Updated: June 7, 2025 • Reading time: about 10 min

Table of contents

• Introduction
• What is a gift deed?
• Why is English needed?
• Legal requirements under Swedish law
• Step-by-step: how to write a Gift Deed
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Checklist before signing
• Example text (English template row)
• Conclusion

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Introduction

Giving money as a gift sounds simple – a quick bank transfer and done. But when the amount is larger, the recipient lives abroad or you want to prevent future inheritance disputes, a formal document is required. In this guide, you will learn how to create a Gift Deed template that complies with Swedish inheritance law and is at the same time understandable to banks and authorities in other countries.

What is a gift deed?

Proof, security and conditions in the same document

A gift deed is a written agreement in which the donor declares that a certain asset – in this case a monetary gift in SEK – is transferred to the recipient (donee) without consideration. The document fulfills three key functions:

• Evidence – shows the bank, the Swedish Tax Agency or a third party that the transfer is a gift.
• Inheritance law basis – clarify whether the gift should be settled as an advance on inheritance .
• Terms and conditions document – ​​specifies whether the amount becomes the recipient's separate property .

Why is English needed?

Three typical scenarios

1. International recipient – ​​the child lives in the UK or works in the US.
2. Bank security – foreign banks require documents in English for KYC/AML checks.
3. Dispute resolution – a bilingual document reduces misinterpretation during later inheritance transfers.

Tip: Keep Swedish paragraph marks (§ 1, § 2) but write the body text in English. This will respect Swedish legal tradition and ensure international readability.

Legal requirements under Swedish law

Nuclear laws to know

• Inheritance Code Chapter 6 – gift to a direct heir is presumed to be an advance payment unless otherwise stated.
• Marriage Code Chapter 7 – rules on individual property and division of property.
• Money Laundering Act – banks can require proof of the origin of the gift.

There is no requirement for witnesses for monetary gifts , but practice says that two independent witnesses increase the evidentiary value – especially in international transactions.

Step-by-step: how to write a Gift Deed

Structure with commented fields

Section	Content	Practical tip
Heading	GIFT DEED (Monetary Gift)	Capital letters provide clarity.
Date & location	City, Sweden + ISO date	Ensures proper jurisdiction.
Parties	Name, personal/passport number, address	Match the bank's KYC data.
Amount of the gift	100,000 SEK (One hundred thousand SEK)	Write both numbers and letters.
Advance on inheritance	Checkbox “shall / shall not”	Cross out what does not apply.
Private property	Checkbox “shall / shall not”	Protects in case of divorce.
Signatures	Donor & Donee	Blue ballpoint pen + witnesses recommended.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Wrong currency – always specify SEK if Swedish law is to apply.
• Lacks inheritance clause – leads to automatic settlement and sibling disputes.
• Unclear separate-property text – can make the gift divisible in the event of a divorce.
• Only verbal agreement – ​​rarely holds up in court.
• No secure storage – scan to PDF and store both locally and in the cloud.

Checklist before signing

The full names of the parties are correct.
Amount in numbers and letters
Advance on inheritance checkbox filled in
Separate-property checkbox filled in
Two witnesses have signed
Digital copy saved in the cloud

Example text (English template row)

§ 2 Married
I, [Donor's Name] , hereby give to [Donee's Name] the sum of One Hundred Thousand Swedish Krona (100,000 SEK) as an irrevocable gift.

Conclusion

A legally reviewed Gift Deed in English is your best insurance against future misunderstandings. With clear clauses about advance on inheritance and separate property, you protect both the family's relationships and the recipient's finances. Download our template for 49 SEK, fill it out in a few minutes and save both the paper and digital copy - then your gift of money is secured for good.

Do you need the template itself? Click here to purchase and download directly .