International Driving Permit in Sweden

🗓 Facts checked against Sweden's road-traffic law and official sources. Research last updated: 28 July 2026. You may copy this information only if you provide a link back to this page.

⚠ This page is general information about driving rules, not legal advice. Rules change, and each authority applies its own — confirm your case with the relevant authority before you drive.

ℹ We are a private company. We are not a government body, a licensing or issuing authority, or a treaty organisation, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any of them. The International Driver's Document we sell is a translation of your national driving licence: it is not a driving licence, and it is not a government-issued document.

• Driving in Sweden: key facts
• Do you need an International Driving Permit in Sweden?
• What side of the road does Sweden drive on?
• How long can you drive in Sweden with a foreign licence?
• Is Sweden a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?
• Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place
• Can you drive in Sweden with your country's licence?
• Where to get an International Driving Permit
• Moving to Sweden? Rules for new residents
• Driving rules in Sweden tourists get fined for
• Read more about driving in Sweden
• Sources

Driving in Sweden: key facts

Do you need an International Driving Permit in Sweden?

An IDP is not legally required. A valid non-EEA licence designed according to the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna Convention, or made out in English, German or French, can be used without an IDP. If a licence is neither convention-form nor in one of those languages, it is valid only together with a certified translation into English, German, French, Swedish, Danish or Norwegian — and the Swedish Transport Agency's own FAQ confirms an international driving permit counts as such a valid translation ('Ett internationellt körkort är också en giltig översättning av ett nationellt körkort'), though it must be obtained in the home country, not in Sweden. Carry photo ID if the licence has no photograph.

• Tourists and short-term visitors: carry your national licence together with the document named in the row for your country of issue, in the table below — for most origin licences that document is not an IDP, so read your own answer rather than assuming one.
• EU / EEA licence holders: no IDP needed — An EEA licence is not subject to the one-year registered-residence clock that applies to non-EEA licences; it remains valid after the holder becomes registered in Sweden.

No specific penalty for driving without the required document was verified from an authoritative source. Official source.

What side of the road does Sweden drive on?

Sweden drives on the right-hand side of the road, and overtaking is done on the left. Switched from left to right in 1967 (Dagen H).

How long can you drive in Sweden with a foreign licence?

An ordinary visitor who is not registered as resident has no separate tourist day-count; the qualifying foreign licence may be used while it remains valid in the issuing country. A non-EEA licence ceases to be valid after the holder has been a registered resident for more than one year (a time-limited-stay exemption may be granted on application). UK and Faroe Islands licences are exempt from the one-year residence cut-off. (Swedish Transport Agency, Licences issued outside the EEA)

Planning to move to Sweden? Different rules apply once you become a resident — see the residents section below.

Is Sweden a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?

Sweden is a Contracting Party to both United Nations Conventions on Road Traffic — the Geneva Convention of 19 September 1949 and the Vienna Convention of 8 November 1968. International Driving Permits of both the 1949 and the 1968 type are therefore issued against its framework; which types Sweden accepts from visitors is shown in the table above.

• 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic: ratification on 25 Feb 1952.
• 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic: ratification on 25 Jul 1985.

Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place

Whether a foreign country accepts your driving licence hangs on a tangle of variables: three different road-traffic conventions signed decades apart (1926, 1949, 1968) — the oldest predates the United Nations itself, and only the latter two were concluded under it — countries at different stages of joining each (signed vs. accepted vs. ratified), licences printed in alphabets local police can't read, vehicle-category systems that don't line up between countries, document generations that may not meet a convention's format even when the country is a member, bilateral deals between individual states, and local laws that are looser in one place and stricter in the next. The same licence can be fine at one border and rejected at the next — even at the next rental desk. The International Driving Permit exists to cut through most of it: a standardized, multilingual presentation of your existing licence, with harmonized category symbols, that most officials can read at a glance. It doesn't replace your national licence or grant new rights — you carry both — and it doesn't guarantee acceptance: a handful of destinations still require a local permit alongside or instead of it, but for most it meaningfully improves your odds.

Can you drive in Sweden with your country's licence?

This table is for tourists and temporary visitors. Moving to Sweden as a resident? Different rules apply — see the residents section below. Find your licence's country of issue below. Sweden accepts any valid foreign licence while the holder is a visitor (not registered resident), subject to convention-format, language, translation/IDP and photo-ID conditions. An IDP is optional for a convention-form or English/German/French licence, and doubles as the accepted translation otherwise. The decisive non-EEA clock is one year after registered residence (UK and Faroe Islands licences exempt), while EEA licences remain valid under their separate rule. Rules change — confirm with official sources before you travel. Last verified: July 2026.

Legend: "1949" — Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (IDP valid up to 1 year); "1968" — Vienna Convention (IDP valid up to 3 years).

What the Status column means on this page:

• National licence OK — the destination lets a visitor drive on the national licence itself. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the basis, and any period or condition that qualifies it.
• National licence OK — IDP advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, but carrying one is advised. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.
• Not established — the record does not settle whether you may drive here on this licence; confirm with the destination's licensing authority before you rely on it. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, says what could not be confirmed.
• National licence OK — IDD/translation advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, and no official convention IDP can be issued for it; carry an IDD or a certified translation instead. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.

Sources and notes for the table above

[1] Swedish Transport Agency, I have a driving licence (non-EEA licences); körkortslag (1998:488) 6 kap.

[a] Licence categories do not follow the convention A–E scheme — rental staff may ask for an IDP to map them.

[b] IDD = International Driver's Document, a standardized translation of your national driving licence. You can apply here: https://idaoffice.org/apply-now/.

Where to get an International Driving Permit

An International Driving Permit must be obtained before you travel, and only certain countries may issue one to you — you cannot buy an official IDP from an unrelated country. Under the 1968 Vienna Convention it may be issued only by the Contracting Party where you normally reside and which issued or recognizes your licence — by that Party's competent authority or by an association it has duly empowered. Under the 1949 Geneva Convention it is issued by the competent authority of a Contracting State, or by an association that authority has duly empowered. Which body that is varies by country: a government agency in some, an authorized motoring club in others.

• Travelling from Sweden? Sweden's official IDPs are issued by Riksforbundet M Sverige (M, ex-Motormannens Riksforbund) plus 5 other authorized motor organizations (KAK, MHF, Caravan Club, OK, SMC) — applications are accepted online. Official site.
• Travelling from another country? Ask that country's driving-licence authority which body it authorizes to issue IDPs — a government agency in some countries, an authorized motoring club in others.

Separately, IDA offers a digital International Driver's Document — a translation of your national licence that you carry alongside it. It is not an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 or 1968 conventions by the body your country authorizes for that purpose, and it is not a certified, sworn or otherwise official translation: no authority certifies it, and where a country requires an official or certified translation by law, our document does not satisfy that requirement. It is a private translation meant to make your national licence readable at rental desks and roadside checks.

Moving to Sweden? Rules for new residents

EEA licences remain valid while current and may be exchanged. A non-EEA licence stops being valid after one year of registered residence (limited-stay exemption possible), except UK and Faroe Islands licences which remain valid indefinitely. Only licences from the United Kingdom, the Faroe Islands, Switzerland and Japan may be exchanged for a Swedish licence under the ordinary non-EEA route. Official source.

Driving rules in Sweden tourists get fined for

• Mandatory equipment: Winter tyres (min. 3 mm tread for light vehicles) or equivalent equipment are mandatory from 1 December to 31 March when winter road conditions exist (snow, ice, slush or frost on any part of the road), explicitly including foreign-registered vehicles. Use required vehicle lighting, seat belts and child restraints, and carry the vehicle's warning equipment.
• Drink-driving: The drink-driving threshold is 0.10 mg/l in breath, corresponding to 0.2 per mille in blood. Aggravated drink driving begins at 0.50 mg/l breath, about 1.0 per mille blood. Licence confiscation threshold: 0.15 mg/l breath. Ordinary drink driving is punishable by fines or imprisonment up to six months; aggravated drink driving can mean imprisonment up to two years (polisen.se and TBL 4/4a §§ consolidated text).
• Speed limits: Sweden uses posted limits in a 10 km/h series from 30 to 120 km/h. Base limits: 50 km/h in built-up areas, 70 km/h outside them; motorways default to 110 km/h, with 120 km/h only on designated high-standard motorways. The posted sign is decisive.
• Carry the original licence, any certified translation or IDP, passport/photo ID, registration and insurance. If the licence has no photograph, Swedish guidance requires a separate photo ID ('Om det inte finns något foto på körkortet gäller det bara tillsammans med en legitimation som har foto').
• Winter tyres or equivalent equipment are mandatory for light vehicles from 1 December to 31 March when winter road conditions exist; the rule applies to vehicles registered abroad as well, and tread depth must be at least 3 mm on light vehicles in winter conditions.
• Speed limits are sign-led in a 10 km/h series (30-120 km/h); base limits are 50 km/h in built-up areas and 70 km/h outside, motorway default 110 km/h with selected motorways at 120 km/h. Treat the displayed sign as decisive.

Read more about driving in Sweden

• Swedish Roads: Complete Guide to Driving in Sweden
• 10 Interesting Facts About Sweden
• Best places to visit in Sweden
• Swedish Traffic Rules: Complete Guide for International Drivers in 2026
• How to Get Your Driver’s License in Sweden: Complete Guide for 2026
• What is Sweden famous for?

Watch what driving in Sweden looks like

A few minutes of real POV footage is the fastest way to feel confident before your first drive in Sweden:

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Sources

1. National road-traffic law
2. Swedish Transport Agency, Licences issued outside the EEA
3. Swedish Transport Agency — Ha utländskt körkort i Sverige (SV; convention/language rule)
4. Swedish Transport Agency FAQ — IDP accepted as valid translation of a national licence
5. Non-EEA resident one-year exemption process (8-12 weeks, discretionary)
6. Exchange of UK / Faroe Islands / Japan / Switzerland licences (CH/JP: apply within first resident year)
7. Swedish winter-tyre requirements (1 Dec-31 Mar, foreign vehicles included, 3 mm tread)
8. Swedish Police alcohol thresholds and sanctions
9. Trafikverket — Hastighetsgränser på väg (10 km/h series 30-120, motorway 110/120)
10. Körkortslag (1998:488) 6 kap. — statutory recognition norm for foreign licences
11. Prosecution Authority RäV 2024:3 Olovlig körning (May 2024) — confirms current penalty practice
12. Riksforbundet M Sverige (M, ex-Motormannens Riksforbund) plus 5 other authorized motor organizations (KAK, MHF, Caravan Club, OK, SMC) — authorized IDP issuer in Sweden
13. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
14. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic