Driving licences in Sweden

You must be at least 18 and have a valid driving licence to drive a car in Sweden.

What types of driving licences are there in Sweden?

It is the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen) that issues driving licences in Sweden. In Sweden, the international standards apply for driving licence categories. There are different age requirements for the different categories.

On the Swedish Transport Agency website, you can find information about driving licences and formal requirements about driving a car in Sweden.

You can only take a driving test in the country in which you are registered in a population register. So, if you want to take a driving licence in Sweden, you must be registered in the Swedish Population Register.

You must check what requirements apply for the licence you are interested in, and apply for a learner’s permit. You need a valid learner’s permit in order to practice driving and take a driving test in Sweden. This applies both the first time you take a driving test, and when you already have a driving licence but need to renew or regain it.

If you have a foreign driving licence, you can drive a car with it in Sweden. You must always have your driving licence with you when you are driving a car.

Driving licences from EU/EEA countries

If your driving licence was issued in an EU country, you can use it anywhere in the EU. Before travelling, always make sure that your driving licence is valid. If your driving licence expires while you are abroad, it becomes automatically invalid and is not recognised in other countries.

If you have a driving licence from a EU/EEA country, the licence is valid for as long as it is valid in the country in which it was issued, and you have not exchanged it for a Swedish driving licence. Your driving licence is valid even if you are registered in the Swedish Population Register

Driving licences issued in Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway are valid in Sweden if:

• the driving licence is valid in the country in which it was issued
• the driving licence has not been exchanged for a Swedish driving licence
• the holder does not also have a Swedish driving licence that has been revoked or withdrawn.

Driving licences from countries outside the EU/EEA

If your driving licence was issued in a country outside the EU/EEA, the licence is valid for as long as it is valid in the country in which it was issued, and you have not exchanged it for a Swedish driving licence.

The licence is not valid in Sweden if you have been registered in the Swedish Population Register for longer than one year.

When must you renew your driving licence in Sweden?

A driving licence is valid for a limited period, and must be renewed before it expires. A Swedish driving licence for a car is valid for ten years at a time. You can read more about renewing driving licences in Sweden on the website of the Swedish Transport Agency.

If you have lost your driving licence or must have it renewed, you cannot get a new driving licence issued in Sweden if you have moved abroad. If you try to renew your Swedish driving licence in another Nordic country when it has expired, you must take the driving test again in your new home country.

You can find information about renewing a driving licence in the Nordic countries on the websites of the following agencies.

You can exchange your driving licence from another Nordic country for a Swedish driving licence if the licence is valid in the country in which it was issued and you are living permanently in Sweden. The foreign driving licence must be exchanged for a Swedish driving licence before the foreign driving licence expires.

A driving licence issued in Greenland cannot be exchanged for a Swedish driving licence.

If you are staying temporarily in Sweden you should not exchange your licence for a Swedish one - keep your driving licence from your home country.

If you are banned from driving in an EU/EEA country, you cannot apply for a new driving licence from another EU/EEA country. However, you can apply for a licence when the term of the ban is completed.

An EU/EEA country must refuse to recognise the validity of any driving license issued by another Member State to a person whose driving license is restricted, suspended, or revoked on the territory of the first-named state. An EU/EEA country must also refuse to issue a driving license to an applicant whose driving license is restricted, suspended, or revoked in another EU/EEA country.

An EU/EEA country can also refuse to issue a driving license to an applicant whose driving license is cancelled in another Member State.

Your normal driving licence is sufficient throughout the Nordic countries, in the EU, and in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

If you move to another Nordic country and have a Swedish driving licence, it is important to exchange your Swedish driving licence for a licence issued in the country in which you live before the Swedish licence expires.  

If you are staying in a country outside the EU/EEA for a long period, and you will be driving a car, you should check whether you should have an international driving licence. Contact the embassy in the country to which you are travelling for more information.

An international driving licence does not replace the normal driving licence, but it is proof that you are entitled to drive a car, so you should also have your normal driving licence with you. Be aware that you may require several international driving licences if you are planning to drive in several countries on the same trip.