Japanese Drivers in Sweden 2026: Keep Right, Carry Permit

Japanese licence holders can drive in Sweden as visitors, provided the licence travels with Japan’s 1949 IDP or a certified translation. The Swedish Transport Agency’s rule is that a licence from outside the EEA that is not in English, German or French, and not designed to the international conventions, is valid only with a certified translation. A Japanese licence is in Japanese, so it needs a companion document. Japan and Sweden are both parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention, so the Japanese IDP does the same job. Apply for it in Japan before you fly, because it cannot be arranged after you land.

Translation, if you prefer it

A certified translation must come from an authorised translator and be in English, German, French, Swedish, Danish or Norwegian. For a holiday, the IDP is usually simpler. For a long stay, ask the Swedish Transport Agency whether the translation route suits your case. Either way, carry the licence, the document and your passport together, and put the rental agreement in the same bag.

Left to right, and what that means for the first drive

Japan keeps left. Sweden keeps right. The reflex errors come in the first hours: leaving a fuel station on the wrong side, glancing the wrong way at a junction, or taking a roundabout clockwise out of habit. Pick the car up somewhere quiet, not in central Stockholm, and say each turn aloud until keeping right stops feeling deliberate. Find the indicator and wiper stalks before you move off, since they will be on the opposite side from the Japanese cars you know.

Speed limits side by side

Swedish towns are slower than Japanese ordinary roads, and the open road is faster. If you are used to 60 on a typical rural stretch at home, 70 feels fast on a narrow Swedish road with forest on both sides.

Alcohol: 0.02% against 0.03%

Sweden’s blood-alcohol limit is 0.02%, stricter than Japan’s 0.03%. A single drink can be enough to take you over it, so treat the limit as a complete ban before driving.

What breaking the rules costs

Fines, in kronor:

• Seatbelt: SEK 1,500
• Red light: SEK 5,000
• Up to 10 km/h over: SEK 2,000
• 16-20 km/h over: SEK 2,800 where the limit is 50 or lower, SEK 2,400 where it is higher
• 30 km/h over: SEK 4,000, or income-based day-fines

Phone use does not have a specific ban in the record, but distracted driving applies and the fine is SEK 1,500. Sweden’s day-fine system for larger offences scales the penalty to income, which is unusual compared with a flat rate.

The wildlife problem

Collisions with wildlife are common, especially at night, and the animal-silhouette warning signs on rural and forest roads mark real crossing zones. Slow down where they appear, particularly at dawn and dusk. Global Affairs Canada makes the same point.

Winter tyres, and the one compulsory item

From 1 December to 31 March, cars must have winter tyres when winter conditions apply. A hire car in Sweden in those months will usually be fitted; check at the desk. The only compulsory safety item in Sweden’s record is a warning triangle. A first-aid kit, fire extinguisher, reflective vest and spare bulbs are recommended.

Emergency numbers

Sweden uses 112 for all emergencies. Japan’s 110 for police and 119 for ambulance and fire will not connect. Confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, see posted limits on the Speed Limit Map, and read the Sweden driving guide for more.

Sources

• Swedish Transport Agency, driving licences issued outside the EEA (certified translation; accepted languages): 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 Japan profile (0.03 g/dl): who.int, who.int
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (Japan and Sweden parties): treaties.un.org