Moving to the USA: customs and household goods
In the USA, household goods become duty free once you or your family have used them for at least a year. The container requires a security filing before it is loaded, and the car is liable to duty even when moved as household goods.
Two declarations, one on each side
Out of Sweden you submit an export declaration. Into the USA you submit U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Form 3299 for household goods that do not travel with you, and form 6059B for what you bring with you yourself.
Out of Sweden. Swedish Customs (Tullverket) require your household goods to be declared for export when you move to a country outside the EU. The declaration is made with commodity code 9905 00 00 for personal property, and you attach a list on which vehicles, TV, computer, fridge and other capital goods are listed separately. The removal company or a freight forwarder can do this for you.
Into the USA. Writing "household effects" is not enough for CBP. Form 3299 must be accompanied by a full inventory list, which counts as a packing list. If the form cannot be presented when the goods are cleared, you can provide a bond and submit it within six months.
When household goods become duty free
- Used for at least a year
- The household goods must have been used abroad for at least one year, by you or your family. The year does not have to be continuous.
- For your own use
- They must not be intended for anyone else or for sale.
- Newcomers and returning residents alike
- The rule applies to people moving to the USA for the first time and to Americans returning home.
- Need not travel with you
- The goods may arrive before or after you, and in several consignments.
Conditions for duty free household goods
What does not become duty free
- Goods used for less than a year
- Liable to duty, including what you bought on the way.
- Alcohol
- No duty exemption unless it travels with you. Duty, federal tax and state rules apply, and you must be 21.
- Meat, fresh fruit and vegetables
- Almost anything containing meat is prohibited, as are most fresh fruits and vegetables. Plants and seeds require a permit.
- Weapons and cultural objects
- Weapons require ATF forms. Stolen cultural property may not be brought in.
Liable to duty or restricted
If the load is shipped, the ISF must be filed 24 hours before the container is loaded. Otherwise it is held.
The container and ISF
If your household goods go by sea, an Importer Security Filing is required, known in the USA as 10+2, even for private household goods. It must be filed no later than 24 hours before the container is loaded onto the vessel in Europe, not when it arrives. A representative can file it, and you are identified by passport, country and date of birth. The goods are cleared at the first port of arrival, or sent on under customs control to another port.
The car
All vehicles are liable to duty in the USA, even when they are household goods. The duty rate for used cars has changed several times since 2025, so we check what applies to your particular car before it is shipped. In addition to the duty, you need EPA form 3520-1 and DOT form HS-7, the original bill of lading, the purchase document and the Swedish registration, and the underside must be cleaned of soil.
A car that does not meet U.S. requirements generally cannot be registered. The exception is cars at least 25 years old, which do not need to meet the safety requirements. If you are moving to the USA for the first time, you can bring your car in duty free temporarily, for up to one year, if it comes in connection with your arrival. If it does not meet U.S. requirements it must be exported within the year, and it may not be sold. Nor may the car be used as a removal container. On the Swedish side, it must be deregistered with the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen).
Read on
Is your company exporting goods to the USA? That is covered on our page about exporting to the USA.
Moving to another country outside the EU? Read about moving from Sweden.
The car must be deregistered on the Swedish side. How that works is covered on our page about exporting a car.
Common questions
Do I have to have owned the goods for a year?
No. The requirement is that they have been used abroad for at least one year, and it is enough that your family has used them. Nor does the year have to be continuous. Clothing, jewellery and cameras count as personal effects and are generally duty free if they are more than a year old.
What is ISF and who files it?
The Importer Security Filing is a security filing required for everything shipped to the USA, household goods included. It must be filed no later than 24 hours before the container is loaded onto the vessel, and without it the goods are held. A representative can file it for you.
Can a representative clear the goods for me?
Yes. A licensed customs broker can make the entry, and a representative may sign CBP Form 3299 under your power of attorney. CBP itself does not make entries on behalf of private individuals.
What happens if the goods are left at the port?
Goods that are not collected are moved to a customs warehouse after 15 days, at your risk and expense, and are sold at auction if they are not collected within six months. Plan the clearance before the container arrives.
How long do I have to bring in my household goods?
After ten years from your most recent arrival, the delay must have been caused by something you could not avoid, and after 25 years there is no duty exemption at all. In practice most goods are shipped in connection with the move.
