Moving from Sweden to the Dominican Republic (2026): Complete Guide

Relocating from Sweden to the Dominican Republic means closing out one of Europe’s most digitised administrative systems on the export side, then working through the Dominican Republic’s residency-linked customs process on the import side. This guide is written for a Swedish resident — Swedish citizen or existing resident — planning a household-goods move to the Dominican Republic, and covers both halves of the corridor: leaving Sweden correctly with Tullverket and Skatteverket, and clearing customs and immigration in the Dominican Republic with the Dirección General de Aduanas (DGA) and the Dirección General de Migración. It also covers the reverse move, Dominican Republic to Sweden, briefly at the end.

Key takeaways

• Sweden requires a formal export declaration for personal belongings leaving the EU, filed with Tullverket using commodity code 9905 00 00 and procedure code 1000, either by you or your moving company — Tullverket.
• You must report your move abroad to Skatteverket (population registration authority) if you’ll be away one year or more, via e-service or form SKV 7665; your status changes from "Bosatt" to "Utvandrad" — Skatteverket.
• Leaving Sweden does not automatically end your Swedish tax liability — "väsentlig anknytning" (essential ties: a retained home, family, or business in Sweden) can keep you fully taxable there — Skatteverket.
• The Dominican Republic’s duty exemption for household goods (menaje de casa) is a one-time benefit under Law 146-00 (amending Law 14-93), available to foreigners who have obtained Dominican residency and to qualifying returning Dominicans — DGA.
• Your Dominican immigration status determines customs treatment: you generally need a residency application in process or approved (e.g. Temporary Residence RT-9) before the household-goods exemption applies — Dirección General de Migración.
• Pets need a health certificate that is endorsed by an official veterinarian at the port of embarkation in Sweden and meets DIGEGA’s rabies-timing and identification rules — DIGEGA.
• Carrying more than US$10,000 in cash or equivalent into or out of the Dominican Republic must be declared to DGA using the currency declaration form, with proof of lawful origin — DGA.
• Vehicle imports are heavily taxed; a partial exemption (20–60%) exists only for qualifying returning Dominicans or new foreign residents, is a one-time benefit, and carries a resale restriction — confirm current thresholds and lock-in periods with DGA before shipping a car — DGA.

1. How your Dominican immigration status determines customs treatment

Everything on the Dominican import side hinges on your immigration status, not just what you’re shipping. The Dirección General de Migración issues several categories relevant to a Swedish mover: Temporary Residence (RT-9, valid one year, renewable), and Residency by Investment as a Rentista for those with a permanent foreign income or pension of at least US$2,000/month — Dirección General de Migración. A visa is typically the first step before applying for RT-9 or work residency from outside the country.

Customs follows immigration: the household-goods duty exemption under Law 146-00 is explicitly for foreigners who have obtained residency permission in the Dominican Republic, and it can only be used once per person — DGA. If you arrive as a tourist and ship a container before your residency file is at least underway, you risk paying full duties instead of qualifying for the exemption. In practice this means sequencing matters: start (or complete) your Dominican residency application before your sea or air freight departs Sweden, so your paperwork is in order when your shipment lands and you request your customs appointment.

2. The Sweden export side: customs, deregistration and tax exit

Customs authority. Tullverket is Sweden’s customs authority and the one you deal with when exporting your household goods to a non-EU country like the Dominican Republic. You (or your moving company on your behalf) must lodge an export declaration — the Single Administrative Document (SAD) — before your goods leave the EU. Capital goods (vehicles, TVs, computers, refrigerators) must be itemised; everything else can be grouped under collective descriptions such as "books," "household goods," "linen" and "clothing." Use commodity code 9905 00 00 for personal property belonging to an emigrant and procedure code 1000 for ordinary export — Tullverket. If you’re exporting cultural property (antiques, art, certain older items), you may separately need an export licence from the Swedish National Heritage Board before Tullverket will clear it.

Deregistration. Sweden’s population-registration authority is Skatteverket. Anyone registered in Sweden ("folkbokförd") who will live abroad for a year or more must report it, either through Skatteverket’s e-service or on paper form SKV 7665. Once processed, your civil-registration status flips from "Bosatt" (resident) to "Utvandrad" (emigrated) — you keep your Swedish citizenship and personal number, but you stop being counted as a resident for population-registration purposes. Reporting late means you’re recorded as having emigrated only from the date Skatteverket actually receives your report, which can create tax complications, so file it as close as possible to your actual departure.

Tax exit. Emigrating does not automatically make you a limited (non-resident) taxpayer. Skatteverket applies a "väsentlig anknytning" (essential connection) test: if you keep a permanent home in Sweden, your spouse or minor children stay behind, you continue running an active Swedish business, or you retain significant Swedish financial assets, you can remain fully (unlimited) tax liable in Sweden on your worldwide income even after moving — Skatteverket. During the first five years after moving, the burden of proof is on you to show the connection no longer exists. If a genuine, clean tax exit matters to you, address housing, family relocation timing, and any Swedish company ownership before you leave, and get personal tax advice — this guide is not a substitute for that.

Vehicle note. If you’re shipping a car, deregister it with the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen) as part of the export process, separate from the Tullverket export declaration.

3. Ports & transit — Sweden to the Dominican Republic

Sweden’s principal container port for household-goods sea freight is the Port of Gothenburg (Göteborgs Hamn), the largest port in the Nordics; Stockholm handles some cargo but Gothenburg is the standard departure point for most intercontinental household shipments. On the Dominican side, the main cargo gateways are the Port of Río Haina, west of Santo Domingo, and the Multimodal Caucedo terminal, which together handle the bulk of the country’s container traffic; Puerto Plata on the north coast is also a state-owned commercial port, though it is now used mainly for cruise and tourism traffic. All commercial ports fall under the Autoridad Portuaria Dominicana (APORDOM).

These transit times are freight-industry estimates, not figures published by any customs or port authority, and vary by carrier, season and routing:

• Sea freight (Gothenburg → Río Haina/Caucedo, typically transshipped via a North European or North American hub): roughly 6–10 weeks door-to-door once you include origin consolidation, ocean transit, and Dominican customs clearance.
• Air freight (Stockholm/Gothenburg → Santo Domingo Las Américas or Punta Cana, usually via a European or US hub): 3–7 days flight and transit, plus a few additional days for Dominican customs processing.

Because the household-goods duty exemption in the Dominican Republic requires your presence and specific paperwork at the point of clearance (see Section 4), build buffer time into your plan rather than assuming clearance happens the moment the container lands.

4. The Dominican Republic import side: customs form and process

The Dominican customs authority is the Dirección General de Aduanas (DGA), and household-goods clearance is a distinct, in-person process. In practice it works like this:

1. Complete the household-goods declaration form ("Formulario Declaración de Ajuares"), fillable online or by typewriter, then printed, signed, and produced in three copies — available at aduanas.gob.do or from DGA’s reception desk.
2. Prepare a detailed packing list, specifying the number of packages/boxes and the contents of each.
3. Gather supporting documents: two copies of your passport (valid at least two years), proof of your residency status/application, the Bill of Lading (B/L) or Air Waybill (AWB) in the name of the goods’ owner, the tax liquidation sheet ("Printer" sheet, signed and sealed by the verifier, audit and collections departments), and — depending on your civil status — an updated marriage or divorce certificate.
4. Request a customs appointment ("cita") specifically for the moving/household-goods exemption; DGA will confirm the exact documents needed for your case at that appointment.
5. Attend in person. Presenting the paperwork is personal — the owner of the goods must be physically in the Dominican Republic to complete the exemption process, it cannot be delegated entirely to a third party.

The exemption is granted once, under Law 146-00 (amending Law 14-93, Article 13-d), to foreigners who have obtained Dominican residency permission and to qualifying returning Dominicans who have lived abroad — DGA. Related documents referenced in the exemption process include a Communication of Exemption addressed to DGA, Form F-49, and the Unified Customs Declaration (DUA), which your customs broker or moving agent typically prepares alongside the household-goods form.

5. Pets: official rules on both ends

Leaving Sweden. Jordbruksverket, Sweden’s agriculture agency, states plainly that responsibility for checking the destination country’s entry requirements rests with the person exporting the animal — Sweden doesn’t clear pets for entry into non-EU countries, it only handles Swedish-side identification and vaccination documentation. Tullverket covers the customs side of travelling with dogs and cats. You’ll need your animal microchipped and rabies-vaccinated, with an official veterinary health certificate for the export, since the Dominican side (below) requires it to be countersigned by an official veterinarian at the Swedish port of embarkation.

Entering the Dominican Republic. The Dirección General de Ganadería (DIGEGA) sets the import rules for dogs and cats:

• Dogs and cats can enter without a prior import permit, but must arrive with a health certificate and an up-to-date vaccination card from the country of origin; animals that don’t meet the requirements are sent to a quarantine station instead of being released.
• The health certificate must be issued and signed by a veterinarian, then countersigned and sealed by an official veterinarian at the port of embarkation (i.e., in Sweden).
• It must state the name and address of the accompanying person in the Dominican Republic, and full animal identification: name, breed, sex, colour, date of birth, and microchip/tattoo number.
• It must list vaccines administered and internal/external parasite treatments (deworming products with manufacturer and active ingredient specified), accompanied by a vaccination record with the vaccine stickers/lot numbers, manufacturing and expiry dates.
• Rabies timing: adult dogs with an established rabies-vaccination and booster history do not need to observe a waiting period after the shot before travelling. Puppies and animals without an established vaccination history are subject to DIGEGA’s standard post-vaccination waiting period — confirm the current minimum age and exact waiting-period rules directly with DIGEGA or your exporting vet close to your travel date, since these operational details can change.
• Pets other than dogs/cats need a specific permit from DIGEGA’s livestock director.

6. Vehicles, money and things people forget

Vehicles. Importing a car into the Dominican Republic is expensive by default. A partial exemption of the arancel (import duty) and other import taxes — between 20% and 60%, set by the Ministry of Finance — is available under longstanding legislation (originating in Law 168-67 and carried forward through Law 146-00), but only to Dominicans who have lived abroad for a qualifying minimum period (commonly cited as two years or more) or to foreigners establishing residency, and generally only for a used vehicle that was already registered in your name before you established residency. It is a one-time benefit and imported vehicles typically carry a resale restriction for a period set by DGA. Because eligibility windows, percentages and resale-lock periods are set by regulation and can change, use DGA’s official vehicle tax calculator and confirm current terms with DGA or a licensed customs broker before deciding whether shipping your Swedish car makes financial sense — for most movers, it doesn’t.

Money. Carrying more than US$10,000 (or the equivalent in pesos or other currency, including bearer securities) into or out of the country must be declared to DGA officers on the currency declaration form at entry/exit, with documentation proving the funds’ lawful origin; there’s no tax on the money itself, but undeclared amounts risk confiscation and can be treated as a criminal (contraband) matter rather than a simple administrative one — DGA.

Things people forget:

• Your residency status needs to be underway before your shipment arrives — the customs exemption is tied to it.
• The household-goods exemption is one-time only; there’s no second chance if you under-ship on your first move.
• Personal presence in the Dominican Republic is mandatory for the customs appointment — you can’t fully delegate this to your moving company or a lawyer.
• Swedish documents (marriage/divorce certificates, etc.) typically need to be translated into Spanish and legalised/apostilled before Dominican authorities will accept them.
• Pet health certificates and vaccination timing rules are strict and time-sensitive — confirm current DIGEGA requirements and get the official-vet countersignature close to your departure date.

How Flyto handles your Sweden to the Dominican Republic move

Flyto runs its own offices, warehouses, teams and vehicles across Northern, Central and Southern Europe, so the Swedish collection, EU export documentation, and consolidation of your shipment stay largely in-house within our own European network. For the ocean or air leg to the Dominican Republic and the final delivery there, we work through a carefully chosen network of subcontractor carriers and trusted local partners on the ground in the Dominican Republic, who handle the DGA appointment logistics and local delivery with the market knowledge that only an established local presence provides.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Dominican residency before I can ship my household goods duty-free?
You need your residency process underway — the Law 146-00 exemption is explicitly for foreigners who have obtained (or are in the process of obtaining) residency permission, and it’s granted only once per person — DGA.

Will I still owe Swedish tax after I move?
Possibly. If you keep "väsentlig anknytning" — a home, family, or active business in Sweden — Skatteverket can continue to treat you as fully tax liable on your worldwide income, and during the first five years the burden is on you to prove otherwise. Get personal tax advice if a clean exit matters to you — Skatteverket.

What happens to my Swedish personal number ("personnummer") when I emigrate?
You keep it, along with your citizenship. Only your folkbokföring status changes, from "Bosatt" to "Utvandrad," once Skatteverket processes your move-abroad report — Skatteverket.

Is it worth shipping my car from Sweden?
Usually not. Even with the partial (20–60%) duty exemption for qualifying new residents or returning Dominicans, Dominican import taxes on vehicles are substantial, and the benefit comes with a resale lock-in period. Check current eligibility rules and run the numbers on DGA’s vehicle tax calculator first — DGA.

Can I bring my dog or cat with me?
Yes, but plan the paperwork carefully: DIGEGA requires a health certificate countersigned by an official veterinarian at your Swedish port of embarkation, full vaccination and deworming records, and microchip identification. Adult dogs with an established rabies-vaccination history don’t need to wait after their booster before travelling; puppies and unvaccinated animals are subject to DIGEGA’s standard waiting period, so confirm current age and timing rules with DIGEGA before booking travel — DIGEGA.

What about moving back — Dominican Republic to Sweden?
The direction reverses but the same authorities apply: DGA handles your Dominican export declaration, Tullverket handles Swedish import (returning residents/new arrivals may qualify for Swedish relief on personal belongings, subject to Tullverket’s own conditions), and you re-register with Skatteverket to become "Bosatt" again — Tullverket. Pets travelling back into the EU need an EU-compliant rabies-titer and documentation process, which is stricter than the outbound Dominican requirements — confirm current entry conditions with Jordbruksverket/Tullverket before booking travel.

Sources

• Tullverket — Moving from Sweden to a country outside the EU
• Tullverket — Moving to and from Sweden
• Tullverket — Resa med hund eller katt
• Skatteverket — Jag ska flytta utomlands. Ska jag ändra min folkbokföring?
• Skatteverket — Väsentlig anknytning till Sverige
• Jordbruksverket — Reseguide för hundar och katter
• Dirección General de Aduanas (DGA) — official site
• DGA — Requisitos y formulario Ley 146-00 (menaje de casa)
• DGA — Preguntas frecuentes (currency declaration)
• DGA — Calculadora de impuestos de vehículos
• Dirección General de Migración — Residencia Temporal (RT-9)
• Dirección General de Migración — Residencia por Inversión en Calidad de Rentista
• Dirección General de Ganadería (DIGEGA) — Requisitos sanitarios para el ingreso de mascotas
• Autoridad Portuaria Dominicana (APORDOM) — Nuestros puertos