Learn more about the following topics here:

• Drivers with licences issued within the EEA
• Drivers with licences issued outside the EEA
• Do you know Sweden’s traffic laws?

Drivers with licences issued within the EEA

If you have a valid driving licence from an EEA country, your licence is valid in Sweden. This applies both when you live in Sweden and when you’re just visiting. However, you can only drive if your licence is still valid. If you live permanently in Sweden, you can exchange your foreign licence for a Swedish driving licence. If you do so, your old licence will no longer be valid, however. This means that if your Swedish driving licence is suspended for any reason, you can’t drive using your old foreign licence.

If your licence was issued in the UK, the same rules apply as for a licence issued within the EEA, even though the UK left the EU and EEA on 1 January 2021. The same also applies to licences issued in the Faroe Islands.

Drivers with licences issued outside the EEA

If you hold a driving licence issued outside the EEA, there are a number of rules you need to be aware of. Your driving licence is valid in Sweden if:

• it’s valid in the country where it was issued
• you haven’t exchanged it for a Swedish licence (Only possible if you have a licence from Switzerland or Japan.)
• you haven’t been registered as living in Sweden with the Swedish Tax Agency (folkbokförd) for more than one year.

If you’re registered as living in Sweden (folkbokförd), any foreign licence you hold will no longer be valid after you’ve lived here for more than a year. After one year, you’ll need to get a Swedish driving licence. You can get your licence by taking a theory test and a practical driving test at the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket).
Learn more about getting a Swedish driving licence here.

It’s also important that your foreign driving licence follows the rules that apply. It must be issued in one of the following languages: Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English, German, or French. If your licence has been issued in a different language, it’s only valid if accompanied by a certified translation in one of the approved languages.

If your foreign licence doesn’t include a photo of you, it’s only valid if you can present another form of identification that includes a photo. Your passport, for example.

Do you know Sweden’s traffic laws?

Even if you have a foreign driving licence, Swedish traffic laws apply whenever you drive a vehicle in Sweden. Traffic laws are similar in many countries, but if you feel unsure about what applies, it’s a good idea to read up on Sweden’s traffic laws. You should also book a driving lesson at a driving school, which will give you an introduction to driving in Sweden.
Find driving schools that offer lessons in English here.