Importing food into Sweden
How do I import food into Sweden?
Importing food into Sweden requires more planning than many other goods. It involves not only customs duty and VAT, but also food safety, documentation, labelling and sometimes special checks before the goods can be sold.
First establish whether the food comes from an EU country or from outside the EU. Imports from outside the EU normally require an import declaration, while intra-EU trade works differently. You also need to know whether the product is animal-based, plant-based, organic, prepacked or subject to specific rules.
Tullify helps businesses understand the steps required before shipment. We help with customs information, import declarations, document checks and practical guidance, making the import clearer, more reliable and easier to manage.
Which documents do I need?
The documents depend on the type of food, its country of origin and any specific rules. A typical import often needs an invoice, transport documents, a packing list and clear product information.
Food may also require origin details, a health certificate, analysis certificate, organic certificate, ingredient list, allergen information and evidence that the product may be sold in the EU. If you import wild-caught fish you also need a catch certificate from the authority of the vessel’s flag state. The certificate is registered in the EU’s CATCH system, mandatory since 10 January 2026, which has replaced the previous catch certificate portal. It must reach the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management no later than three working days before expected arrival. Farmed fish is normally not covered. Unclear documents can delay the import or require additional information.
Tullify helps check the documents needed for your case. This helps avoid problems at the border, errors in the import declaration and unnecessary delays when goods reach Sweden.
What does it cost to import food?
The cost of importing food often has several components. Look beyond the supplier’s price and include customs duty, VAT, freight, insurance, checks and administration.
Common costs to budget for include:
- Purchase price
- Freight to Sweden
- Insurance
- Any customs duty
- Import VAT
- Customs broker fees
- Inspection fees
- Terminal charges
- Storage costs if delayed
- Additional documents or certificates
Tullify helps you understand the costs before ordering. You can assess the transaction more realistically and avoid surprises once the goods are on their way.
What am I not allowed to import?
Not all food may be imported into Sweden. Some products are prohibited, restricted or require permits depending on origin, ingredients, hygiene risks, disease risks or EU rules. Check the product before shipment.
Examples include animal products from unapproved countries, food with excessive pesticide residues, unauthorised ingredients or missing documentation. Food supplements, novel foods and certain specialist products may also need additional checks.
Tullify helps establish whether the goods can be imported and what information is needed. Checking before purchase is better than discovering a problem when the goods reach the border.
Some food products require specific documentation
Food is not a single, simple category. Rules can differ greatly for meat, fish, dairy products, fruit, spices, rice, nuts, coffee, tea, supplements and prepacked products. Documentation must reflect the product.
Food of animal origin often requires more documentation than many plant-based products, including health certificates, pre-notification and checks at a border control post. Some plant-based foods from specific countries also require checks because of risks such as pesticide residues or contamination.
Tullify helps identify the type of food you are importing and the documents that may apply. This makes the process clearer and reduces errors when submitting the import declaration.
VAT and taxes on food
Import VAT must be handled correctly when importing food into Sweden. VAT-registered businesses normally report it to the Swedish Tax Agency. Otherwise, VAT may need to be paid to Swedish Customs.
Important points to check include:
- Whether the business is VAT-registered
- The VAT rate for the food. VAT on food has been 6% since 1 April 2026, a temporary reduction from 12% that runs until 31 December 2027. Most other goods carry 25%, so how the product is classified affects the amount directly. Spirits, wine and strong beer are excluded and carry 25%.
- Whether the product is treated as food or another type of goods
- The customs value established
- Whether duty or other charges form part of the VAT basis
- The VAT reporting period
- Documents needed for bookkeeping
Tullify helps with the customs information needed for a correct import. This makes it easier for you and your accountant to handle VAT and bookkeeping properly.
Importing food of animal origin
Food of animal origin includes meat, fish, milk, eggs and honey. These imports are often more tightly regulated because they can affect human and animal health. If the product contains both plant-based and processed animal ingredients it counts instead as a composite food, and separate rules apply. Shelf-stable composite products on the exemption list in Regulation (EU) 2021/630 avoid border controls but require a private attestation that you as the importer sign. Other composite foods are border-checked with a CHED-P. If the product contains raw animal ingredients it is a food of animal origin rather than a composite one, breaded raw prawns for example.
On imports from outside the EU, food of animal origin is always checked at a border control post. Every consignment must be pre-notified in TRACES NT and accompanied by an original official certificate. Before you buy you must also check that the country is approved by the European Commission, that it has an approved residue plan for the product, and that the establishment is approved or listed for export to the EU. If any of this is missing, the goods are stopped at the border.
Tullify helps you understand what information is needed for the import and customs declaration. We also identify documents to check before shipment to reduce stoppages and delays.
Importing plant-based food
Plant-based food includes fruit, vegetables, cereals, rice, nuts, spices, coffee and tea. Two different checks may apply. The Swedish Food Agency’s border control covers only the products and countries of origin singled out in safeguard measures, and there a CHED-D is required. The Swedish Board of Agriculture’s plant health check instead covers almost all fresh fruit and vegetables. These require a phytosanitary certificate from the authority in the exporting country and notification in TRACES with a CHED-PP. Only pineapple, banana, dates, durian and coconut are exempt. The notification must be in by 10:00 on the working day before the consignment can be checked, and by 13:00 at Stockholm Arlanda.
Some products from certain countries need additional checks because of previous issues with pesticides, mycotoxins, salmonella or other risks. Identifying the product alone is not enough: you also need its origin and current product category.
Tullify helps establish what applies to your goods. We can check documents, commodity codes, import information and the details needed for correct processing.
Food from countries outside the EU
Importing food from outside the EU normally involves more administration than intra-EU trade. The goods are entering the EU market and must meet customs, VAT, safety and control requirements.
Before importing, you often need to check:
- The country the goods come from
- Whether the country is approved for the product
- Whether border controls are required
- Whether a health certificate is needed
- Whether pre-notification is required
- The applicable commodity code
- The customs value to declare
- Any import restrictions
- Whether labelling meets Swedish requirements
Tullify helps organise the import before shipment. This makes it easier to avoid delays, requests for further information and avoidable costs.
Do I need to register as a food business?
Before you start importing food commercially you must start a food business and register it with your control authority. In most cases that is the municipality where the business has its registered office. If you already run a food business with other activities, you notify the same authority of the import so that it is added to your registration. The registration must be complete before the first consignment arrives.
Registration lets the authority know that you handle food and allows it to carry out checks. It can apply to businesses importing, storing, selling, distributing or otherwise handling food. Rules can vary according to whether the business is local, national or linked to specific product categories.
Tullify can help with the import process and advise on what to check before starting. We help you understand the customs documents and information needed, and which regulatory questions to resolve.
Labelling, ingredients and allergens
Food sold in Sweden needs correct information, including the product name, ingredients, allergens, net weight, shelf life, storage, origin and responsible business. Incorrect labelling can cause problems even if the import itself is cleared.
Labelling is especially important for prepacked food. Information must be clear to consumers and comply with Swedish and EU rules. Allergen information is particularly important because incorrect or unclear information can put consumers at risk.
Tullify does not write the entire label for you, but we can help you understand why labelling and product information need checking before import. You can then ask the supplier the right questions in good time.
Common food import mistakes
Many problems arise when a business orders first and checks the rules afterwards. This can be expensive, especially for fresh, temperature-sensitive or short-shelf-life goods.
Common mistakes include:
- Unclear commercial invoices
- Wrong commodity codes
- Missing certificates
- Not checking border control requirements
- Inadequate product descriptions
- Incorrect customs value
- Incorrect VAT treatment
- Unclear delivery terms
- Not checking labelling
- Contacting a customs broker too late
Tullify helps you avoid these errors by checking information early. This improves the process, reduces surprises and makes the import more reliable from start to finish.
Importing organic food
Organic food often needs special handling at import. A supplier calling a product organic is not enough. The correct rules, certificates and checks must be met for it to be sold as organic in Sweden.
Businesses importing organic food must notify the Swedish Food Agency, join a Swedish control body and register in TRACES NT before the first import. Every consignment must have an organic certificate of inspection, a COI, drawn up in TRACES NT and signed by the exporter’s control body before the goods leave the country of dispatch. The check is booked at least one working day before arrival, and the consignment may not be cleared until the Swedish Food Agency’s border control has approved the certificate. On clearance you enter document code C644 followed by the COI number. Organic goods from Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein need no COI. Missing or incorrect documents may prevent the product being sold as organic, even if it was organically produced.
Tullify helps with import documentation and advises on what to check before buying organic goods abroad. This is particularly important when organic status is central to the product’s value and marketing.
Temperature, shelf life and transport
Food is often more sensitive than other goods. Temperature, humidity, hygiene, transit time and handling can determine whether it is still saleable on arrival. Logistics therefore need careful planning.
This is especially important for chilled and frozen goods, fresh produce, meat, fish, dairy products and short-shelf-life products. Delays caused by missing documents can quickly reduce their value or make them unsaleable.
Tullify reduces administrative delay risks by checking customs documentation in advance. We help ensure the import declaration and documents are better prepared when the goods reach Sweden.
We help with the whole food import process
Importing food can feel difficult because several things must work together: correct documents, commodity codes, import declarations, VAT records and any control requirements.
Tullify can help with:
- Import declarations
- Document checks
- Commodity codes
- Customs value
- Import VAT
- Commercial invoice checks
- Transport document checks
- Pre-import advice
- Requests for additional information
- Smoother customs clearance
Send us your documents and we help you understand what is needed. Our aim is to make food imports more reliable, straightforward and predictable for your business.
Pre-notification is submitted in the EU’s TRACES NT system using a Common Health Entry Document, CHED. It should normally be submitted at least one working day before the consignment enters EU territory. Goods cannot leave the port or airport until it is approved. Choosing the wrong type or entering details that do not match the health certificate will stop the consignment.
Read on
Food of animal origin and plants may require a CHED.
How the import declaration is lodged is covered on our page about the import declaration.
More guides are collected in our customs guides.
