Travel money
Travel money in Sweden: cash or card?
The one country here where cash can be refused and routinely is: a shop or café may put up a sign saying it takes no notes, and that is entirely legal. Bring a card, and do not plan around cash at all.
Swedish krona (SEK, kr) · figures checked against the sources at the foot of this page
Almost nothing, and plenty of businesses refuse it outright. Some flea markets and rural stops still take it.
Everything, contactless included, down to a coffee — and often the only thing accepted.
A card, and a second card in case one fails. Notes are close to useless.
Tip prompts on card terminals suggesting 5–20%. They are new, they are not the custom, and No Tip is a normal answer.
The money itself
- 20 krPurple
- 50 krOrange
- 100 krBlue
- 200 krGreen
- 500 krRed
- 1,000 krGrey-green
1, 2, 5 and 10 kronor. You will barely see them: prices are rounded to the krona and most people go months without handling a coin at all.
Sweden replaced its entire note and coin series in the 2010s, and older designs are no longer valid — including notes some visitors still have in a drawer from a previous trip. Anything you are carrying from before 2017 needs checking with a bank rather than spending.
Every way to pay, and whether it works for a visitor
Whether a payment method exists in Sweden and whether you can use it are different questions. This table answers the second one: no local bank account, no local SIM, no residency.
Visa / Mastercard
WorksUniversal, contactless included, for any amount from a coffee upwards. This is the payment method the country runs on and there is no domestic scheme in the way.
Apple Pay / Google Pay
WorksAccepted anywhere contactless is, which is effectively everywhere, and useful for larger amounts because it clears without a PIN.
Cash (kronor)
Works, with a catchLegal tender, and refusable. Swedish contract law lets a business decline notes if it displays a sign, and cafés, museums, buses and whole shops do exactly that. Where it is accepted, expect the staff to be a little surprised.
Swish
Residents onlyHow Swedes pay each other and many small traders — a phone number, an app and BankID. It needs a Swedish bank account and a Swedish personal identity number, so it is closed to visitors. A flea-market stall with only a Swish sign cannot take your money.
American Express
Works, with a catchHotels, department stores and larger chains take it. Smaller places often do not. Given how card-dependent the country is, do not make it your only card.
Cash
Sweden is further into a cashless economy than anywhere else in this set, and the legal position is the part visitors do not expect: cash is legal tender, but no private business is obliged to accept it. A sign reading kontantfritt — cash-free — is all it takes, and museums, cafés, buses and shops use it routinely.
The practical consequence is to stop thinking of cash as the safety net. The safety net here is a second card, ideally on a different network or from a different bank, because a declined card in a cash-free café leaves you with no way to pay at all.
There are still places where notes work — some markets, rural petrol stations, the odd small shop — but you can travel for a week without finding one, and many Swedes go months without handling cash.
Cards
Card acceptance is total and contactless is the default, with no domestic scheme to trip over and no meaningful cap on tap amounts for most issuers. Terminals are quick and PIN prompts are rare below larger sums.
What has changed recently is the tipping screen. Card terminals in restaurants and cafés increasingly present preset gratuity options, often starting at 5% and running to 20%. This is an interface decision imported from elsewhere rather than a Swedish custom, and declining is completely unremarkable.
Decline dynamic currency conversion if a terminal offers to bill you in your own currency — being charged in kronor is always the cheaper answer.
ATMs
Nearly all Swedish cash machines belong to Bankomat, the network the major banks share. They do not generally surcharge foreign cards. Independent machines exist in tourist areas and charge considerably more.
Machines have become genuinely scarce as cash use collapsed, particularly outside the cities, so a Bankomat is something to use when you pass one rather than something to go looking for.
The real question is whether to withdraw at all. Unless you have a specific reason — a market, a rural stop, a cabin with an honesty box — the answer for most visitors is no.
Changing money
There is almost no reason to change money for a trip to Sweden. Exchange counters at Arlanda and in central Stockholm exist, price accordingly, and are solving a problem you do not have.
If you want a small emergency reserve, take it from a Bankomat machine after you land rather than buying kronor at home.
Kronor left over are worth converting back or keeping for a return trip, but the amount involved is usually so small it is not worth the trip to a counter.
Costs that are not the price
Tipping is not expected
Service is included in prices and staff are paid properly. Rounding up in a restaurant is the traditional gesture and even that is optional. The percentage prompts appearing on card terminals are new and imported; pressing No Tip carries no social cost.
Cash-free by choice
Businesses that decline cash must say so, usually with a sign at the door or the till. It is not aimed at visitors and it is not negotiable — it is a straightforward business decision the law permits.
Alcohol is bought in one place
Anything stronger than light beer comes from Systembolaget, the state monopoly, which keeps shop hours and closes early on Saturdays and all day Sunday. It is a planning issue rather than a payment one, but it catches people out.
You can reclaim VAT if you live outside the EU
Minimum spend is 200 kr in one shop, VAT is 25% on most goods, and the form needs validating before you leave the EU. The refund arrives after the operator's cut.
Paying for transport
Stockholm takes your bank card
Tap a contactless card or phone straight at the metro barrier and on buses and trams; the single fare is charged automatically and no ticket or travel card is needed. Buses have not taken cash for years.
Trains are booked ahead
SJ and the regional operators sell by card in their apps and online, and long-distance fares rise steeply close to departure. There is nothing to collect and no counter to queue at.
Taxis are priced by the company
Swedish taxi fares are deregulated, so the comparison price must be displayed in the window and can vary wildly between firms at a rank. Book through an app or a known company rather than taking whatever is waiting outside the station.
What you may carry in and out
No cash payment cap, but no obligation either
Sweden sets no legal ceiling on paying in cash. What it also does not set is any duty on a private business to accept it — which is the limit that actually affects you.
Carrying cash across the EU border
€10,000 or the equivalent in kronor entering or leaving the European Union must be declared to customs. Travel within the EU needs no declaration.
Common questions about money in Sweden
Can shops in Sweden refuse cash?
Yes, and many do. Cash is legal tender but Swedish contract law lets a private business decline it as long as it displays a sign, so cafés, museums, buses and shops routinely operate cash-free. Public authorities are a different matter, but for a visitor the practical rule is that notes may simply not be an option.
Do I need cash in Sweden?
Almost certainly not. Cards cover everything including small amounts, and plenty of businesses take nothing else. The sensible precaution is a second card rather than a stack of kronor.
Can tourists use Swish?
No. Swish requires a Swedish bank account, a Swedish personal identity number and BankID. It is how Swedes pay each other and some small traders, so a stall advertising only Swish cannot take a visitor's money at all.
Should I tip in Sweden?
There is no expectation to. Service is included and staff are paid a proper wage; rounding up after a good meal is the traditional limit. Card terminals have started showing 5–20% tip prompts, which is a new import rather than a Swedish norm — declining is completely normal.
Are there ATM fees in Sweden?
Bankomat machines, which are most of them, do not generally surcharge foreign cards; independent machines can charge up to around 50 kr. Machines have become scarce outside the cities, so use one when you see it if you need cash at all.
Can I tap my card on the Stockholm metro?
Yes. Contactless bank cards and phone wallets work directly at the metro barriers and on board buses and trams, charging the single fare automatically. There is no need to buy an SL card for a short visit.
Are old Swedish banknotes still valid?
No. Sweden replaced its whole series of notes and coins in the 2010s and the previous designs stopped being valid. Kronor left over from a trip before 2017 need to be taken to a bank rather than spent.
Where these figures come from
Checked against the following on . Fees and thresholds move; where a figure varies by bank or by machine, this page gives the range rather than inventing a single number.