Sweden on a British Licence — IDP Recommended, and You Switch to the Right

Sweden is a brilliant self-drive country and a popular one for British visitors — but it asks two things of you that a domestic drive never does. You change which side of the road you sit on, and you change your entire sense of what a legal drink-drive limit means.

Driving on a UK licence

A British licence is fine for a tourist visit to Sweden. Since Brexit the UK is a non-EU country, so an International Driving Permit is recommended as a translation backup — in practice UK photocards are still widely accepted, but the IDP avoids any quibble at a rental desk. Carry your UK licence, the IDP and your passport. Arrange the permit before you fly; you cannot get one in Sweden.

The side switch is the main risk

The UK drives on the left; Sweden drives on the right. This is the single biggest hazard for British drivers, and it bites in the first hour — joining a roundabout that now flows clockwise the other way, pulling out of a fuel station into the wrong lane, or glancing the wrong way at a junction. Don’t start in city traffic. Take a quiet road first and consciously place the car on the right at every turn until the instinct flips.

A drink-drive limit four times tighter

Britain’s 0.08 is one of Europe’s most relaxed limits. Sweden’s is 0.02 — close to zero — and it is enforced with constant random breath testing. Penalties are income-linked and can include a ban or worse. Forget the “one pint” habit; if you are driving in Sweden, drink nothing.

Moose, speeds and costs

The yellow moose-warning triangles mark genuine animal-crossing zones, and a strike at dawn, dusk or night is a serious crash given the animal’s size — slow on forest roads in low light. Limits are 50 km/h urban, 70 rural and 110 on motorways, with cameras widespread; a minor speeding fine starts around SEK 2,000. Fuel is about $1.88/litre and the emergency number is 112.

Read the full rules on our Sweden driving guide, check your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, and estimate a penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator.