Importing a car from Italy to Sweden – complete guide

As a private individual resident in Sweden, you can buy a car in Italy for your own use and register it here. Pay only once the car, the seller's authority and the original documents have been checked. Then choose self-driving only if the plates and insurance are valid for the whole journey; otherwise, vehicle transport is needed.

Check the car and seller before payment

Start by matching the vehicle identification number, VIN, on the car itself against the registration and ownership documents, the purchase document, inspection history and other supporting documents. Also check the registration plate, the seller's identity and who is the registered holder. The purchase document must be signed and identify the actual car. If the person selling is not registered in PRA, you must obtain evidence both of the acquisition and of that person's right to complete the transaction. For export, a registered holder or another authorised person may apply, but an owner not yet registered in PRA must submit the acquisition document in the prescribed original form. 1 3

Order a current Visurenet extract from PRA to see the registered holder and any registered vincoli or gravami. Where needed, Crononet can show the chronology of PRA formalities since first registration. The two records serve different purposes: the first shows the current legal position and the second the formalities recorded over time. Neither proves the car's mechanical condition, accidents, repairs or service history. Therefore request the seller's service and repair records and carry out a separate physical condition inspection. 1 2

Resolve a registered encumbrance by category: an administrative restriction is removed after outstanding amounts have been paid and before the export application; attachment or seizure requires the creditor's or competent authority's documented consent to deregistration; a mortgage that has not expired requires the creditor's notarised private consent document. Do not accept a general seller's certificate. Check the current registry result and the correct document for each finding before payment. 1 4

A pre-purchase inspection assesses the condition but does not replace a PRA check, verification of origin, registration inspection or any required periodic roadworthiness test.

Italian export and safe transport

Definitive export requires simultaneous deregistration from ANV and PRA. The case includes the registration number, a joint application, a valid identity document, the registration card and proof of ownership or Documento Unico, as well as the plates; in the event of loss or theft, the specified report is required. On the application date, the revisione must be valid; alternatively, the inspection and test under Article 75 must have taken place in the year when the Italian periodic roadworthiness test (revisione) is due; no Article 80.7 measure may be pending. 3 4

The Documento Unico issued after export deregistration records that the car has been deregistered for definitive export. The document is not valid for road use and therefore does not by itself give authority to drive the deregistered car away. 3 4

For driving towards Sweden, ACI states that the holder or an authorised person can apply for a foglio di via and provisional plates at the provincial Motorizzazione or a vehicle consultancy office. Such temporary plates are not automatically recognised throughout the EU. Before choosing self-driving, you must obtain confirmation that the specific plates, driver, dates and insurance are accepted in every country and on every ferry crossing that may be involved. If a continuous confirmation is missing, choose vehicle transport. 4 5

Record the date of entry. The Swedish one-week rule does not make Italian plates or insurance valid for the journey here.

VAT: decide whether the car is new or used

In the Swedish EU VAT branch, a motorised land vehicle is new if it is supplied within six months after first being put into use or has travelled no more than 6,000 km before supply. In this VAT assessment, the car is used only if it is supplied more than six months after first registration and has travelled more than 6,000 km. Meeting only one of the used-vehicle criteria is therefore not enough. 6 7

If the car is new under either of the new-car thresholds, as a Swedish private buyer who is not VAT registered you must submit form SKV 5282 and declare and pay Swedish VAT no later than 35 days after purchase. The tax rate is 25%. The basis includes the invoice price, supplied optional extras and associated freight or handling. Amounts are converted to kronor under Skatteverket's rule for the delivery date, or the invoice-date alternative when invoicing is close to delivery. 6

An EU-registered car that meets both used-vehicle thresholds does not incur Swedish acquisition VAT merely because it is brought to Sweden, and no customs duty is charged for movement within the EU. A private seller does not charge VAT. A dealer, however, may show VAT separately or use a different VAT scheme for a used car. Therefore read the invoice and check the seller's status; do not draw a conclusion from the advert or from the absence of a VAT line. 6 7

Verification of origin and registration in Sweden

Once the car has arrived in Sweden, the intended Swedish registered owner applies for verification of origin. This is the first step in registration, and the published fee is SEK 1,240. If the car changes owner before it is entered in the Swedish Road Traffic Registry, a completed verification of origin ceases to be valid; the new owner must apply with a purchase document. 9 10

For a car that was previously permanently registered, the application must include the original foreign registration certificate and all issued parts. For a new WVTA vehicle without previous permanent registration, the original Certificate of Conformity, CoC, is required instead. The copy of the purchase document must state the seller and buyer, what was sold, the date of sale and the VIN or another vehicle-specific identifier. Scans or an invoice alone do not replace the requirement for an original registration certificate. 10

Only when Transportstyrelsen has approved the verification of origin can you book a registration inspection or individual approval with an inspection company. It checks technical identity, environmental and road-safety requirements, and determines the vehicle data to be entered in the register. Depending on previous registration, WVTA/CoC, modifications, small-series status, construction and import category, further technical documents may be required. 9

A mandatory roadworthiness test passed in an EU or EEA country may be taken into account when the car is presented for registration inspection, but it is not accepted automatically and does not replace the registration inspection. Bring the report and ask the inspection company whether the car also requires a periodic roadworthiness test in Sweden. 9 10

After a passed registration inspection or individual approval, the inspection company enters the car in the Swedish Road Traffic Registry and it receives a registration number. Transportstyrelsen sends the registration certificate and plates only to the owner's registered address in Sweden. If the car is subject to compulsory motor third-party liability insurance, valid Swedish motor third-party liability insurance must be in place before you activate it for road use; information about vehicle tax follows activation. 9

Use the car legally after entry

A car brought in permanently may be driven without Swedish temporary registration for at most one week from entry, but only if the foreign registration still permits unrestricted use and valid insurance covers the driving. The driver must carry the required legible registration document. 8

After the first week, or immediately if the foreign registration is not valid, the car may not be used without Swedish temporary registration or a certificate of a booked inspection. The certificate permits only the shortest appropriate journey to and from the inspection. For any other movement, the car must be transported on a trailer. 8

Swedish temporary registration for import is applied for together with verification of origin, is valid for three months and cannot be extended. Normal unrestricted use requires both that the car was brought in from the EEA and that its foreign registration permitted unrestricted use in Italy. Motor third-party liability insurance must be valid throughout the period in which the car is used. If you use the permitted 30-day insurance certificate, the car becomes uninsured from day 31 unless you have arranged new Swedish insurance. Temporary registration does not guarantee final Swedish registration. 8

Budget without a misleading total

Obtain quotations for the same car and date. No total is shown because the costs are incomplete and the transport branches are alternatives.

Checklist from advert to Swedish plates

When is the car considered new for Swedish VAT?

It is new if it is supplied within six months after first being put into use or has travelled no more than 6,000 km. Used requires both more than six months and more than 6,000 km. For a new car, SKV 5282 applies, together with declaration and payment no later than 35 days after purchase; 25% is calculated on the defined basis. 6, 7

Do Visurenet or Crononet show the car's entire history?

No. Visurenet shows the current PRA status and Crononet the formalities recorded over time. They do not establish condition, accidents, repairs or service history. An administrative restriction, attachment, seizure and an existing mortgage must be resolved with the correct category-specific document. 1, 2, 4

Can I drive the car home with Documento Unico after export deregistration?

No, not with the document as the sole basis. The export version is not valid for road use. For self-driving, an authorised person can apply for a foglio di via and provisional plates, but recognition and insurance must be confirmed for the driver, dates and the whole route. 3, 4, 5

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

For at most one week, only with unrestricted valid foreign registration and insurance. Thereafter, temporary registration or a certificate of a booked inspection is required for the shortest journey; otherwise, a trailer. Temporary registration is applied for with verification of origin, is valid for three months without extension and requires uninterrupted insurance. A 30-day certificate leaves the car uninsured on day 31 without new Swedish insurance. 8

Does the Italian revisione replace Swedish registration inspection?

No. A qualifying EU or EEA test may be taken into account but gives no automatic Swedish approval. Submit the report and ask whether the car requires a periodic roadworthiness test. Registration inspection is still required. 9, 10

Can CarAudit inspect the car in Italy before purchase?

Italy is on the verified public list, but that does not guarantee an inspection. The car must still be available, the seller must provide access, and the location and date must work. Ask through the official contact page and request a quote. 11, 12

If the car is still available and the seller provides access, you can ask CarAudit about a pre-purchase inspection in Italy. Ask for confirmation for the specific car, location and date, as well as a quote; the public country list is not itself a guarantee of availability. 11, 12

Sources

1. ACI — Visurenet: visura della banca dati del PRA
2. ACI — Crononet: estratto cronologico PRA
3. ACI — Radiazione di un veicolo: esportazione all'estero
4. ACI — Radiazione per esportazione: informazioni utili
5. Your Europe — temporary plates for driving home a car bought abroad
6. Skatteverket — Moms på transportmedel
7. Your Europe — VAT when buying or selling a car
8. Transportstyrelsen — Application for temporary registration: import
9. Transportstyrelsen — Vehicle import and verification of origin
10. Transportstyrelsen — Import from an EU country
11. CarAudit — Frequently asked questions, English
12. CarAudit — Contact, English