Pantbrev (mortgage deed)
Pantbrev is the security a bank holds in your home for the mortgage. To lend against a house the bank needs pantbrev covering the loan. Taking out a new pantbrev costs a stamp duty of 2% of the deed amount plus a fixed fee, but existing pantbrev on the property can be reused.
What it costs
The stamp duty on a new pantbrev is 2% of the deed amount, rounded down to the nearest thousand kronor, plus an administrative fee of 375 kr. If you need new pantbrev of 2 million kr that is 40,000 kr in stamp duty plus the fee. It is a one-off cost when you borrow, not a recurring charge.
Existing pantbrev are reused
The key trick: pantbrev stay with the property. If you buy a house that already has pantbrev you take them over, and you pay stamp duty only on the amount you need to borrow beyond the existing pantbrev. If the seller already has pantbrev covering your loan you avoid the stamp duty entirely. So ask how much pantbrev already exists before you estimate the cost.
Separate from lagfart
Pantbrev and lagfart are easily confused, but they do different jobs. Lagfart proves you own the property; pantbrev is the bank's security for the loan. Both appear when you buy a house and both carry a stamp duty, but pantbrev is only needed if you borrow. If you pay cash you need no new pantbrev.
Where it shows up
- Mortgage