If you’re used to a Kurtaxe, a taxe de séjour or a toeristenbelasting, Sweden will surprise you: there is no line for it on the bill. Here’s why, what could change it, and which charges only look like taxes.
When you need this
- You’re budgeting a trip and wondering whether a nightly city tax will be added
- You’re comparing a Swedish hotel quote with a Norwegian, German or Italian one
- Your Swedish hotel receipt shows a moms line and you want to know what it is
- A booking site shows “taxes and fees” and you want to know whose they are
- You read that “Scandinavia” is getting a tourist tax
- An older guide mentions a Swedish flight tax
Why Sweden has no tourist tax
The reason is constitutional, not a policy choice that a city council can reverse. Under Sweden’s Instrument of Government, the Regeringsformen, rules on tax must be made by law, and the basic rules of municipal taxation must be in a law passed by the Riksdag, the Swedish parliament. The Riksdag can let a municipality set fees, or a tax meant to regulate traffic, but nothing broader.
A municipality’s own fees are limited as well. Under the Local Government Act they must be for services the municipality actually provides, and they may not exceed what those services cost. No Swedish law lets a municipality tax overnight stays.
Tourist areas have asked anyway. Gotland, Sälen, Åre, Borgholm and Sotenäs have all sought the right to charge visitors. Both a Social Democrat finance minister (2020) and a Moderate one (2025) said no.
| Where | Tourist or city tax? |
|---|---|
| Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö | No |
| Gotland, Åre, Sälen, the west coast | No |
| Anywhere else in Sweden | No |
Could that change after the 2026 election?
Not without warning. Any tourist tax would need a new law, debated in public first, so it cannot appear on your bill overnight.
The politics did move, though. The opposition won a narrow majority in the election on 13 September 2026, and on 1 October 2026 a new government was still being formed. Its parties disagree with each other:
| Party | Position on a tourist tax (September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Centre Party, Greens | Want municipalities to be able to tax tourists |
| Left Party | Wants bed fees |
| Social Democrats | “Open to investigating” a tourist fee |
| Moderates, Christian Democrats, Liberals, Sweden Democrats | No |
The first point at which a proposal could realistically appear is the new government’s first budget, expected in early 2027. We’ll recheck then.
Norway is different now
This is where most of the confusion comes from. Norway passed a visitor-contribution act, the besøksbidragsloven, which together with its regulation entered into force on 1 July 2026. It lets mainland municipalities with heavy tourist pressure add 3% of the accommodation price, excluding VAT, to stays of under 30 days, once the national government approves their plan.
Five municipalities have applied: Tromsø, Vågan in Lofoten, Lyngen, Karlsøy and Stranda. Collection is expected from 1 January 2027 at the earliest, and motorhomes and tents are exempt. The rest of Norway charges nothing extra.
So if your trip combines both countries, the Norwegian nights in those places may cost 3% more from 2027. The Swedish ones won’t. For the wider comparison, see Sweden or Norway.
Reading a Swedish hotel bill
What you do pay is VAT, moms in Swedish, and it’s already inside every price you’re quoted. Room rental in hotels, guesthouses and hostels carries 12%, and so do breakfast, parking, sauna and laundry when they’re sold with the room. Alcohol from the bar or minibar carries 25%.
| Line on the bill | Swedish | VAT inside the price |
|---|---|---|
| Room | logi | 12% |
| Breakfast, parking, sauna, laundry sold with the room | frukost, parkering, bastu, tvätt | 12% |
| Food in the restaurant | mat | 12% |
| Wine, beer, spirits, minibar alcohol | alkohol | 25% |
| City or tourist tax | turistskatt | Does not exist |
The moms rows at the bottom show how much of the total is tax. They are not added on top. And since a hotel stay is a service, that VAT can’t be reclaimed with a tax-free form. Our VAT refund guide explains why only goods qualify. If a Swedish bill ever shows a “city tax” line, it’s not a state or municipal charge, so ask what it’s for.
For everything else about the stay, from breakfast to card holds, see Swedish hotels: what to expect.
Fees that look like taxes
A few charges you may meet are real, but none of them is a tourist tax.
| Charge | What it is | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Booking-platform service fee | A commercial fee some platforms have charged guests | The platform |
| Cleaning fee | A host’s own charge on a holiday home | The host |
| “Taxes and charges” on a flight | Airport charges, such as Swedavia’s passenger charge and the security-screening charge billed to airlines by the Swedish Transport Agency | The airport and the agency, passed on by the airline |
| Congestion tax, trängselskatt | A state tax on cars passing control points in Stockholm and Gothenburg | The state, invoiced by post |
| Rental-car congestion re-bill | The congestion tax plus the rental company’s fee and VAT | The rental company |
Airbnb is removing its guest service fee. It is moving its remaining software-connected hosts to a single host-paid fee on 13 October 2026, so the listed price becomes what a guest pays. Holiday-home hosts can still add a cleaning fee, so always compare the total.
There is no Swedish flight tax anymore. The flygskatt was repealed with effect from 1 July 2025. Fare breakdowns that still list it describe the old law. More in Getting to Sweden.
Congestion tax only affects drivers. It arrives by post via EPASS24 for foreign cars, and rental firms pass it on with their own fee. Rates and times are in our congestion charges guide.
Warning: A text or email demanding a Swedish “tourist tax” is a scam, because the tax doesn’t exist. The one road tax a foreign driver may owe, congestion tax, is invoiced by post via EPASS24.
Practical information
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Swedish tourist, city or overnight tax | None exists |
| VAT on hotel, guesthouse and hostel rooms (included in the price) | 12% |
| VAT on breakfast, parking, sauna and laundry sold with the room | 12% |
| VAT on alcohol at the bar or minibar | 25% |
| Swedish aviation tax | None — repealed from 1 July 2025 |
| Norway’s overnight tax, where a municipality adopts it | 3% of the price excluding VAT, from 2027 at the earliest |
| Airport charges, congestion tax, platform and cleaning fees | Vary by operator, city and season; check the live total before paying |
FAQ
Does Sweden have a tourist tax?
No. Sweden has no tourist, city or overnight tax, nationally or locally. Taxes must be set by a law passed by the Riksdag, and no law lets a municipality tax overnight stays. Gotland, Åre, Sälen and other tourist areas have asked for the right and been turned down. The room price already includes 12% VAT, so nothing is added at check-out.
Is VAT included in Swedish hotel prices?
Yes. Room rental in hotels, guesthouses and hostels carries 12% VAT, and prices shown to consumers include it. Breakfast, parking, sauna and laundry sold with the room are taxed at the same 12%. Alcohol from the bar or minibar carries 25%. The moms lines on your receipt show the tax already inside the total, not an extra charge.
Will Sweden introduce a tourist tax?
Not in the near term without a new law, which would be debated in public first. The opposition that won the September 2026 election is divided: the Centre Party and the Greens want municipalities to be able to tax tourists, the Left Party wants bed fees, and the Social Democrats only want to investigate a fee. The four right-of-center parties say no.
Does Norway have a tourist tax?
Norway now has the law. Since 1 July 2026, municipalities with heavy tourist pressure can apply to add 3% of the accommodation price, excluding VAT. Tromsø, Vågan in Lofoten, Lyngen, Karlsøy and Stranda have applied, and collection is expected from 1 January 2027 at the earliest. Motorhomes and tents are exempt. It does not apply in Sweden.
Is there still a flight tax in Sweden?
No. Sweden’s aviation tax, the flygskatt, was repealed with effect from 1 July 2025, so no Swedish ticket tax is charged on later flights. The “taxes and charges” line on a fare from a Swedish airport now covers airport charges, such as Swedavia’s passenger charge and the security-screening charge, which airlines pay and pass on.
What fees should I expect on top of the price in Sweden?
Mostly commercial ones, not taxes. Booking platforms may add a service fee and holiday-home hosts may add a cleaning fee, so check the total before paying. Airbnb is moving all hosts to a host-paid fee, so its guests increasingly see one price. Drivers in Stockholm and Gothenburg pay congestion tax by post, and rental companies add their own fee.
Related guides
- How expensive is Sweden? — the full trip budget, now with one line you can delete
- Swedish hotels: what to expect — breakfast, card holds and the registration card
- VAT refunds in Sweden — what non-EU visitors can reclaim, and why hotels aren’t on the list
- Sweden or Norway? — the wider comparison, including Norway’s prices
- Congestion charges in Stockholm and Gothenburg — the one tax drivers do pay
Facts verified 2026-10-01. Sources: Sveriges riksdag (Regeringsformen, Kommunallagen), Skatteverket, Transportstyrelsen, Swedavia, Lovdata (Norway), plus dated news and trade press for the political positions — full register in this topic’s source file. We deliberately publish no airport-charge or platform-fee amounts, which change by operator and year. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.