Moving from Sweden to the United States is a transatlantic sea move, with containers leaving the Port of Gothenburg for the American east coast, commonly New York and Newark, Baltimore or Norfolk, in roughly two to three weeks at sea before inland transfer. The United States is outside the European Union, so this is a customs import, cleared by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The encouraging part is that used personal and household effects are normally admitted free of duty when you are relocating and have owned and used them.
For Swedes the immigration route is the thing to settle first, because it shapes everything else. The United States has no free movement arrangement, so you need the right visa, whether an employment category, a treaty investor or trader route which Sweden qualifies for, a family route or the diversity visa, before you ship. On arrival the practical tasks are your Social Security Number and the customs paperwork, principally the declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles, CBP form 3299, lodged with a valued inventory.
What it costs to move from Sweden to United States.
What it really costs to move a household from Sweden to the United States in 2026, as indicative ranges by home size and method. Sea freight from Gothenburg is the standard, with shared container groupage the budget route and a sole use container faster and better protected.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in US dollars, before full packing, marine insurance, US port and clearance fees, and inland delivery beyond the arrival port. Air freight is far higher and suits essentials only. These are not binding figures.
Volume is the main driver, so a declutter before the survey saves money, since a shared container charges only for the cubic space you use. The American destination matters greatly, because a delivery near the east coast ports is a shorter inland run than one across the country to Texas, Colorado or California, where road transit adds cost. Season counts, with the European summer the busy departure window. And access at both ends, from a Stockholm apartment stairwell to a US suburb, affects crew time and price.
A realistic schedule for a transatlantic move.
The visa leads the whole timeline, then the transatlantic sea freight, then the settling tasks once you arrive in the United States.
Secure the visa
Obtain the right United States visa for your situation, whether an employment category, a treaty investor or trader visa for which Sweden qualifies, a family route or the diversity visa. Your visa and entry status underpin the duty free entry of your goods.
Book sailing and survey
Have movers run a video or in home survey for an accurate volume, then compare shared container groupage with a sole use container from Gothenburg on a like for like basis. Fix collection around the vessel schedule to the US east coast.
Prepare the customs file
Prepare your valued inventory and the declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles, CBP form 3299, with a supplemental declaration. Your passport, visa and the inventory support the duty free clearance of used household goods.
Load and cross
The packing crew attends one to two days before collection in Sweden. The container is sealed and sails roughly two to three weeks across the Atlantic to the US port, then transfers inland by road to your address.
Clear and settle
Your goods clear through U.S. Customs and Border Protection against your form 3299 and inventory, then deliver. Apply for your Social Security Number, open a US bank account, and arrange health insurance and a state driver license.
Bringing your goods into the United States duty free.
The United States is outside the European Union, so moving from Sweden is a customs import handled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The relief that matters is for personal and household effects, under which used goods that you have owned and used are normally admitted free of duty when you are relocating to the United States. Items generally need to have been in your possession and use, rather than new and bought for the move.
The mechanism is the declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles, CBP form 3299, supported by a supplemental declaration and a detailed valued inventory of your shipment. Your customs agent normally prepares and lodges these against your passport and visa. A precise packing list is essential, because the shipment clears line by line and the form records the basis on which your effects enter free of duty.
Some categories fall outside the simple relief, including alcohol and tobacco beyond personal limits, firearms and weapons which are tightly controlled, and certain foods, plants and animal products under agriculture and quarantine rules. Pets enter under United States health requirements, with rules that vary by animal and state. A vehicle can be imported but must meet federal safety and emissions standards, so most people from Sweden sell the car and buy in the United States.
How Swedes actually move to the United States.
The United States has no free movement arrangement, so Swedes need the right visa before the move. These are the realistic routes, in summary only.
Categories such as the specialty occupation visa, the intracompany transfer and the extraordinary ability visa let a US employer or your own firm sponsor you to live and work, each with its own conditions and, for some, annual caps.
- Basis
- Employment
- Sponsor
- Employer
- Examples
- Specialty, transfer
- Caps
- Some apply
Sweden holds a treaty with the United States, so the treaty investor and treaty trader visas are open to Swedes who invest in or trade substantially with a US business. They allow residence while you run the enterprise.
- Basis
- Treaty with US
- Need
- Investment or trade
- Open to
- Swedes
- Grants
- Residence
Spouses, children and other qualifying relatives of US citizens and permanent residents can immigrate through family categories, with timelines that depend on the relationship and category.
- Basis
- Family ties
- Sponsor
- Citizen or resident
- Grants
- Residence
- Timing
- Varies
Sweden is eligible for the diversity visa program, the green card lottery, which allocates a limited number of permanent residence places by random selection each year to applicants who meet the criteria.
- Basis
- Lottery
- Eligible
- Sweden
- Grants
- Permanent residence
- Places
- Limited
How to choose a mover for this route, with no names attached.
This site never names, ranks, or recommends a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that separates a safe international mover from a risky one. Apply it to every quote you receive on the Sweden to United States lane.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Sweden to the United States?
As indicative ranges for 2026, a 2 to 3 bedroom home runs roughly 4,200 to 10,000 US dollars by sea from Gothenburg, with shared container groupage cheapest and a sole use container more, before packing, insurance, US clearance and inland delivery. A cross country drop costs more. Get a binding quote from a survey.
How long does shipping from Sweden to the United States take?
Plan on about four to seven weeks door to door. The Atlantic crossing from Gothenburg to a US east coast port is roughly two to three weeks, with collection, consolidation, US customs clearance and inland transfer on either side. A delivery to the west or south adds road time.
Do I pay duty on my belongings moving from Sweden to the United States?
Normally no. Used personal and household effects you have owned and used are admitted free of duty when you relocate, declared on CBP form 3299 with a supplemental declaration and a valued inventory. New goods, alcohol and tobacco over limits, and controlled items sit outside the simple relief.
What is CBP form 3299?
CBP form 3299 is the declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Your agent lodges it with a supplemental declaration and a valued inventory so your used household goods clear free of duty. A precise packing list is essential because clearance is line by line.
Do Swedes need a visa to move to the United States?
Yes. There is no free movement arrangement, so Swedes arrange the right visa before moving, whether an employment category, a treaty investor or trader visa for which Sweden qualifies, a family route or the diversity visa. Visa waiver travel does not allow you to relocate, so secure status first.
Can I bring my car from Sweden to the United States?
Sometimes, but check first. A vehicle must meet United States federal safety and emissions standards, and many European models need costly modification or do not qualify. Given the freight cost, most people sell the car in Sweden and buy one after arriving in the United States.