Sweden

Key points for young drivers:

• Outside towns without a sign only 70 km/h; motorways usually 110–120 km/h depending on signs.
• Alcohol: 0.2 ‰ – checks also right after you come off the ferry.
• Lights on around the clock, phone only with a hands-free kit.
• The only mandatory item in the car is a warning triangle; winter tyres from 1 December in winter conditions.
• No vignettes, but a congestion tax in Stockholm and Gothenburg – charged automatically.
• Watch out for elk in forests.

Seat belts and child seats

The driver and all passengers must wear seat belts. Children shorter than 135 cm travel in an EU-approved child seat.

Traffic lights

On amber (after green) you stop, unless you are already too close to brake safely.

Helmet not compulsory

Cyclists aged 15 and over – helmet not mandatory.

Helmet compulsory

• motorcycle (including with a sidecar) and moped
• three-wheeler and four-wheeler
• bicycle – children under 15

Compulsory equipment in the car

• warning triangle

A high-visibility vest, fire extinguisher and first-aid kit are not required in cars (fire extinguisher – only in buses).

Compulsory equipment on a bike

Helmet mandatory for children under 15. The sources list no other special requirements.

Winter tyres and snow chains

From 1 December to 31 March, in winter conditions (snow, ice, slush or frost on the road) you must have winter tyres – the police decide whether winter conditions apply. Tread min. 3 mm. This also applies to cars registered abroad.

Studded tyres are allowed from 1 October to 15 April.

Phone, drugs and other bans

• Phone only with a hands-free kit.
• Drugs: driving under the influence is banned (including THC, methamphetamine, MDMA). Don’t drive when you are ill or tired, either.
• Bus lanes are for public transport only; bicycles and mopeds may also use the lane on the right-hand edge of the road.
• Don’t drink on the ferry to Sweden if you are driving afterwards – the police routinely check drivers as they come off the ferry.

Vignettes, tolls and low-emission zones

Sweden has no vignettes and no toll booths. There is, however, a congestion tax (trängselskatt) in Stockholm and Gothenburg and bridge tolls in Motala, Sundsvall and Skurubron – they also apply to cars registered abroad.

Cameras read your number plate automatically, so you don’t need a sticker or a device. Details: Transportstyrelsen. Class 1 low-emission zones (miljözon) apply to lorries; class 2 and 3 zones also cover cars – watch the signs.

Documents and insurance

• a driving licence from an EU/EEA country is valid; in Sweden you must be at least 18 to drive a car yourself
• vehicle registration certificate and proof of third-party motor insurance; no Green Card needed
• towing is very expensive – the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends comprehensive cover and breakdown assistance

Note: Whether a licence you got before 18 (e.g. accompanied driving from 17) is valid here depends on the issuing country – check before you travel at Your Europe – Road rules: Sweden.

What to watch out for

• Swedes take speed limits seriously – don’t count on any tolerance.
• Elk (moose): drive carefully in forest areas, especially at dusk.
• Fines and charges arrive by post at the car owner’s address; unpaid ones can be collected by the Swedish Enforcement Authority (Kronofogden).
• After an accident contact the police (112 in an emergency) – the emergency services speak English.

Sources

• Your Europe – Road rules: Sweden
• Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Odyseusz: Sweden (in Polish)
• Transportstyrelsen – winter tyres
• Transportstyrelsen – road tolls
• Transportstyrelsen – low-emission zones (miljözoner)
• Trafikverket – speed limits
• Last updated: September 2026.