Yes.
Yes. As a private individual resident in Sweden, you can buy a car in the Netherlands for your own use and register it in Sweden. The Netherlands is within the EU, so no customs duty is charged on the movement. First determine whether the car is new or used for VAT purposes, and check the original documents and lawful transport before payment. 1 2
Verify the car and seller, make the purchase conditional, secure the document chain, choose transport and then complete the export. After arrival, the intended Swedish owner applies for verification of origin. Only after approval do you book a registration inspection or, if the vehicle case requires it, individual approval. 3 4
| Decision | Choose when | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| New for EU VAT | No more than six months OR no more than 6,000 km | Swedish VAT is declared using SKV 5282 1, 2 |
| Used for EU VAT | More than six months AND more than 6,000 km | No Swedish acquisition VAT solely on entry 1, 2 |
| Previously registered | The car has been permanently registered | Bring the original registration certificate and every part 4 |
| New WVTA car | Never permanently registered | Bring the original CoC 4 |
Check the car and documents before payment
Start with the chassis number, VIN. Match it character by character against the registration certificate, purchase document, APK and other inspection history, service invoices and technical documentation. Make payment conditional if the identity, ownership chain or documents do not match. A pre-purchase inspection assesses the condition; it is neither Transportstyrelsen’s verification of origin, Swedish registration inspection nor a periodic roadworthiness test.
Ask the seller to obtain the RDW vehicle report. It can show registered owner types, recalls, APK and odometer readings. Logical means that the recorded mileage values rise; illogical means that a lower value has been recorded; no assessment means that RDW lacks information. The report is not proof of ownership or proof of complete history, no damage and current condition. Compare it with invoices, the service book and the car. 5
The purchase document must identify the seller and buyer, what is being sold, the date and the car by VIN or other vehicle-specific identity. Also state the price, currency, payment terms, original documents and who bears the transport risk. Attach a copy to the verification of origin application. The advertisement or an absent VAT line does not determine VAT; check the seller’s status and invoice. 1 4
For a car previously permanently registered, the Swedish application requires the original foreign registration certificate and every issued part. For a new WVTA type-approved vehicle that has never been permanently registered, the original Certificate of Conformity, CoC, is required. Copies and the purchase invoice do not replace the correct originals. Previous registration, modifications, small-series status and technical specification may entail further document requirements. 3 4
Arrange the RDW export without breaking the document chain
First check exactly which originals the Swedish process will later need. RDW’s export process is based on identification, the registration card with transfer code or the paper part Deel 1B with transfer certificate, and the registration plates. Missing registration documents must be replaced before export; RDW states that replacements cannot be obtained afterwards. 6
After export, retain RDW’s vrijwaringsbewijs, the cut registration card or Deel 1B, and the export certificate Deel II. RDW states that the cut document and Deel II are used together when registering abroad. Where possible, try to have the foreign buyer named in the export. If the seller arranges the export, responsibility remains with the seller until the car has been registered abroad. Therefore check the name and VIN document by document. 6
A white export number may, after RDW export, be used on Dutch public roads for no more than 14 days. For a passenger car, insurance and a valid APK are required. This is only a Dutch road rule: it does not in itself authorise driving the entire way or using the car in Sweden. 6
Choose transport that works for the whole journey
Temporary plates are not automatically recognised between EU countries. If you are driving the car yourself, before departure you must obtain confirmation that the specific export number is accepted in every country and on every ferry or transit part of the selected route. The insurance must expressly cover the correct car, driver, dates and all countries concerned. If one link in the chain is missing, choose a carrier and keep the car off the road until it can be used lawfully. 7
| Option | Requirement before starting | When you refrain |
|---|---|---|
| Drive the car yourself | The export number, APK, registration and insurance must be valid for the entire exact route | If any transit country, ferry leg or insurance element is unconfirmed 6, 7 |
| Use a carrier | Written quote, insurance responsibility, collection, delivery and damage report | Use as the main option when lawful self-driving cannot be demonstrated 7 |
| Driving after entry | No more than one week with valid unrestricted foreign registration and insurance | After the time limit, temporary registration, a restricted inspection certificate or a trailer is required 8 |
Once the car has been brought permanently into Sweden, it may be driven without Swedish temporary registration for no more than one week from the date of entry, but only if the foreign registration permits unrestricted use and valid insurance covers the driving. The driver must carry the required registration certificate and it must be legible. Document the date of entry. 8
After that 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 booked inspection; otherwise 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 here requires that the car has been imported from the EEA and that the foreign registration permitted unrestricted use in the Netherlands. Compulsory motor third-party liability insurance must be valid throughout use. If you choose the permitted 30-day insurance certificate, the car is uninsured from day 31 unless you arrange new Swedish insurance. 8
Determine Swedish VAT before calculating the deal
For EU VAT, the car is considered new if it is supplied within six months of first being put into use OR if it has been driven no more than 6,000 km before supply. It is therefore enough for one of the new-car criteria to be met. It is used in this VAT category only if it is supplied more than six months after first registration AND has been driven more than 6,000 km. Both conditions must then be met. 1 2
If the car is new under the test, as a private buyer resident in Sweden and not VAT-registered, you must submit form SKV 5282 and declare and pay Swedish VAT no later than 35 days after the purchase. The rate is 25 %. The basis includes the invoice price, equipment supplied with the car and associated freight or handling. The amounts are converted into kronor under Skatteverket’s rule for the delivery date, with the invoice date as an alternative when invoicing is close to delivery. 1
An EU-registered car that meets both used-car thresholds, on the other hand, does not trigger Swedish acquisition VAT solely because it is brought in. A private seller does not charge VAT. A dealer may show VAT separately or use other VAT treatment for a used car, so read the invoice and check the seller’s role rather than assuming anything from the advertisement. 1 2
Register the car in Sweden in the correct order
Once the car has arrived, the person who will be the Swedish registered owner applies to Transportstyrelsen for verification of origin. This is the first registration step and the published application fee is 1,240 kr. If the car changes owner before it has been entered in the Swedish Road Traffic Register, a completed verification of origin ceases to be valid; the new owner must apply again with a purchase document. 3 4
Only after approval may you book a registration inspection or individual approval with an inspection company. At the registration inspection, technical identity and environmental and road-safety requirements are checked, and the vehicle data to be entered in the Swedish Road Traffic Register are determined. Approved verification of origin is therefore not registration approval. 3
A valid compulsory test from an EU or EEA country may be brought when the car is presented for Swedish registration inspection. It is not accepted automatically and does not replace the registration inspection. Bring the APK report and ask the inspection company whether a Swedish periodic roadworthiness test is to be carried out. 3 4
After approved registration inspection or individual approval, the inspection company registers the car in the Swedish Road Traffic Register and a registration number is allocated. 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 insurance is required before activation for road use; payment information for vehicle tax follows after activation. 3
Make a budget without false precision
Do not calculate only the advertised price. Keep the options for driving yourself and using a carrier separate, include Swedish VAT only if the new-car criterion is met, and fill in quotes only once the car, route and dates are known. As almost all amounts are vehicle- or supplier-specific, do not set a total yet.
| Item | Amount | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | To be determined | Agreed price under the invoice or purchase document |
| Currency exchange and payment | To be determined | The bank’s rate and fees on the payment date |
| Pre-purchase inspection | Request a quote | Voluntary condition inspection before payment; not an authority inspection |
| Export plates | Request a quote | Only when driving yourself 6 |
| Foreign export and transit insurance | Request a quote | Exact car, driver, dates and every country on the route 6, 7 |
| Fuel or charging | To be determined | Only when driving yourself; actual route and consumption |
| Road and bridge charges | To be determined | Only when driving yourself; selected route |
| Ferry | Request a quote | Only if the selected self-drive route uses a ferry |
| Carrier | Request a quote | Alternative to driving yourself; do not add the alternatives together |
| Verification of origin | 1,240 kr | Transportstyrelsen’s published application fee 3, 4 |
| Registration inspection | Request a quote | Booked after approved verification of origin 3 |
| Possible periodic roadworthiness test | Request a quote | Decide with the inspection company after review of the APK documentation 3, 4 |
| Swedish registration plates | To be determined | After approval and allocation of a registration number 3 |
| Swedish compulsory motor third-party liability insurance | Request a quote | Valid before activation for road use and with no gap during use 3, 8 |
| Repairs | To be determined | After the condition inspection and inspection requirements |
| Tyres | To be determined | After condition, size and season |
| Vehicle tax | To be determined | Vehicle data and activation for road use determine this 3 |
| Swedish VAT | To be determined | Only if the car is new under the EU test; 25 % of the defined basis 1 |
| Contingency reserve | To be determined | Your own margin after known quotes have been entered |
| RDW export administration | Request a quote | All transport options; avoid double counting against the carrier’s quote 6 |
Checklist before payment and departure
| Check | Complete when | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| VIN matched | Car, original documents, agreement, APK and service documentation match | Before payment 5, 4 |
| RDW report reviewed | Mileage assessment, recalls, APK and gaps have been followed up | Before payment 5 |
| VAT category decided | Age, first registration, supply and mileage are documented | Before agreement 1, 2 |
| All originals secured | The parts of the registration certificate or applicable CoC are available | Before export 6, 4 |
| RDW export chain complete | Vrijwaringsbewijs, cut card or Deel 1B, and Deel II have been handed over | At export 6 |
| Transport evidenced | Registration, plate acceptance and insurance cover the entire route, or a carrier is booked | Before departure 6, 7 |
| Swedish steps planned | Date of entry, verification of origin, inspection, insurance and activation for road use have an owner and sequence | Before entry 3, 8 |
When is the car considered new for Swedish VAT?
It is new if it is supplied within six months of first use OR has been driven no more than 6,000 km. It becomes used in this VAT category only when it is older than six months AND has been driven more than 6,000 km. For a new car, SKV 5282 must be submitted and 25 % Swedish VAT declared and paid no later than 35 days after the purchase on the invoice price, supplied optional equipment and associated freight and handling. 1, 2
Is RDW’s vehicle report sufficient as history and proof of ownership?
No. Among other things, it can show owner type, recalls, APK and recorded odometer values, but not complete history, ownership, no damage or current condition. No mileage assessment means insufficient RDW information, not that the mileage has been verified. 5
Which Dutch export documents should I receive?
Keep the vrijwaringsbewijs, the cut registration card or Deel 1B, and the export certificate Deel II. The cut document and Deel II are used together for registration abroad. Replace missing registration papers before export and check whether the buyer can be named in the export. 6
May I drive to Sweden on the white export number?
Not automatically. The Dutch number may allow no more than 14 days’ driving on Dutch public roads, with insurance and a valid APK for a passenger car. You must separately verify acceptance of the plate and the validity of the insurance for every transit country, ferry leg, driver and date; otherwise the car should be transported. 6, 7
How long may I drive the car in Sweden after entry?
No more than one week without Swedish temporary registration, and only with foreign registration that permits unrestricted use, valid insurance and a legible registration certificate carried with you. Thereafter, temporary registration or a booking certificate is required; the latter applies only to the shortest appropriate route to and from the inspection; otherwise use a trailer. 8
Does a valid APK replace Swedish registration inspection?
No. A qualifying compulsory test from the EU or EEA may be provided to the inspection company, but is not automatically accepted and never replaces registration inspection. Bring the report and let the company determine whether a Swedish periodic roadworthiness test is also required. 3, 4
CarAudit’s public coverage page lists the Netherlands, but inspection of this particular car requires the seller to provide access and the time and place to be available. Therefore send an enquiry and wait for explicit confirmation of scope, price and availability before relying on the service. 9, 10
Sources
- Skatteverket — Moms på transportmedel
- Your Europe — VAT when buying or selling a car
- Transportstyrelsen — Vehicle import and verification of origin
- Transportstyrelsen — Import from an EU country
- RDW — Uitleg voertuigrapport
- RDW — Voertuig exporteren
- Your Europe — temporary plates for driving home a car bought abroad
- Transportstyrelsen — Application for temporary registration: import
- CarAudit — Frequently asked questions, English
- CarAudit — Contact, English
