Most visitors can skip the IDP. Swedish law settles the question in one paragraph of the Driving Licence Act. Here is that paragraph as a three-question test, plus the traps it creates for the drivers who really do need one.
When you need this
You’re booking a rental car and the website says an IDP is “recommended”. Or your licence is in Arabic, Japanese, Russian or Spanish and you’re not sure it counts. Maybe you already bought an IDP and want to know if it replaces your licence. Or you’re driving your own car in from outside the EU. This page answers all of these from the statute itself.
The three-question test
The rule sits in körkortslagen (the Driving Licence Act) 6 kap. 1 §. It was reworded from 1 May 2026 without changing anything for visitors. Every foreign licence is valid in Sweden “according to its content”, which means for the vehicle categories printed on it. For licences from outside the EU/EEA there is one extra test. Answer these three questions in order and stop at the first “yes”:
| Question | If yes |
|---|---|
| 1. Was the licence issued in the EU or EEA (EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway)? | Valid as it is. No IDP. |
| 2. Is it issued in English, German or French? | Valid as it is. No IDP. |
| 3. Does it follow the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna convention model? | Valid as it is. No IDP. |
| No to all three | Valid only together with an IDP or a certified translation |
Two more rules apply to everyone. A licence without a photo is valid only with photo ID. And a foreign licence never lets anyone under 18 drive a car in Sweden, or anyone under 15 ride a moped, whatever the home country allows.
Who actually needs an IDP
If your licence is from the US, UK, Canada or Australia and is in English, you need nothing extra. The same goes for all EU and EEA licences. The UK government’s own guidance says it plainly: you do not need an IDP for Sweden.
The drivers who need to act are those whose licence is in another language or script: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian or Thai, for example. These licences are covered only if they follow a convention model.
Watch the language list. It names only English, German and French. A licence from outside the EEA written in Spanish, Portuguese or Italian is valid alone only if it follows a convention model.
The catch is proving that model at the roadside. So if your non-EEA licence isn’t in English, German or French, carry an IDP or a certified translation even if you think it conforms. The alternative is risking being treated as an unlicensed driver.
What an IDP is, and isn’t
An IDP is a translation of your licence, not a licence in its own right. Transportstyrelsen (the Swedish Transport Agency) calls it “a valid translation of a national licence”. The law makes your licence valid “only together with” the IDP or translation, so the permit on its own gives you no right to drive. Leave the plastic card in the hotel and you are driving without a valid licence.
Some details other guides miss:
- Any of three IDP models works. Swedish law accepts IDPs on the 1926 Paris, 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna model.
- You can’t get one in Sweden. Swedish clubs issue IDPs only to holders of a Swedish licence, and a Swedish-issued IDP isn’t valid for driving in Sweden anyway. Get yours in the country that issued your licence, before you leave.
- A certified translation is the alternative. It can be into English, German, French, Swedish, Danish or Norwegian. An authorised translator (auktoriserad översättare) can produce it, and that’s your fallback if you’re already here.
- Your licence still limits you. It is valid only for its own categories. A car licence plus an IDP does not cover a heavy motorhome or a motorcycle.
Rental cars: the desk can ask for more
Rental companies are a separate gate. The Car Rental Act says a company may not hand the car to a driver who can’t show they are licensed to drive it. How each company checks is its own business, and some ask for an IDP whatever language your licence is in. The UK government’s advice for Sweden is the same: you don’t need an IDP, but check whether your hire company says you do.
Read the rental terms before you travel. If they ask for an IDP, get one at home before you fly. Every named driver needs their own licence, and each one faces the same test. More on the desk checks is in renting a car in Sweden.
UK drivers and new residents
Visiting from the UK: your photocard licence is in English, so it’s valid on its own. An older licence with no photo needs photo ID beside it. If a hire company insists on an IDP, the UK sells the 1968 type at PayPoint shops.
Moving to Sweden is a different question. A licence from outside the EU/EEA stops being valid once you’ve been registered as resident (folkbokförd) for more than a year. UK and Faroese licences are exempt from that limit. Since 1 May 2026 the exemption sits in the Driving Licence Ordinance (körkortsförordningen 8 a §), not the Act. While an exchange application is being decided, your licence stays valid. Transportstyrelsen can also grant a time-limited exemption to residents staying only a limited time. Holders of Ukrainian licences under temporary protection have their own rules and a dedicated Transportstyrelsen page.
The 2026 reform tightened licence exchange for residents. The visitor rules did not change in substance.
Mistakes to avoid
- Buying an IDP for an English-language licence “just in case”. Swedish law doesn’t require it. The only reason to carry one is a rental company that asks.
- Treating the IDP as a licence. The Swedish name, internationellt körkort, even sounds like one. It’s only a companion document.
- Carrying a photo of your licence. You must carry the card itself and hand it over when police or a vehicle inspector asks.
- Leaving the IDP until you arrive. Nobody in Sweden can issue one to you.
- Driving a category you’re not licensed for. That’s unlicensed driving, IDP or not. See motorhome travel in Sweden for the weight question.
Practical information
| Item | What applies | Source authority |
|---|---|---|
| EU/EEA licence | Valid as it is | Driving Licence Act 6:1 |
| Non-EEA licence in English, German or French | Valid as it is | Driving Licence Act 6:1 |
| Other non-EEA licence, not on a convention model | Valid only with an IDP (1926, 1949 or 1968 model) or a certified translation | Driving Licence Act 6:1 |
| Translation languages | English, German, French, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian | Driving Licence Act 6:1 |
| Licence without a photo | Valid only with photo ID | Driving Licence Act 6:1 |
| Minimum age on a foreign licence | 18 for a car, 15 for a moped | Driving Licence Act 6:3 |
| Resident’s non-EEA licence | Invalid after more than a year’s registered residence (UK, Faroes exempt) | Act 6:2; Ordinance 8 a § |
| Cost of driving on a valid foreign licence | 0 kr, no registration | Driving Licence Act |
| IDP or translation price | Set by the home-country issuer or translator; not sold in Sweden to visitors | Issuer |
| Not carrying the licence | Fixed-scale fine (penningböter) | Driving Licence Act 9:2 |
| Unlicensed driving (olovlig körning) | Fine; up to six months’ prison if aggravated | Traffic Offences Act 3 § |
FAQ
Do I need an international driving permit to drive in Sweden?
Usually not. Swedish law requires an IDP, or a certified translation, only when your licence comes from outside the EU/EEA, follows neither the 1949 Geneva nor the 1968 Vienna convention model, and is not written in English, German or French. EEA licences, and English-language licences from the US, UK, Canada or Australia, are valid on their own.
Can I drive in Sweden with a US driver’s license?
Yes. A US licence is written in English, so Swedish law accepts it on its own as long as it is valid in your home state and you are at least 18. Carry the physical card whenever you drive. You don’t need an IDP for the police, but a rental company may still ask for one, so read its terms.
Can I drive in Sweden with a UK licence after Brexit?
Yes. A UK photocard licence is in English and valid on its own for visitors; the UK government’s own guidance says you do not need an IDP for Sweden. An older licence without a photo needs photo ID alongside it. UK licences are also exempt from the one-year limit that applies to new residents with other non-EEA licences.
My licence is in Chinese, Arabic or Japanese. What do I need?
Unless your licence follows the Geneva or Vienna convention model, carry an international driving permit or a certified translation into English, German, French, Swedish, Danish or Norwegian. Because conformity is hard to prove at the roadside, carrying one is the safe choice. Get the IDP in the country that issued your licence before you travel.
Is an international driving permit valid without my licence?
No. An IDP is a translation of your national licence, and Swedish law makes a translated licence valid only together with the translation or IDP. The permit alone gives no right to drive. Carry both, plus photo ID if your licence has no photo. Driving on an IDP alone risks a charge of unlicensed driving.
Can I get an international driving permit in Sweden?
Not as a visitor. Swedish clubs may issue IDPs only to holders of a Swedish licence, and a Swedish-issued IDP is not valid for driving in Sweden anyway. Transportstyrelsen says to get the IDP in your home country. If you are already here, a certified translation from an authorised translator is the alternative.
How long can I drive in Sweden on a foreign licence?
As a visitor, for as long as the licence is valid at home. The clock that matters is residence: a non-EU/EEA licence stops being valid after you have been registered as resident in Sweden for more than a year. UK and Faroese licences are exempt, and EU/EEA licences have no such limit.
Related guides
- Driving in Sweden: the rules on the road once your licence is sorted
- Renting a car in Sweden: what the desk checks and what the contract covers
- Speed limits in Sweden: limits, cameras, and why the fine finds foreign drivers
- The drink-driving limit: 0.2 per mille, and what that means the morning after
- Driving to Sweden from Germany: ferries, bridges and the route north in your own car
Facts verified 2026-09-24. Sources: Sveriges Riksdag (the Driving Licence Act and Ordinance, the Traffic Offences Act, the Car Rental Act), Transportstyrelsen, UK Government — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.