You can buy a house in Sweden from outside the EU. What you cannot do is move in on the strength of owning it. This guide separates the two and covers stays, taxes and the journey to Värmland.
Buying: open to non-EU citizens
Sweden places no restriction on who may own a house. Nationality and place of residence don't matter. An American, Canadian or British buyer has the same right to buy as a Swede. The background is in Can a foreigner buy a house in Sweden?
One practical point is new. For purchases signed from 1 July 2026, the lagfart (registration of ownership with Lantmäteriet) requires a Swedish personnummer or a coordination number (samordningsnummer). As a buyer from abroad you apply to Skatteverket for the coordination number and attend an identity check in person. The details are in Buying without a Swedish bank account or personnummer.
Irish buyers are EU citizens. They can stay in Sweden for up to three months without registering and may stay longer under EU free-movement rules. The visa and residence points below apply to non-EU buyers.
Owning a house does not give you the right to live in Sweden
This is the most important point on this page. Buying property is not a route to a Swedish residence permit. There is no "golden visa" in Sweden. The Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) has told the press that everyone who applied for a residence permit on the basis of owning property was rejected. A residence permit needs its own ground, such as work, studies, family ties or running a business, each with its own requirements.
The 90/180 rule for holiday use
Sweden is part of the Schengen area. Citizens of the UK, the USA and Canada can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- The 180 days are a rolling window. On every day of your stay you count back 180 days and add up all days spent in Schengen countries.
- Days in other Schengen countries count too. A week in Norway or Germany before you reach your house uses up the same allowance.
- The EU offers an online short-stay calculator to check your dates.
- For UK travellers, the UK government also notes passport rules: issued less than ten years before arrival and valid for at least three months after you leave. Under the EU Entry/Exit System you may have to register fingerprints and a photo at the border.
For a holiday home, 90 days in 180 is workable: a long summer and a winter visit, for example. It is not enough to live there.
Staying longer as a visitor
Non-EU citizens can apply to Migrationsverket for a visitor's residence permit for stays of more than 90 days. For tourists the maximum is six months. Migrationsverket asks for at least SEK 700 per day of the stay and individual health insurance valid in Sweden. The permit does not allow you to work or to settle.
Working holiday for Canadians aged 18 to 30
Young Canadians have an option that Britons and Americans do not. Under Sweden's arrangement with Canada, Canadian citizens aged 18 to 30 can apply for a working holiday permit:
- Up to 12 months, never longer than your passport is valid. It cannot be extended.
- At least SEK 15,000 for your first time in Sweden, shown with a recent bank statement.
- Comprehensive health insurance for the whole stay.
- A return ticket or the money to buy one.
- The first application must be made from outside Sweden, through a Swedish embassy or consulate.
The Government of Canada notes that you can take part in the youth mobility programmes twice, the second time in a different category. Migrationsverket does not list the UK or the USA among the countries with a working holiday arrangement with Sweden. Conditions change, so check both official pages before you apply.
Taxes as a foreign owner
This section explains how the Swedish side works. It is not tax advice.
The annual property fee
Every house owner pays the municipal property fee (fastighetsavgift). For houses in 2026 it is 0.75 per cent of the tax assessment value, capped at SEK 10,425. For an inexpensive rural house the percentage is usually the lower figure. The person who owns the house on 1 January pays for the whole year. Owners living abroad pay it too and must file a Swedish income tax return, even with no Swedish income.
When you sell
If you sell a private home at a gain, Sweden taxes 22/30 of the gain at 30 per cent. That is an effective 22 per cent of the gain.
Your home country
Your home country may also want to tax the gain, or rental income if you let the house. Sweden has double taxation agreements with the UK, the USA, Canada and Ireland. These decide which country may tax what and how double taxation is relieved. US citizens are taxed by the USA wherever they live. Speak to a tax adviser in your home country before you buy.
The one-off costs of buying, such as stamp duty, are listed in Closing costs and taxes when buying.
Using the house as a holiday home
Most non-EU buyers use the house the way many Swedes use their summer cottage: a few weeks or months a year. That is common in Värmland. According to Statistics Sweden, about 23 per cent of holiday homes in the county were owned by people living abroad in 2025, one of the highest shares in the country.
What to plan for when the house stands empty:
- Winter. Decide whether the house is kept warm or drained. Your insurer will have rules on this.
- A local contact. Someone who checks the house after storms and clears snow if needed.
- Technology. Well, sewage and heating need attention. See Well, sewage, heating and radon.
Getting to Värmland
Värmland lies in west-central Sweden, between Oslo and Stockholm. Karlstad is the main town.
- Oslo to Karlstad: about 225 km.
- Gothenburg to Karlstad: about 250 km. By bus or train about 2.5 to 3 hours.
- Stockholm to Karlstad: about 300 km. By train about 3 hours.
- Karlstad has a small airport with limited scheduled service. Check the current timetable before you plan around it.
From North America and the UK, the usual routes are into Oslo, Gothenburg or Stockholm. For rural houses you will need a car. Bus services in the countryside are thin, and the last kilometres are often a gravel road.
How a purchase with Rabenfels works from abroad
- The purchase contract is bilingual, Swedish and English. The Swedish version is binding.
- You pay in euros to a European bank account. A Swedish bank account is not needed.
- I book your appointment at Skatteverket for the coordination number. If you want me to come along and translate, that is a flat fee of EUR 500.
- Rabenfels files the lagfart with Lantmäteriet for you.
- Houses are sold as they are (befintligt skick), with the known defects named openly before you sign.
The current listing: House near a lake in Storfors, Värmland, EUR 79,500. For price levels in general, see What does a house in Sweden cost?
Frequently asked questions
Can Americans, Canadians and Britons buy a house in Sweden?
Yes. Sweden does not restrict property ownership by nationality or residence. You need a valid passport, the money, and, for purchases signed from 1 July 2026, a Swedish coordination number for the registration of ownership (lagfart).
Does buying a house in Sweden give me a residence permit?
No. Owning property is not a ground for a Swedish residence permit. The Swedish Migration Agency has rejected applications based on property ownership.
How long can I stay in my Swedish house?
Citizens of the UK, the USA and Canada can generally stay visa-free in the Schengen area for 90 days in any 180-day period, counting all Schengen countries. For longer visits you can apply to Migrationsverket for a visitor's residence permit, for tourists up to six months, which does not allow work or settling.
Can young Canadians live and work in Sweden for a year?
Canadian citizens aged 18 to 30 can apply for a working holiday permit for up to 12 months. Migrationsverket requires at least SEK 15,000, comprehensive health insurance and a return ticket or the money for one, and the first application is made from outside Sweden. Check the current conditions before applying.
What taxes do I pay as a foreign owner?
Owners pay the annual municipal property fee (fastighetsavgift), for houses in 2026 0.75 per cent of the tax assessment value, capped at SEK 10,425, and must file a Swedish tax return. On a sale, the gain on a private home is taxed at an effective 22 per cent in Sweden. Sweden has tax treaties with the UK, the USA, Canada and Ireland; ask a tax adviser how they apply to you.
Which airport is closest to Värmland?
Karlstad, the main town of Värmland, is about 225 km from Oslo, about 250 km from Gothenburg and about 300 km from Stockholm. Karlstad has a small airport with limited scheduled service. Most visitors from overseas fly into Oslo, Gothenburg or Stockholm and continue by car, train or bus.
Sources
- Lantmäteriet: Information om lagändringar från den 1 juli 2026
- The Local: Can you get a residency permit if you buy property in Sweden? (2024, with statements from Migrationsverket)
- Belgian Immigration Office: The 90/180 rule and the EU short-stay calculator
- GOV.UK: Sweden travel advice: entry requirements
- Migrationsverket: Visit Sweden for more than 90 days
- Migrationsverket: Working holiday visa for young people
- Government of Canada: Work and travel in Sweden
- Your Europe (EU): Residence rights for EU citizens
- Skatteverket: Belopp och procent 2026 (property fee cap)
- Skatteverket: Fastighetsavgift och fastighetsskatt
- Skatteverket: Räkna ut vinst, förlust och skatt (22 per cent effective on gains)
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Sweden: foreign tax relief and tax treaties
- Statistics Sweden (SCB): Foreign ownership of holiday homes in Sweden 2025
- Karlstad University: Travel to Karlstad (distances and travel times)
Status: October 2026. All information without guarantee. This guide is not legal, immigration or tax advice.