This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by Ondřej Kadlec
Driving in Sweden: the three basics
Drives on the
right
The driver sits on the left and overtakes on the left. Roundabouts turn anticlockwise.
Your licence
EU licence is enough
An EU, EEA or Swiss licence is valid as it stands. A licence from anywhere else works alongside an International Driving Permit, which hire desks and police expect to see.
Motorways
Mixed
Most roads are free and specific crossings, city zones or concession motorways charge. The catch is that several of them have no barrier and expect payment afterwards.
Motorways are free. Stockholm and Gothenburg charge congestion tax by camera, billed to the hire company.
Swedish motorways are free, but Stockholm and Gothenburg charge congestion tax by camera and elk are a genuine hazard at dusk.
Free motorways, camera-charged city centres, and wildlife that is a real risk rather than a postcard.
Congestion tax applies in Stockholm and Gothenburg on weekdays, charged by camera and billed to the owner - which for a hire car means the rental company plus a fee.
The alcohol limit is 0.2 g/l, and Sweden enforces it with roadside tests as a matter of routine.
Dipped headlights are compulsory day and night.
Elk and deer collisions peak at dawn and dusk in spring and autumn. A warning sign on a Swedish road is a statement of fact, not decoration.
Winter tyres are compulsory from 1 December to 31 March when winter conditions prevail, and studded tyres are permitted.
Comments
No comments yet. Share the first one.
Share a tip
Sign in to continue.