Driving in Sweden

Renting & importing a car

Driving in Sweden

As in any country, if you decide to rent or import a car, it is crucial to have completed any necessary paperwork before arriving in the country. This will save you a great deal of hassle.

Renting a car

The process of renting a car in Sweden is very similar to that of other countries. The minimum age to rent a car is 18 years old, however this might change depending on the type of car or vehicle. The driver must have held their license for at least a year. The license ought to be written in English, or accompanied by an International Driver’s license. An important thing to remember when driving in Sweden is that the car’s headlights should be switched on at all times to avoid incurring a fine.

All major rental companies, i.e. Hertz , Avis  and Europcar , have offices in the airports around Sweden. You should try to complete the necessary paperwork online before arriving to avoid a long wait. Petrol stations are open from 7am-10pm and the average cost of a litre of petrol is 15 SEK. Metered parking is often seen in the streets of Swedish cities and cars are parked on the right hand side of the road unless otherwise stated.

Importing a car

If you are importing a car from inside the EEA you must go through the Swedish Customs Service in order to be cleared. Start by applying for the verification of origin through the Swedish Transport Agency .

The verification of origin can be completed in six steps and you will receive a pdf document at the end which includes the bank account where you must send the money. Once the verification of origin has been approved, the car must undergo a motor vehicle inspection. New vehicles which have been manufactured in Sweden are an exception to the inspection.

It is also important to take out car insurance  for the temporary registration . Then the car must undergo a registration inspection and a technical identity verification. Once all these processes have been completed and approved you will receive your registration number, certificate and plates. Once these documents have been received you must activate your registration with the Swedish Transport Agency. It is crucial for the activation to have up-to-date car insurance.

Further reading

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