Driving in Sweden on a Chinese Licence 2026: Certified Copy

Sweden is one of the easier countries in Europe to drive as a visitor — roads are excellent, drivers are calm and disciplined, and the whole country flows on the right, exactly as China does. There is no side-of-the-road relearning to do. The real preparation for a Chinese driver is paperwork and one local hazard most first-timers underestimate.

Can you drive on a Chinese licence?

For a visit, yes — with a certified translation. The Swedish Transport Agency says a licence from outside the EEA that is not designed according to the international road traffic conventions and not made out in English, German or French is valid only together with a certified translation. The translation must be into English, German, French, Swedish, Danish or Norwegian, and the agency points to the authorised translators listed by the Swedish Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (Kammarkollegiet).

China does not issue International Driving Permits, so the translation is the route, not an IDP. Get it done before you collect the car, carry it with your original licence and passport, and ask the hire company to confirm in writing that it accepts a Chinese licence with a certified translation. If you become a registered resident in Sweden, a non-EEA licence stops being valid after one year.

The alcohol limit is genuinely strict

Sweden’s blood-alcohol limit is 0.02% — the same figure as China’s, and routine breath checks mean there is no “one beer with dinner” margin. If you are driving, drink nothing.

Wildlife is the hazard nobody warns you about

Wildlife collisions are common in Sweden, especially at night. The warning triangles with a moose or deer silhouette mark known crossing zones; a full-grown moose is taller than a car bonnet and comes through the windscreen in a hit. Where you see the signs — and on forest-lined roads generally — ease off, watch the verges, and use full beam when there is no oncoming traffic.

Speeds, winter and the practical bits

Towns are 50 km/h; motorways are mostly 110 km/h, with 120 on some stretches, so read the signs. Cameras are common. From 1 December to 31 March, cars must run on winter tyres when winter road conditions apply. The emergency number is 112.

Check the full rules on our Sweden driving guide, confirm what you need to carry with the Driving Permit Checker, and estimate any penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator.

Sources

• Swedish Transport Agency, driving licences issued outside the EEA (certified translation; accepted languages; one-year residence rule): transportstyrelsen.se
• Global Affairs Canada, Sweden travel advice (winter tyres 1 December-31 March; wildlife collisions): travel.gc.ca
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Sweden profile (0.02 g/dl; 50 km/h urban, 120 km/h motorway maximum) and China profile (0.02 g/dl): who.int, who.int
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 and 1968 Conventions on Road Traffic (China a party to neither): treaties.un.org, treaties.un.org