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THE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO A SWEDISH DRIVING LICENSE

There are many reasons to go through the trouble of getting a Swedish driver’s license. Whatever your reasons, a Swedish driving license is a good investment if you plan to stay in Sweden for a while.

STEPS TO GET A SWEDISH DRIVER’S LICENSE
apply for a learning permit
start your driving practice
study the theory of driving
take the risk training – riskutbildning
book a time for a driving test.
1. LEARNERS PERMIT – KÖRKORTSTILLSTÅND
The process of getting a Swedish driver’s license starts by applying for a learner’s permit – (körkortstillstånd). The process is as follows:

fill out the application form to apply for a learner permit and the health & eyesight declaration, called “Ansökan körkortstillstånd + hälso & syncing “ and submit it to the Swedish Transport Agency – Transportstyrelsen. (The information is in Swedish).
get an eyesight certificate (syncing) and submit it to your application. You can perform the eye test and get the certificate at your local optician or at most driving schools.
sign the health declaration which comes in the application form, which confirms that you have no illnesses that might influence your driving ability.
There is no cost for the application, however, there is a cost for the vision test and this depends on the chosen optician but that is usually around 150 SEK. The vision test should be done around the same time as you apply for your körkortstillstånd as the vision test certificate can not be older than two months when you apply.
Your körkortstillstånd is valid for five years.

Note: the processing time can be two months or in some cases more.

2. DRIVING PRACTICE – ÖVNINGSKÖRA
Once you have your körkortstillstånd – you are ready to start practicing! You can pay for lessons at a driving school or practice for free with a friend, parent or partner – a so-called handled. Both approaches have pros and cons. A handledare is cheaper but there is a risk that you will learn the bad habits of your handledare. It is therefore recommended to combine the two to get a lot of practice AND properly learn the latest rules.

A handledare is not – as it might sound – a private teacher. Most people who have a Swedish driver’s license can become a handledare and many beginners practice with their parents, partner or friends as handledare. The requirements for being a handledare are:

to be at least 24 years old
to have had a driving license for at least five years
You become a handledare by applying for a tutors permission, a so called handledarbevis. It costs 170 SEK and you find the application form “Ansökan handledarskap privat övningskörning“ here.

You and your handledare will also have to partake in an introduction course – introduktionsutbildning. Most driving schools offer this course and it generally costs about 300 – 400 SEK/person. You will not need a special car (with dual commands) to practice with your handledare.

Note: When driving with a handledare, it is the handledare who considered the driver of the vehicle and is therefore responsible in case of an accident.

3. THE THEORY OF DRIVING
Please note: the rules changed on the 1st of March 2020. It will be required to pass the written test before taking the driving test. The written test will be valid for four months instead of two.

It is recommended to learn the theory parallel to your driving practice. The most common theoretical reading material is the Swedish Driver’s License book combined with theory questions online. You can, if you choose, rely on only one of these, but it is recommended that you use a combination of both.

The book gives you a good overview of all driving theory and the online questions tests your knowledge in real time.

The online mock tests are set up just as the real test (same grading, time limit etc) which gives you a good idea of what to expect at the real theory test.

However, you should aim to learn the facts behind the questions and not only memorize the answers. Why? Because the questions on the real test will not be phrased the same as the test questions.

You find the latest text book Körkortsboken på engelska 2020: Driving license book and online theory questions at Körkortskolan.se.

With each question you get the correlating book page number. This way you can easily find more information about the online question in your book.

Note: If you get an English textbook, for example from a local driving school, the page numbers and the online questions won’t match up. The text book sold at traffic schools are also not updated as often so if you buy one of these, just make sure that it is the latest edition.

There are also many other learning websites out there and some are translated to English. Just do a Google search for “driving theory online Sweden”. But remember – When using online tools make sure it’s a recent edition as regulations often change.

THE DRIVING LICENSE BOOK – KÖRKORTSBOKEN PÅ ENGELSKA 2020
You usually find copies of older textbooks at the library. However, if you use an old textbook you should be aware of the risk that it is not updated with the latest theory rules, which change regularly over time.

The latest and most updated textbooks are found online and we recommend: Körkortsboken på Engelska 2020: driving license book.

There are versions of this book in other languages as well:

Swedish: Körkortsteori 2020: den senaste körkortsboken
Arabic: Körkortsboken på arabiska 2020: كتاب رخصة القيادة
Persian: Körkortsboken på persiska 2020: کتاب آموزش رانندگی
Somali: Körkortsboken på somaliska 2020: Buuga shatiga darawalnimada
Turkish: Körkortsboken på turkiska 2020: Ehliyet kitabi
4. RISK TRAINING – RISKUTBILDNING
You need to do a risk training – a so-called riskutbildning before you can book your final test. This training is compulsory and consists of two parts. The first part is theoretical and will teach you about the risks with alcohol, drugs and tiredness while driving.

The second part focuses on speed and security issues. The main aspect of this section is skid training – the so-called halkbana where they will test your driving abilities in extreme conditions such as icy roads. Once done, you will receive a certificate which is valid for 4 years. The price for the course varies, but costs usually around 2800 SEK (for both parts).

Good news – there are schools that provide that kind of training in English!

5. TEST TIME
The practical and theoretical parts are considered one test called förarprov. You can take both tests in one day or have some time between the tests.

If you have passed one of the tests (the theoretical for instance) you have to pass the other test (the practical) within two months. If you do not pass both tests within two months, you will have to retake both tests.

You book your tests at the Swedish Transport Administration Agency – Trafikverket. If you have joined a driving school they will help you book your test.

On the first exam, you have to take photographs on the spot. It costs 80 kronor.

THE THEORETICAL TEST – KUNSKAPSPROV
Finally, the moment of truth! You start with the theoretical test – kunskapsprov and continue with the practical test – förarprov. You take the second test regardless of how the first part turned out.

The theoretical test consists of 70 questions and you need to get at least 52 of them right in order to pass. The good news are that you don’t have to take the test in Swedish! You can write it in Albanian, Arabic, Bosnian, Croatian, English, Finnish, French, Persian, Russian, Serbian, Somali, Sorani, Spanish, Thai and Turkish.

THE DRIVING TEST – KÖRPROV
The driving test is about 25 minutes. You will be judged on overall impression but the examiners will look especially for:

your vehicle control
your actions and reactions in different traffic situations
how you apply different traffic rules
if you apply “eco-driving” (environmentally friendly driving).
On the test day you need a dual control car. You can either rent one from Trafikverket where you take the test or borrow one from your driving school. It isn’t possible to take the practical part of the test in any other language than Swedish, but if you ask nicely, you might get the examiner to give his or her instructions in English. If needed, you are allowed to bring an interpreter with you during the practical test.

Well, that’s it. BEST OF LUCK and don’t forget to bring your ID!

DID YOU PASS?
They will inform you immediately if you passed the tests. If you pass both tests you can drive – you just need your ID. You will receive your real driving license five days later with the post.

DID YOU FAIL?
Don’t worry. 1 out of 2 fail the driving test, so relax! Yet, you should hurry to book a retest – a so-called omtest. This should be done within three days. You need to successfully pass both tests within two months, or you will have to pay all fees and retake all tests again.