According to the Transport Agency, there are clear indications that thousands of registered Swedes travel to other EES countries every year to obtain a driving license from a third country exchanged for a European one. Several other European countries have more generous exchange rules than Sweden.
Back in Sweden, an exchange for a Swedish driving license is then requested – something the Transport Agency cannot deny if the person is permanently resident here.
In an analysis, the Transport Agency estimates that around 3,000 people in Sweden last year may have obtained their driving license without taking a valid driving test. In a proposal to the government, the agency now wants to see several changes to reduce driving license tourism.
Among other things, it wants to require a passed driving test in an EES country to be able to exchange for a Swedish driving license.
Corrected: In an earlier version, the wrong authority was stated in the first sentence.
