Saturday, September 20 | 2025
From difficult weather conditions to cultural norms, there are quite a few aspects that make driving (correctly!) in Sweden and the Nordics different than other countries’. Therefore, just being a good driver is not enough to get a Swedish driver’s license.
If you have moved to Sweden and hold an EEA driver’s license, you should swap your license for a Swedish one. This is easily done by downloading and completing an application form from the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen) website. You will need to send your existing license with the application form by post, and shortly after, you will receive your new and shiny Swedish license. Tip: Don’t do what my (French) husband did and lose your old licence right before submitting your application. This delayed the process significantly.
If your license comes from a non-EEA country, though, the process is not that simple. In fact, you will need to obtain a Swedish license (and cancel your old one) within a year of your relocation to Sweden. That is, you can drive with your old licence only for the first year residing in Sweden. Driving with a non-EEA license after one year’s residency in Sweden is considered a crime. Having a criminal record may, for example, affect your future citizen application, so my advice is to take this very seriously.
Obtaining a Swedish license from scratch is likely to cost you not only money but also hard work and a flexible mindset. Although you know how to drive, you will need to show it in a new climate, a new legal context, and a new language. This can, naturally, be frustrating to experienced drivers who have driven for years in other countries. Adding to the frustration is the possibility that even experienced drivers may fail their Swedish driver’s license exams despite their existing skills and expertise.
Why is that?
First of all, we are dealing with a new legal framework. Although driving rules are relatively similar all over the world, there are differences, justified or not, and you are obliged to comply with local laws and regulations. This is first tested in your theoretical exam, where you answer questions about different driving situations and what is the correct action or reaction in such. It is further tested during your practical exam, where you have to demonstrate knowledge of such rules in real-life situations. With that, learning all the laws, rules, and regulations that are specific to Sweden is your first tangible step to getting your Swedish license.
Another aspect to deal with is the climatic and geographic particularities of Sweden. Depending on where you originate from, Sweden may or may not be similar in terms of the environment where you drive. For many, cold temperatures and dark winter days pose a new challenge that you need to deal with. Wildlife imposes another risk. Being able to drive in Sweden includes handling these situations safely; they are not considered exceptions.
My third point is less tangible but nonetheless incredibly important: What is considered good driving is dependent on cultural norms. Such norms have developed according to local conditions, such as the fact that Sweden is not very densely populated, as well as arbitrarily. You may indeed feel that some norms are stupid, but you’ll still need to acknowledge them when taking the exam for your license. For many international drivers, this can take the form of culture shock, and you may feel mistreated or wrongly judged. To come to terms with such cultural differences, I recommend talking openly about them with your driving instructor or others who have been in a similar situation. I can also recommend a good film on the topic: And Who Taught You to Drive is a documentary about three different individuals who re-learn how to drive in a new country.
A beginner’s mindset
Last but not least, the driving exam is designed for new drivers, and this is how you will be assessed. I’m an experienced driver myself; I got my driver’s license 24 years ago, and I feel reasonably confident behind the wheel in most situations. I’ve never been in an accident, and I have never knowingly broken any rules. Still, I’m not sure if I would pass the driver’s license exams if I had to take them tomorrow. Driving for years has made me develop my quirks and solutions that are probably not according to the book. However, and hopefully, such faults are compensated for in my experience of driving. But as said, when you take the exam, you will be assessed according to the criteria that apply to a beginner driver. With that, revise your driving skills and don’t feel too confident that your experience will do the job.
Being able to drive is an excellent way of exploring your new home country. Stay focused, remember the above, and get yourself a copy of Driving in Sweden: The A–Z Guide to learn more about how to make the most of your road adventures in Sweden.
Learn more about driving in Sweden in the newly released handbook Driving in Sweden: The A–Z Guide. Here, you will get practical tips related to the climatic and cultural conditions shaping the overall driving experience on Swedish roads, along with more details on how to get a driver’s license.
