14.2 Before using a motor vehicle

14.2.1 Compulsory road traffic insurance

Third party liability insurance is compulsory and must be taken out with a company based in Sweden. Failure to do so will be reported to the Swedish Motor Insurers (Trafikförsäkringsföreningen), which has the right to charge the vehicle’s owner for the period not covered by insurance (the longer the period, the higher the charge, see the Swedish Motor Insurers’ website).

Evidence of insurance is sent to the Swedish Transport Agency directly by the insurance company for registration. Until registration is final, insurance may be temporary. For vehicles undergoing customs processing, temporary insurance policies can, if desired, be bought at customs.

For more information on compulsory road traffic insurance in Sweden, please visit the Swedish Transport Agency website.

Missions, diplomats and career consular officers are not exempted from the tax on traffic insurance premiums, since it is the insurer, and not the policy-holder, who is liable to pay the insurance premium tax under Section 3 of the Act on Traffic Insurance Premiums (2007:460). Nor are they entitled to any refund of the premium by virtue of Swedish tax legislation.

14.2.2 Registration

The owner of a motor vehicle is required to register it. In order to obtain diplomatic licence plates, the motor vehicle must be registered and have received the regular licence plates, and thus also be insured.

Registration is carried out by the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsens Trafikregister), upon receiving the approval of the registration inspection (from the motor vehicle inspection company) and insurance notification (from the insurance company). The Swedish Transport Agency will then allocate a registration number to the motor vehicle and issue regular white licence plates. Upon receiving the registration certificate and plates, the registration must be activated with the Swedish Transport Agency. For more information, see the Swedish Transport Agency website.

14.2.3 Diplomatic licence plates

Motor vehicles that are registered in the name of a mission or international organisation, or in the name of a diplomatic agent, career consular officer, administrative and technical staff or consular employee who is not Swedish citizen or permanent resident of Sweden, shall carry blue diplomatic licence plates. In order to obtain diplomatic licence plates, the motor vehicle must have received the regular licence plates, and thus also be insured.

In order to request diplomatic licence plates, the mission must send a note verbale to the Protocol Department, containing the registration number of the regular white licence plates and the model/manufacture of the motor vehicle. A new registration number will be allocated to the motor vehicle according to the codes found in Appendix 1 to the regulation of the Swedish Transport Agency (in Swedish). The owner is then billed for the plates and the plates are delivered to the owner after receipt of payment.

It is possible to obtain diplomatic licence plates for a leased car if the duration of the leasing agreement is at least one year. A copy of the contract must be attached to the application for diplomatic licence plates.

The blue diplomatic plates replace the white plates originally issued by the Swedish Transport Agency. Note that in order to obtain the diplomatic licence plates, the motor vehicle must have been registered and have received the regular licence plates. The white plates should be kept by the owner as they must be returned without delay to the Swedish Transport Agency (address: Transportstyrelsen, Trafikregistret, 701 88 Örebro) upon the export, transfer or sale of the vehicle to another person, or its dismantling.