON
Standard customs declaration
All details are lodged at once in the Swedish Customs system. The simplest method according to Swedish Customs, and the one we use for most shipments. The goods are released when the declaration is accepted and the duty paid or secured.
REQUIRES AUTHORISATION
Simplified declaration
Fewer details at the border, the rest in a supplementary declaration within a time limit. Requires authorisation from Swedish Customs, code SDE. Suits flows where the goods must move before all documents are available.
FOR LARGE FLOWS
Entry in the declarant’s records
The goods are declared by an entry in the company’s own records, with authorisation and requirements on procedures. Used by importers with many shipments and stable commodity codes.
Import declaration, customs declaration, customs clearance or customs entry?
Four words for the same event. Customs declaration is the umbrella term for declarations at import and export, import declaration is the declaration at import, and customs clearance or customs entry is the process up to the release of the goods. Forwarders and carriers mix the terms freely. Swedish Customs says import declaration.
customs declaration import declaration customs clearance customs entry import customs declaration standard customs declaration IMDS import declaration Swedish CustomsHow an import declaration works, step by step
Swedish Customs’ own order is apply, calculate, declare. This is what it looks like in practice for one shipment.
Get an EORI number
Your company’s identity with customs across the EU. Free, usually ready within an hour, and without it no declaration can be lodged in your name. How to apply for an EORI number (in Swedish).
Collect the documents
Commercial invoice or pro forma invoice, packing list, transport document and proof of origin if the goods qualify for a lower duty rate. The invoice must state the description of the goods, price, currency, delivery terms and country of origin.
Determine the commodity code and customs value
The commodity code sets the duty rate and the restrictions. The customs value is the price of the goods plus freight and insurance up to the EU border. Search the commodity code for free and calculate duty and VAT before you order.
Lodge the declaration with Swedish Customs
Electronically in the Swedish Customs system, normally through a customs broker who has access to the system and takes responsibility for the details being correct. Swedish Customs checks them, sometimes with a physical inspection, and determines the duty and charges.
Goods released, VAT to the Tax Agency
When the declaration is accepted and the duty paid or secured, the goods are released. VAT-registered companies report the import VAT in their VAT return to the Swedish Tax Agency, not to Swedish Customs. Read about import VAT (in Swedish).
Which documents are needed for an import declaration?
We review the documents before the declaration is lodged, so Swedish Customs does not ask for more while the goods are standing still.
Commercial invoice
Seller and buyer with registration numbers, plain-language description of the goods, price, currency, Incoterms and country of origin per line
Packing list
Number of packages, net and gross weight, dimensions
Proof of origin
Statement on origin, EUR.1 or A.TR, the key to a lower duty rate when a free trade agreement exists
Transport document
CMR for road, AWB for air, B/L for sea
Technical specifications
Product sheets and bills of material, often decisive for the right commodity code
Permits and certificates
Food, alcohol, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and CE documentation for electronics and machinery
Don’t forget the EORI number. Every company that imports needs one. If you don’t have one, we handle the EORI application for you, usually ready in under an hour.
What does an import declaration cost?
Three items. Duty and VAT to the state: duty is calculated on the customs value according to commodity code and origin, VAT on the customs value plus duty. VAT-registered companies normally deduct the import VAT as input VAT, so handled correctly it is a zero-sum game. The broker’s fee: we charge a fixed price per declaration, given in advance, with no lock-in. The cost of mistakes is the expensive item: post-clearance demands several years back, penalties and goods standing still. Calculate duty and VAT for your shipment in our duty calculator.
Incorrectly reported import VAT leads to a tax surcharge from the Swedish Tax Agency. We deliver the figures ready for your VAT return. Read more about what customs duty costs in Sweden (in Swedish).
25%
Standard rate
Most goods
6%
Food
Food and drink, temporarily reduced from 12 to 6 per cent until the end of 2027
6%
Books and print
Books, newspapers and printed matter
Can I do the import declaration myself? What it takes
An EORI number and access to the e-services of Swedish Customs: the authorised signatory appoints an access administrator
The correct ten-digit commodity code for every line item, and evidence for the choice
The customs value including freight and insurance up to the EU border
The rules of origin and the right certificate, if you want a lower duty rate
Knowledge of restrictions, licences and CE requirements for your particular goods
A way to pay the duty before the goods are released, or authorisation to pay afterwards
Time for every shipment, even when the truck is already standing at the border
A procedure for correcting errors, requesting reviews and keeping records for at least five years
The forwarder can lodge the declaration for you, but the responsibility for the details is yours
What usually goes wrong when you do it yourself: a stop at the border when a detail is missing, rules that change without notice (Digitoll, ICS2, new duty rates and anti-dumping measures) and post-clearance audits that require records several years back, with post-clearance demands and penalties as the outcome. A broker costs a fixed fee per declaration. A stop costs per day.
Or let us take the whole process.
Send the invoice, we do the rest: commodity code, customs value, origin, declaration and the VAT figures. The same contact every time.
Six mistakes that cost money in an import declaration
With EasyTull as your customs broker, all of these are caught before the declaration is lodged.
Wrong commodity code
Wrong duty rate and wrong restrictions. Post-clearance demands several years back and a penalty.
Wrong customs value
Freight and insurance up to the EU border are forgotten. Swedish Customs recalculates and charges afterwards.
Missing proof of origin
Full duty on goods that qualified for 0 per cent. A review can be requested afterwards, but it is easier to have the proof from the start.
Import VAT reported incorrectly
The VAT is reported to the wrong authority or in the wrong period. Tax surcharge from the Swedish Tax Agency.
DDP deliveries
The seller is the importer of record and the VAT gets stuck with the seller. You lose the right to deduct it.
Invoice with missing details
No plain-language description, country of origin or delivery terms. Swedish Customs asks for more information and the goods stand still.
What a mistake in the import declaration costs, in kronor and months
Two customers who came to us after their declarations had been done by someone else. Both cases could have been avoided with the right details from the start.
Read more about proof of origin (in Swedish) and about how we work as your customs broker.
SEK 131,000
refunded after a review
For two years the customer had imported through a broker who never used the statement on origin on the invoices. We requested a review of the declarations and the duty was refunded. Read more about importing from the UK.
3 months
from assignment to released goods, after more than a year at a standstill
A Swedish company bought goods from the USA without considering the CE rules, and the declaration was done by another broker. The container was held for inspection by Swedish Customs and the National Electrical Safety Board and stood still for over a year. When we took over, we contacted the seller, obtained the missing documentation and appealed the decision. The goods were released three months later. Read more about importing from the USA.
Goods on the way and no declaration ready? Call us.
Send the invoice and we prepare the import declaration within 2 hours. Reply within 10 minutes, or the declaration is on us. Every day 07:00 to 23:00.
Import declarations from different countries: what decides duty and VAT
The declaration is the same, but what decides the cost differs by country: the proof of origin from Norway, the anti-dumping duties from China, the statement on origin and REX from the United Kingdom, the A.TR certificate from Turkey and the CE requirements from the USA.
Our country guides (in Swedish) go through each country in detail, with duty rates, documents and real customer cases. Importing from Turkey, the A.TR certificate is the key to 0 per cent duty, even on textiles. Bringing home a car? See the guide to importing a car.
NO
Importing from Norway
0 per cent duty with proof of origin, VAT always
CN
Importing from China
Anti-dumping duties, CE and SEK 110,000 saved
GB
Importing from the United Kingdom
Statement on origin, REX and reviews
US
Importing from the USA
0% for US-made goods since 1 July 2026, CE still applies
Why importers choose us
Reply within 10 minutes
Always. Whether it is a quote or an urgent shipment at the border. Otherwise the declaration is on us.
Declaration within 2 hours
After complete documents. Your goods never stand still unnecessarily.
Your own customs specialist
The same contact every time, who gets to know your flow and your goods.
The right commodity code every time
Correct classification and customs value, documented so it holds up at a post-clearance audit.
Lower duty where possible
We check proofs of origin and free trade agreements and tell you when you are paying duty unnecessarily.
Fixed price, no lock-in
One price per declaration, given in advance. No hidden fees, no contracts.
Send the invoice, and a customs specialist replies within 10 minutes
Attach the commercial invoice and the transport details and we come back with what is required, what it costs and when the declaration will be ready. Calling works just as well.
The same customs specialist every time
Ready within 2 hours
Fixed price, no lock-in
Your details are only used to reply to you. Read our privacy policy.
Questions and answers about import declarations
Can’t find the answer? We reply within 10 minutes.
Ask your questionWhat is an import declaration?
An electronic notification to Swedish Customs in which the importer states what is being imported, from which country, at what value and under which commodity code. Swedish Customs uses the details to decide whether the goods may be brought in and to calculate duty and VAT. Goods from countries outside the EU must always be declared.
How do you make an import declaration?
Get an EORI number, collect the invoice, packing list and transport document, determine the commodity code and customs value, lodge the declaration electronically in the Swedish Customs system and pay or secure the duty. The VAT is then reported to the Swedish Tax Agency. A customs broker does all the steps for you based on the invoice.
When do you need an import declaration?
Every time goods arrive from a country outside the EU, regardless of value, and even when the duty rate is 0 per cent. That includes purchased goods, samples, gifts and returns. Goods from other EU countries are not declared.
What does an import declaration cost?
Duty according to commodity code and origin, import VAT on the customs value plus duty, and the broker’s fee. EasyTull charges a fixed price per declaration, given in advance, with no lock-in. Calculate duty and VAT for your shipment in our duty calculator at easytull.se/tullkalkylator/.
Can I do the import declaration myself?
You can, but it requires an EORI number, access to the Swedish Customs system and knowledge of commodity codes, customs value, rules of origin and restrictions for your particular goods. Mistakes cause stops at the border and post-clearance demands several years back. Most companies therefore let a customs broker do it. The forwarder can lodge it, but the responsibility for the details is the importer’s.
What is the difference between an import declaration, a customs declaration and customs clearance?
None in practice. Customs declaration is the umbrella term for declarations at import and export, import declaration is the declaration at import, and customs clearance or customs entry is the process up to the release of the goods.
Is an import declaration needed for goods from Norway?
Yes. Norway is outside the EU customs union, so every shipment from Norway is declared to Swedish Customs. With the right proof of origin the duty is often 0 per cent, but the declaration and the import VAT remain.
How long does an import declaration take?
With complete documents we have the declaration ready within 2 hours. Swedish Customs accepts most declarations immediately but may select shipments for inspection. If details are missing, Swedish Customs asks for more, and the goods stand still until it arrives.
What happens if the import declaration is wrong?
Swedish Customs can charge duty afterwards several years back and impose a penalty, a customs surcharge, for incorrect details. If you find the error yourself and correct it before Swedish Customs does, no surcharge is imposed. We help with corrections and requests for review.
Can an import declaration be amended or made afterwards?
Yes. An accepted declaration can be amended or invalidated on request to Swedish Customs, and duty paid can be reviewed, for example when a proof of origin arrives afterwards. We did that for a customer who got SEK 131,000 back.
Ready to import without stops at the border?
Send the invoice and we handle the import declaration, the commodity code, the customs value and the VAT figures. Ready within 2 hours after complete documents.
Ready within 2 hours
Your own customs specialist
Fixed price per declaration
Call +46 31 755 77 76 or email info@easytull.com. Reply within 10 minutes, or the declaration is on us.
More from EasyTull: Export declarations · Customs broker · Customer portal · EORI number · HS code search · Duty calculator · Pro forma invoice · EORI check
