Buying a flat in Sweden is a bit like joining a club that has rules about everything except who you are. The state does not care about your passport; the co-operative, the bank and the bidding round care a great deal about your numbers.
That is the good news for a foreigner. The harder news is that there are two different ways to own, and the one most people buy in the cities is not what you think.
Can foreigners start buying property in Sweden?
Yes. The old law that made some purchases subject to permit was repealed on 1 January 2000, and a housing co-operative cannot demand a nationality as a condition of membership. EU citizens, Swiss, British and others buy on the same legal terms as Swedes.
Two caveats. Agricultural and forest land can need a permit under the land acquisition act whatever your nationality, so check with the agent or the land registry (Lantmäteriet). And an official inquiry (SOU 2024:84) proposes notification and prior authorisation for buyers from outside the EEA of property sensitive for national defence; we found no bill before Parliament at 20 October 2026, so watch this point. See moving to Sweden from the UK.
What is the difference between a bostadsrätt and a house?
A bostadsrätt is not a freehold. You buy a right to use an apartment by becoming a member of a housing co-operative (bostadsrättsförening), which owns the building. You pay a monthly fee (månadsavgift) that covers the building's costs and often its debts. A fastighet is a house or land in full ownership, which you register at the Lantmäteriet.
The difference decides your costs. A bostadsrätt carries no registration or mortgage deed; a house carries stamp duty and registration fees. Detailed figures below.
How do you buy a bostadsrätt step by step?
- Line up your financing first. Ask the bank for a lånelöfte, an agreement in principle, before you bid.
- Use an estate agent (fastighetsmäklare). Most sales happen through open bidding (budgivning). Check that the agent is registered with the supervisory authority.
- Read the association's annual report and statutes. Its finances, debts and the monthly fee weigh on your budget. The fee can rise if the association is in debt.
- Sign a written transfer agreement (överlåtelseavtal), stating the flat and the price.
- Apply for membership. The board cannot refuse you if you meet the statutes and it should reasonably accept you; a clause demanding a nationality or a specific income has no effect. If the board refuses, the sale is void.
Bidding fast, with a bank that wants documents, in a language you are still learning? Moovy can explain the sequence for your case, translate the annual report's key lines and draft your questions to the agent and the association, so you can send them yourself.
How do you buy a house or land?
- Sign the deed of sale (köpebrev) by hand. An electronic signature is not enough for registration.
- Apply for the title registration (lagfart) at the Lantmäteriet within three months of the purchase, online with an e-ID or through a representative, or by post with the original deed. Processing takes about eight working days when nothing is missing (October 2026), plus two days to receive the decision.
- Mortgage deeds. The bank uses the pantbrev already registered on the property; if there are not enough, a new mortgage registration (inteckning) is requested and taxed.
- After the purchase, report your change of address to the Tax Agency and insure the home.
What do you pay in taxes and fees?
For a house or land, according to the Lantmäteriet in 2026:
- Stamp duty (stämpelskatt): 1.5 per cent for an individual, 4.25 per cent for a company, on the higher of the purchase price and last year's tax value, rounded down to the nearest 1,000 SEK.
- Title registration fee: 825 SEK, always due.
- New mortgage deed: 2 per cent of the registered amount, plus 375 SEK per registration. Existing pantbrev can be reused without new tax.
- Agent's commission: set by contract with the seller, normally paid by the seller.
Property tax on a detached house is the municipal fee: 0.75 per cent of the tax value, capped at 10,425 SEK in 2026, according to the Tax Agency.
How much can you borrow, and what must you repay?
Since 1 April 2026, a bank can lend at most 90 per cent of the home's market value, so you need a deposit (kontantinsats) of at least 10 per cent. That is down from 85 per cent previously. Raising an existing loan is limited to 80 per cent.
You must amortise, meaning repay capital: at least 1 per cent a year if the loan is above 50 per cent of the value, 2 per cent above 70 per cent. A new home may be exempt for up to five years for the first owner. The extra amortisation for loans above 4.5 times gross income was abolished.
These rules apply to everyone. What differs is the bank: the law sets a ceiling, not a right to credit. Banks look at your income, your history and sometimes the length of your stay. Without a personnummer or Swedish income, a loan is rarely possible, and each bank decides. Rules still move: the law has been modified already, so check the version in force when you buy. See bank account in Sweden.
What are the traps when buying property in Sweden?
- Underestimating the monthly fee of a bostadsrätt, which adds to your loan.
- Bidding without a loan promise.
- Forgetting the title registration. Without it you are not registered as the owner.
- Signing a house deed electronically.
- Renting out later. A bostadsrätt owner needs the association's or the tribunal's consent. See renting in Sweden.
- Opening costs. A 10 per cent deposit does not cover stamp duty and mortgage deeds on a house.
What will a purchase cost you up front?
The answer depends on what you buy, so work from the rules above rather than from a typical example. A bostadsrätt carries no stamp duty and no mortgage deed, so your upfront cash is mainly the deposit (at least 10 per cent of the value under the 90 per cent rule), any membership or transfer fee set by the association's statutes, and your agent's and lawyer's costs if you hire one. The monthly outgoings are your loan repayments plus the association's månadsavgift.
For a house the picture changes. Buying property in Sweden in the form of a house means stamp duty on the title registration and the 825 SEK registration fee. If the existing mortgage deeds do not cover your loan, a new mortgage registration carries its own stamp duty and fee. The Lantmäteriet's page on stamp duty and fees sets out the rates and has a tool to calculate the amounts for your case, which depend on the tax value and on how many deeds already exist.
Then add the amortisation described above. If you buy a newly built home you may be exempt from amortisation for up to five years as the first owner, at the bank's discretion.
Because each bank sets its own credit conditions, ask two or three for a lånelöfte and compare the interest rates, which the Financial Supervisory Authority publishes on average and shows can differ widely between customers. Negotiate. And keep your answers on paper: your agreement in principle is what lets you bid with confidence.
Should you buy right away?
Probably not. Renting second-hand for a few months lets you see neighbourhoods, winters and commutes, and gives you time to receive a personnummer, which banks need. Then buy with a clear budget and a lånelöfte in hand.