Deed and mortgage: cost and application

What is a deed?

A deed is proof that you own a property. The person who buys, receives or inherits a property must apply for a deed from Lantmäteriet, which then registers you as the owner in the property register. The same rules apply to tenant-owned apartments. For a leasehold, you apply for registration of the leasehold instead.

Source: Lantmäteriet: Register owner, deed, Jordabalken (1970:994), chapters 4, 6, 20 and 22 (riksdagen.se). Chapter 20, section 1 jordabalken (the Swedish Land Code).

What does the deed cost?

You always pay a registration fee of 825 kronor. When buying, stamp duty is also added: 1.5 per cent for private individuals and 4.25 per cent for limited companies, partnerships and economic associations. Lantmäteriet compares the purchase price with the tax value for the year before the deed is granted and takes the tax on the higher amount, rounded down to the nearest thousand kronor.

An example: you buy a house for 3,000,000 kronor and the previous year's tax value is lower. The stamp duty becomes 45,000 kronor, and with the application fee you pay 45,825 kronor. If the property lacks a tax value for the previous year, you need to send in a valuation certificate from a valuer or an agent who makes valuations.

Source: Lantmäteriet: Stamp duty and fees, Law (1984:404) on stamp duty at registration authorities (riksdagen.se). Sections 8 and 9 of the law on stamp duty at registration authorities.

What does a pantbrev cost?

A pantbrev is needed when you borrow with the property as security. The pantbrev that already exist in the property follow with the purchase, so you only pay for the new ones. The stamp duty is 2 percent of the new amount, calculated on whole thousands of kronor, and the application fee is 375 kronor per mortgage.

If you borrow 2,500,000 kronor and there are pantbrev for 1,000,000 kronor, you take out new pantbrev for 1,500,000 kronor. It costs 30,000 kronor in stamp duty plus 375 kronor. Which pantbrev exist can be seen by the owner in Lantmäteriet's e-service Min Fastighet, and the agent usually has the information.

Source: Lantmäteriet: Stamp duty and fees, Lantmäteriet: Mortgage and pantbrev, Law (1984:404) on stamp duty at registration authorities (riksdagen.se). Section 24 of the law on stamp duty, Section 6, Chapter 1 jordabalken.

When should I apply for lagfart?

Within three months from when the purchase deed was signed. If the purchase depends on a condition, for example that you get a loan, the time counts from when the purchase was completed. If you do not apply in time, Lantmäteriet can impose a fine. Lantmäteriet estimated the processing time to seven working days on 5 October 2026, and longer during the summer and around the turn of the year.

Source: Jordabalken (1970:994), Chapters 4, 6, 20 and 22 (riksdagen.se), Lantmäteriet: Processing time for registration cases. Sections 20, Chapter 2 and 3 jordabalken.

How to apply for lagfart and pantbrev

1. 1

   Step 1: Check the purchase deed: the property designation, the purchase price and that the seller transfers the property. The seller and buyer sign on paper, and the seller's signature must be witnessed by two people.

   § 4 chapter 1 § jordabalken (1970:994), checked 5 October 2026

2. 2

   Step 2: Ask the bank or agent if they will submit the application for lagfart on your behalf. It is common, and two applications for the same purchase should be avoided.

3. 3

   Step 3: Get the appendices that are needed: consent from the seller's spouse, power of attorney if someone has signed for a party, and a valuation certificate if the property lacks a tax value for the previous year.

4. 4

   Step 4: Apply for registration of title in the Swedish Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authority's e-service or on the form, no later than three months after the purchase deed was signed.

   § 20 chap. 2 and 3 §§ jordabalken (1970:994), checked 5 October 2026

   Guidance: Application for registration of title after purchase To: Lantmäteriet, Property registration

   The template is in Swedish because it goes to a Swedish recipient.

   Ansök i Lantmäteriets e-tjänst eller på blanketten Ansökan om lagfart, med de här uppgifterna: 1. Fastighet: [fastighetsbeteckning]. Hela fastigheten eller andel: [hela eller andel, till exempel 1/2]. 2. Sökande, köparen: [ditt namn], [ditt personnummer], [nya adressen], [telefon], [e-post]. 3. Förvärv: köp. Köpeskilling: [köpeskilling] kronor. Köpehandlingen skrevs under [dag köpehandlingen skrevs under]. 4. Bifoga köpehandlingen: i original om du skickar per post, som skannad kopia av originalet i e-tjänsten. 5. Bifoga vid behov: medgivande från säljarens make eller maka, fullmakt om någon skrivit under för en part, värdeintyg om fastigheten saknar taxeringsvärde för förra året. 6. Skicka senast tre månader efter att köpehandlingen skrevs under. Per post till Lantmäteriet, Fastighetsinskrivning, 761 80 Norrtälje.

   • Registration of title must be applied for within three months of the purchase deed being drawn up (20 chap. 2 § jordabalken).
   • Ask the bank or estate agent first. It is common for them to submit the application on behalf of the buyer, and two applications for the same purchase should be avoided (Lantmäteriet).
   • The purchase deed must be signed on paper by the seller and buyer, and the seller's signature must be witnessed by two people. Electronic signing is not accepted for the purchase deed (Lantmäteriet).
   • From 1 July 2026, the buyer must be specified with a Swedish personal identity number, coordination number or organisation number (Lantmäteriet).
   • Lantmäteriet sends an invoice for the stamp duty and handling fee of 825 kronor when the matter is completed, with 30 days to pay.

   Lantmäteriet: Application for registration of title (pdf)

   Copy text

   Blank template: Word · PDF

5. 5

   Step 5: Take out new mortgages if the ones already in the property are not sufficient for the loan. The application for a mortgage is made by the person who applied for registration of title.

   Section 6 Chapter 1 Section jordabalken (1970:994), checked 5 October 2026

   Section 22 Chapter 2 Section jordabalken (1970:994), checked 5 October 2026

6. 6

   Step 6: Pay the Swedish Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authority's invoice for the stamp duty and handling fees within 30 days. The mortgage deed is issued only when the invoice is paid.

   § 8 § of the law on stamp tax at registration authorities (1984:404), verified 5 October 2026

   § 24 § of the law on stamp tax at registration authorities (1984:404), verified on 5 October 2026

Source: Lantmäteriet: Application for registration of title on purchase, Lantmäteriet: Application for registration of title (pdf).

What should the purchase deed contain?

The property's full designation, that the seller transfers the entire property or a certain share, the purchase price and both parties' signatures. The seller's signature must be witnessed by two people. The purchase deed must be signed on paper; Lantmäteriet does not accept electronically signed purchase deeds. A purchase without signatures, purchase price or transfer declaration is invalid.

If the seller is married, a written consent from the spouse is required, in the purchase deed or in a separate document. From 1 July 2026, the buyer must be specified with a Swedish personal identity number, coordination number or organisation number.

Source: Lantmäteriet: Application for legal ownership when buying, Jordabalken (1970:994), 4, 6, 20 and 22 chap. (riksdagen.se). 4 chap. 1 § jordabalken.

Do I need registration of title for a tenant-owned apartment?

No. A tenant-owned apartment is not real property, so you do not need to apply for registration of title and do not pay stamp duty. The loan is secured by mortgaging the tenant-owned apartment. A national tenant-owned apartment register where mortgages should be registered has been decided in the law (2026:484), but the rules will come into effect on the day the government decides. What applies when buying a tenant-owned apartment is stated in the guides to buying a home.

Source: Tenant-owned apartment law (1991:614) (riksdagen.se). 6 a chap. bostadsrättslagen (the Swedish Housing Cooperatives Act) in the version given by SFS 2026:486, not in force 3 October 2026.

What is the cost of registration of title in the case of gift, inheritance and division of property?

In the case of inheritance and division of property, you do not pay stamp duty, only the processing fee of 825 kronor. In the case of a gift, stamp duty is paid as when buying if you pay something or take over a loan of at least 85 percent of the tax value. Each gift deed or other acquisition document costs a separate processing fee.

Source: Lantmäteriet: Stamp duty and fees.

Who pays and when?

Lantmäteriet sends an invoice when the case has been processed, and you have 30 days to pay. The seller and buyer have joint payment responsibility for the stamp duty. If the case is declared pending, for example because the spouse's consent is missing, an additional processing fee is added.

Source: Lantmäteriet: Stamp duty and fees.

The law behind it

The sections summarised, with a link to the legal text on riksdagen.se.