Registration of foreign companies in Sweden

Before you start

Here you can check which information, documents and certificates you need to have available when you use our e-service.

Does the business have a permanent establishment?

Before you leave information about registering your company you need to make an evaluation whether the company manages its business from a permanent establishment in Sweden or not. You can read more about what it means to have a permanent establishment here.

• Permanent establishment or not

Are you a sole trader?

You must provide a copy of a valid passport or national ID document. If you are a citizen of a non-EU country, you also need to upload a document confirming your entitlement to stay in Sweden.

Do you need a corporate identity number?

You must provide a registration certificate that confirms the existence of the legal entity.

• This certificate could be an extract from the country of establishment's official business register, including details of the legal entity’s foreign corporate identity, address, signatories and business type.

Do you want to apply for F-tax approval?

You must provide a document proving that your business is free from debt.

• If you represent a legal entity, you need to prove that the business has no unpaid taxes and contributions in its country of establishment.
• As a sole trader, you need to prove that you have no unpaid taxes and contributions in the country in which you have stayed on a permanent basis during the past two years.
• You can request the required document from that country's relevant government agency – for example, its tax agency or equivalent authority.
• The document must have been issued within the past three months.

Other required documents

If the business is a close company, you must provide a document outlining its ownership structure.

• The term “close company” normally refers to limited companies and economic associations in which four or fewer partners own shares representing more than 50% of the total votes for all holdings in the company.
• You could provide an extract from the share register or an organisational chart, for example.
  

Documents proving freedom from debt for every director or individual with significant influence over the close company.

• These documents must prove that directors or individuals with significant influence have no unpaid taxes and contributions.
• A legal entity must have no outstanding unpaid taxes or contributions in the business's country of establishment. An individual (natural person) must have no such debts in the country in which they have stayed on a permanent basis during the past two years.
• You can request the required documents from that country's relevant government agency – for example, its tax agency or equivalent authority.
• The documents must have been issued within the past three months.

Do you want to register for VAT?

• You must provide documentation supporting your reason for applying for VAT registration, such as customs documents or proof of business investments made in Sweden.
• Power of attorney for representatives

Power of attorney/Vollmacht/Procuration/Fullmakt (SKV 5703)

Register for VAT (in Swedish)

Further information

Non-Swedish businesses with operations in Sweden