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Getting a Swedish driver's license The official authority for driving
in Sweden and for driver's
licences in Sweden is the Swedish Road Administration, or Vägverket. The following information is from some of our own club members' experiences on this subject. European citizens living in Sweden can simply trade their driver's licenses for a Swedish one. But as Americans, however experienced we may be, we must still complete the process from the very beginning, just like anyone learning to drive here. Here are some things you need to know in order to obtain your license. Before beginning the process, you should obtain a Swedish ID card from the bank or the post office if you don't already have one, as this will be the only form of identification accepted along every step of this process. You are legally permitted to drive for one year with your US license after you move here. You are not required to take any courses at a driving school as long as you have someone who can be your "private instructor" (handledare) who has had a Swedish license for more than 5 years (but it is recommended; see the section entitled 'Driving Schools'). A form requesting approval of your private instructor is required. You will also be required to display an "övningskörning" sign on your vehicle indicating that you are a "student driver." FIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR A DRIVER'S LICENSE
Your permanent residency/whether you have been studying in Sweden, and whether you already hold an EEA country driving license will be checked when you take the driving test. Driving permit (körkortstillstånd)
Skid circuit (halkbana) training Training on this slippery skid circuit takes place at Stora Holm (www.storaholm.com) on Hisingen in Göteborg. This course takes 4 hours for driving school students and 4½ hours for private students, and is actually quite fun. Call 031-55 90 41 if making your own appointment. The training consists of both theory and practical exercises in driving in slippery or hazardous road conditions. You'll be paired up with another student and drive through several different courses and scenarios in specially-equipped cars in which the Automatic Braking System (ABS) can be engaged and disengaged. The instructors speak from an observation tower through walkie-talkies to the student vehicles below. Each exercise is practiced several times, both with and without ABS and at different speeds. You'll receive a booklet in the mail after you've received an appointment, detailing the different exercises. Active participation, following the given instructions, completing the exercises at the required speeds and not abusing the vehicles is basically all that's required to pass the training. Your successfully-completed training will remain valid for two years. You will not receive any certificate or other paperwork; rather, Stora Holm informs Vägverket that you have completed the training and it is noted in their computers. If you don't understand Swedish well, you'll need
to arrange to bring your own interpreter with you to Stora Holm. And do NOT
arrive even a couple of minutes late for your appointment! If you go through a driving school, they will make the appointment for the theory test for you. If you are a private student, then contact Vägverket at 031-63 53 53 to make your appointment. Be sure to let them know if you want to take the test in English. Report at the appointed time to their office at Mölndalsvägen 30 B to take the multiple-choice test, and do NOT forget to bring your Swedish ID card. Your successfully-completed theory test results will remain valid for one year. If you do not pass your driving test during that time, you'll be required to re-take the theory test. Note that you do NOT have to pass the theory test and skid circuit training in any particular order. But both must be completed before the driving test. Driving test Once you've passed the theory test, you can make an appointment with Vägverket for the driving test, or your driving school can schedule it for you. You must use a vehicle with double controls (i.e., acceleration and brake controls for the test instructor) which you will either need to rent from Vägverket or from your driving school. The test takes about 45 minutes. After successfully completing your driving test, you will soon receive documents in the mail which will need to be completed and mailed back to Vägverket along with an approved passport-type photo. When your actual driver's license arrives, you will need to pick it up in person at the post office where the employees are required to open the envelope containing the driver's license and ascertain your identity beyond any doubt before turning your new license over to you. Even if you come to this country with many years of driving experience under your belt, you would be wise to realize that the Swedish driver's license is one of the most difficult in the world to acquire. This isn't the five-minute-around-the-block-a-couple-of-times-driving-test you took when you were 16! They're thorough, and Swedish accident statistics are largely and positively affected by this. So even if you're an experienced driver, you'd be wise to take at least a few lessons at a driving school - not to learn to drive, but to learn how to pass the Swedish driving test. For a list of all driving schools in Göteborg approved by the National Association of Swedish Driving Schools (Sveriges Trafikskolors Riksförbund), click here. Costs The process of acquiring a Swedish driver's license is expensive. While most American teens save their money to buy their first car, Swedish teens and young adults save money for their first driver's license. Many Swedes never go through with or complete the process at all because of the degree of difficulty and cost involved and because Sweden's public transportation system is extensive and effective. High gasoline prices, annual inspection costs and vehicle taxes also contribute to this phenomenon. So it is not so unusual to NOT have a driver's license. There are fees along every step of this process. There are separate costs for your driving permit, the eye examination required for the driving permit, your theory study materials, the theory test, the driving test, the manufacturing of your driver's license, the skid circuit training, driving lessons, use of a double-control car for the driving test and the photos for your license. Expect to pay at least 3000 SEK (and more depending on if and how many driving lessons you take) for the whole process. GOOD LUCK!
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