Sweden (SE)

While foreigners can legally purchase property without a personnummer, almost all Swedish mortgage lenders and the BankID digital signature system require one. Register with Skatteverket (Tax Agency) for a personnummer if you are living or working in Sweden. If you are buying without residency (non-resident purchase), you will need to arrange alternative forms of identification and may need to sign documents in person.

Use Hemnet.se (the dominant portal, fed by all major estate agencies) or Booli.se. Properties are typically shown at specific public viewing times (visningar) — book through the estate agent (mäklare) listing. Attend all relevant viewings as competition is high in Stockholm and Gothenburg.

For any bostadsrätt purchase, obtain and carefully read the BRF's årsredovisning (annual report). Key metrics: debt per square metre (skuldsättning per m²), monthly fee (månadsavgift) trend over 3–5 years, the maintenance plan (underhållsplan) for the building, and BRF financial health. A heavily indebted BRF or one facing major planned works (roof, pipes, lifts) will increase fees significantly. A BRF that pays its own fastighetsavgift through collective fees is common.

Get a mortgage pre-approval (lånelöfte) from your bank before entering bidding. Banks require: personnummer (for most lenders), proof of income, employment contract, and credit history. From 1 April 2026, the maximum LTV is 90% (deposit minimum 10%), raised from the previous 85%/15% rule. Non-residents or those without established Swedish income typically face lower LTV offers of 60–80% and must document foreign income carefully.

Swedish bidding (budgivning) is managed by the licensed mäklare. Bids are submitted by telephone or via the mäklare's portal and all current bids are visible to all participating bidders in real time. Bidding can escalate rapidly in Stockholm — final prices often 5–20% above asking. No deposit or commitment is required to bid; you can withdraw at any point until the purchase contract is signed.

After a bid is verbally accepted, the mäklare prepares a written purchase contract (köpekontrakt). Both parties sign (digitally via BankID or in person). A deposit (handpenning) of typically 10% of the purchase price is paid by the buyer at signing — this is held by the mäklare and forfeited if the buyer withdraws without legal grounds.

For a bostadsrätt purchase, the BRF board (styrelse) must formally approve your membership in the cooperative. This is almost always granted and is a formality in most cases, but the board has the legal right to reject applicants who do not meet the BRF's requirements (e.g. failure to demonstrate ability to pay the monthly fee). Approval typically takes a few days to one week.

On the agreed completion date (tillträdesdatum), the full balance is transferred from the buyer's bank to the seller via the mäklare's client account. Keys are handed over. For freehold (äganderätt): the buyer applies for lagfart (title registration) at Lantmäteriet within three months. For bostadsrätt: the BRF registers the share transfer in its membership register — no Lantmäteriet registration required.