Importing a car from Germany to Sweden – a guide for private buyers

You can buy a car in Germany and register it in Sweden. As a Sweden-resident private buyer who is not VAT-registered and buys for own use, first decide whether it is new or used for VAT, secure the original documents, then choose a verified driving arrangement or carrier. Germany is in the EU, so no customs duty applies to the move to Sweden, but a car new under the EU VAT criteria entails Swedish VAT and a specific deadline. 1 2

Do not pay the final balance until the car’s identity, the seller’s right to sell and the document chain match. A valid German HU, pre-purchase inspection, verification of origin and Swedish registration inspection are separate; none replaces the others.

Start with the correct VAT decision

For VAT, the car is new if transferred within six months of first use or if it has travelled no more than 6,000 km before delivery. It is used only if transferred more than six months after first registration and it has travelled more than 6,000 km. One used-car condition alone is not enough. 1 2

For a new car, submit form SKV 5282 and declare and pay Swedish VAT no later than 35 days after purchase. The rate is 25 percent, on the invoice price, equipment delivered with the car, and associated freight or handling. Convert the amount into kronor under the Swedish Tax Agency’s rule for the delivery date, or the invoice date where invoicing is close to delivery. 1

If the car meets both used-car criteria, you as a private buyer do not pay Swedish VAT solely for bringing an EU-registered car into Sweden. A private seller does not charge VAT; a dealer may state it separately or use another VAT treatment. Check the seller’s status and invoice; do not infer treatment from the advert or absence of a separate VAT line. 1 2

Check the car and originals before payment

Match the chassis number, VIN, directly on the car against the purchase agreement, Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I and Teil II, and every other relevant document. Check the seller’s identity and authority to sell. Someone holding Teil II is not in itself proof of ownership; the official form expressly states that the holder is not identified as the vehicle owner. 3

The purchase document must support the Swedish application: identify seller and buyer, what was sold, the sale date, and the car by VIN or other vehicle-specific identity. For a previously permanently registered EU car, submit the original foreign registration certificate with all issued parts. For a new WVTA type-approved car without previous permanent registration, an original Certificate of Conformity, CoC, is required instead. 4

Request the full HU report and all service and repair records the seller holds. Reconcile VIN, dates, odometer readings and document gaps. HU evidence may be needed for export registration, but does not prove a complete accident, repair or service history. Periods without evidence remain explicitly unverified. 5

An independent pre-purchase vehicle inspection can help assess condition and compare the car with the advert. It is not the Swedish Transport Agency’s verification of origin, registration inspection or periodic roadworthiness test. Arrange payment after the agreed checks and document conditions, and set out what happens if the VIN, authority or documents do not match.

Choose lawful and insured transport

The plate alone does not determine the safest choice. Temporary plates are not automatically recognised between EU countries. To drive yourself, confirm the competent authority for that car, acceptance of the exact registration throughout the route, and insurance for the car, driver, dates and every transit country. If any link is unclear, choose a carrier or trailer. 6

For a registered used vehicle, Berlin describes an export case requiring original Teil I and Teil II, valid HU evidence, existing plates, export-insurance confirmation and vehicle-tax arrangements. No separate prior deregistration is required there. This Berlin example is operational only: check requirements, competent authority, handling and decisions where the car is located. 3 5

Berlin states a validity period for export registration of 15 days to one year, depending on the insurance agreement and the authority’s individual decision. The car must not be used on public roads after the expiry date. The issue date, HU validity and insurance period must therefore cover the actual collection and travel plan, not just the day you buy the car. 5

Avoid the German five-day plate as a solution for Sweden. The Swedish Transport Agency expressly says it is valid only in Germany and is not valid in Sweden. 7

Driving in Sweden and temporary registration

After import, the car may be driven in Sweden without Swedish temporary registration for no more than one week only if foreign registration is valid for unrestricted use and valid insurance covers the driving. The driver must carry the required legible registration document. This does not validate a German five-day plate here. 7

After the first week, or immediately if the foreign registration is not valid, the car may not be used here without Swedish temporary registration. The exception is a certificate of booked inspection, which permits only the shortest appropriate journey to and from the inspection. For all other movement, transport on a trailer is required. 7

Apply for Swedish temporary registration for import with verification of origin. It is valid for three months and cannot be extended. For normal unrestricted use, the car must be imported from the EEA and its foreign registration must permit unrestricted use in the country of origin. Swedish compulsory motor third-party liability insurance is required throughout use. With the permitted 30-day insurance certificate, the car is uninsured from day 31 unless you arrange new Swedish insurance. 7

From verification of origin to Swedish plates

After arrival in Sweden, the intended Swedish registered owner applies for verification of origin, the first registration step. The published fee is SEK 1,240. If ownership changes before entry in the road traffic register, completed verification ceases to be valid; the new owner must apply with their purchase document. 8 4

Only after approved verification of origin may you book registration inspection or, where appropriate, individual approval with an inspection company. Registration inspection checks technical identity and environmental and road-safety requirements, and determines the vehicle data to register. The company may require further vehicle-specific technical documents, for example due to previous registration, type approval, modifications or configuration. 8

Take a qualifying mandatory EU or EEA periodic roadworthiness-test result when presenting the car for Swedish registration inspection. It neither gives automatic approval nor allows registration inspection to be skipped. Ask the Swedish inspection company whether a Swedish periodic roadworthiness test is required. 8 4

After approved registration inspection or individual approval, the inspection company registers the car in the road traffic register and a registration number is allocated. The Swedish Transport Agency sends the registration certificate and plates only to the owner’s registered address in Sweden. If the car is subject to the requirement for compulsory motor third-party liability insurance, valid Swedish insurance must be in place before the car is activated for road use. Payment information for vehicle tax arrives after activation. 8

Create the budget without a false total

Calculate the whole chain before purchase, but do not add alternative transport methods together. Choose driving-yourself costs or the carrier’s quote. As nearly all amounts depend on car, route, date and supplier, determine them with quotes and vehicle-specific calculations. Only the published verification-of-origin fee is entered numerically.

Do not include Swedish VAT in the calculation if the car meets both conditions for a used car. Instead include 25 percent of the defined basis when the car is new under the six-month or 6,000-km test. Exchange rate, repair needs, tyres, tax and a reasonable contingency affect liquidity even if they are not authority fees.

Checklist in the correct order

Keep legible copies for your own records but protect the originals; the Swedish Transport Agency’s requirement for originals is not replaced by a scanned file. Do not book tight transport or an inspection before the documents and registration solution have been confirmed in practical terms.

Frequently asked questions

When is the car new for Swedish VAT?

It is new on delivery within six months of first use or at no more than 6,000 km. Used requires both more than six months after first registration and more than 6,000 km. 1, 2

Is a German five-day plate valid in Sweden?

No. It is valid only in Germany. Choose a verified registration and insurance arrangement or vehicle transport. 7

Does Teil II prove that the seller owns the car?

No. Match the VIN on the car, agreement, Teil I and Teil II, and check the seller’s identity and authority. 3

Which originals does verification of origin require?

A previously registered EU car requires all original parts of the registration certificate. A new WVTA car without previous permanent registration requires an original CoC. The purchase document must state the parties, car, date and VIN or equivalent identity. 4

Does German HU replace Swedish registration inspection?

No. A qualifying EU or EEA result can be submitted at the registration inspection but provides no automatic approval. Take the report; the inspection company decides whether a Swedish periodic roadworthiness test is needed. 8, 4

May I drive the car in Sweden during the first week?

For no more than one week from import, if the foreign registration is valid for unrestricted use and the insurance covers the driving. Carry a legible registration document. Temporary registration is required thereafter; a booking certificate permits only the shortest appropriate journey to inspection. Otherwise, a trailer is required. 7

Pre-purchase inspection on site in Germany

CarAudit’s published coverage list includes Germany, and the service identifies Carvago Deutschland GmbH as the operator. This is not a guarantee that your particular car can be inspected: seller access, location, time and actual availability must be confirmed. Such a vehicle inspection can provide a basis for a decision before payment, but never replaces the authority steps in Sweden. 9 10

Ask whether CarAudit can inspect the car in Germany before payment. Coverage, access, price and time must be confirmed for the car; the inspection does not replace Swedish authority steps. 9, 10

Sources

1. Skatteverket — Moms på transportmedel
2. Your Europe — VAT when buying or selling a car
3. Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV), sections 14 and 45
4. Transportstyrelsen — Import from an EU country
5. Service Berlin — Ausfuhrkennzeichen for domestic new and used vehicles
6. Your Europe — temporary plates for driving home a car bought abroad
7. Transportstyrelsen — Application for temporary registration: import
8. Transportstyrelsen — Vehicle import and verification of origin
9. CarAudit — Frequently asked questions, English
10. CarAudit — Contact, English