EORI number in Sweden:
everything you need to know about the identification number

EORI number stands for Economic Operators Registration and Identification Number. It is required for intra-European as well as export and import activities in Europe and can be requested in Sweden, among other states. All information on how to apply, the format and the usefulness of the Swedish EORI number can be found in the following article.

What is a Swedish EORI number?

EORI numbers were introduced as part of the registration and identification system for economic operators in the European Union and are used to clearly identify every economic operator who transports goods and products across European borders.

The country-specific numbers can be requested in every European state and first of all indicate where the economic operator is registered. However, they can be used across the board and therefore, unlike in the case of the VAT identification number, each company only needs to apply for and have a single EORI number. They can then be used for transports to and from the issuing country, but also for imports and exports to and from other countries.

Who needs the number in Sweden?

Every economic operator who completes customs declarations needs an EORI number. Therefore, all private individuals, online sellers, companies, and transporters, amongst others, need an EORI number as soon as they transport goods across borders. This includes the external as well as the internal European borders of the Union.

There are some exceptions here as well:

• Irregular customs declarations and
• Additional Company branches

First of all, economic operators only apply for EORI numbers if they regularly transport goods across borders. Small companies or private individuals who only complete a few transports per year are supposed to be sheltered from this administrative effort. The limit here is nine customs declarations per year. You only have to register if you submit more than nine declarations in that timeframe. 

Second, branches of multinationally active companies do not have to and may not apply for separate EORI numbers. Instead, they are supposed to use the number of the headquarters. In some countries, digits are added to the EORI numbers which then identify each location. You can find more information about these regulations and exceptions on our EORI overview page.

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What does a Swedish EORI number look like?

EU-wide, an EORI number always consists of a combination of letters that identify the country in which the number was applied for, as well as a, depending on the EU country, nine- to fifteen-digit number combination, that clearly identifies the economic operator. The country code, also called ISO code, for Sweden is SE.

In the case of Sweden, the country code is followed by 10 digits. Which number combination is attached to the ISO code depends on which group of economic operators the applicant can be assigned to. A distinction is made between four groups:

• Swedish companies registered in Sweden
• Swedish natural persons
• Non-European economic operators registered in Sweden
• non-European economic operators

The most common case is Swedish companies, which of course are also registered in Sweden. For them, the Swedish EORI number consists of the ISO code and the company registration number. Private individuals use their Swedish personal identity number instead. In these two cases, an EORI number can look like this:

SE5512345678

However, if the economic operators are not based in Sweden, the EORI numbers look different. In the case of companies that do not come from the European Union but are registered for VAT in Sweden, the ISO code is also followed by ten digits. However, these always start with 502 or 302 and thus look like this:

SE5022345678

SE3022345678

Such non-European companies that are not registered for VAT in Sweden, but have nevertheless applied for an EORI number, receive a number that starts with 444 and can look like this:

SE4442345678

As has become clear, mainly Swedish companies and private individuals register for the EORI system in Sweden. This is because European economic operators should always register in their own country. But why are non-European companies trying to get an EORI number in Sweden? There are usually two reasons for this:

• OSS registration in Sweden
• Import and export in Sweden

Anyone who transports a lot of goods to and via Sweden will also register there for the EORI system, because the administrative processes then stay inside the country. The same applies to companies, which are OSS-registered in Sweden. OSS and EORI are two independent systems, but both registrations are useful for successful trading in Europe or even mandatory for this purpose. Anyone who hires a Swedish tax advisor to take care of OSS registration and the submission of OSS reports in Sweden can also use this service provider to take care of EORI and customs matters. This saves time and administrative costs. You can find out more about the One Stop Shop on our OSS overview page.

How do I get a Swedish EORI number?

As in other countries of the European Union, the application for an EORI number in Sweden can be completed online. However, this is not always necessary. Economic operators based in Sweden who have at least one valid declaration issued by Swedish Customs are already automatically registered in the national database and have thus automatically received an EORI number. You can easily find out whether this applies to you using the EORI validation procedure of the European Union online.

If you do not already have an EORI number, you can apply for one online via the Swedish customs authorities’ website. Unlike many other EU countries, the website and the form are available in English in Sweden. Foreign companies can, therefore, easily register themselves. The website also provides more detailed information on the EORI system in Sweden.

If you still need advice on the subject of EORI in Europe, the hellotax team is at your side. We are happy to help you with the selection of your options and with all tasks relating to intra-European online trading. Contact us today!