(edit title) Moving to Sweden in 2022 Trying to get a toe in with forestry/haulage Options

[TheExpatEagle]

The water temperature today in ?resund, basically open sea, was 12 degrees. The air temperature was 15 degrees.

[TheExpatEagle]

The British Embassy has published updated guidelines this evening. In them was the following:

Can I keep my UK driving licence?
If you are resident in Sweden, you will need to exchange you UK licence to a Swedish licence. After 31 December 2020 your UK licence will not be valid in Sweden, and you will not be able to exchange it for a Swedish licence.

[JonathanR]

The British Embassy has published updated guidelines this evening. In them was the following:Can I keep my UK driving licence?If you are resident in Sweden, you will need to e ... (show full quote)

The British Embassy has published updated guidelines this evening. In them was the following:

Can I keep my UK driving licence?
If you are resident in Sweden, you will need to exchange you UK licence to a Swedish licence. After 31 December 2020 your UK licence will not be valid in Sweden, and you will not be able to exchange it for a Swedish licence. ... (hide full quote)

Well, that's a ballache.

Thanks for that Brexit!

I'm not bothered though, in all honesty. I've sat plenty of driving tests and machine assessments over the years and they don't stress me. It'll be interesting to see where what is taught differs in each country. Also, whilst I've done a bit of proper winter driving in Highland Scotland, it's something I'd benefit from tuition in.

[TheExpatEagle]

Well, that's a ballache. Thanks for that Brexit!I'm not bothered though, in all honesty. I've sat plenty of driving tests and machine assessments over the year ... (show full quote)

Well, that's a ballache.

Thanks for that Brexit!

I'm not bothered though, in all honesty. I've sat plenty of driving tests and machine assessments over the years and they don't stress me. It'll be interesting to see where what is taught differs in each country. Also, whilst I've done a bit of proper winter driving in Highland Scotland, it's something I'd benefit from tuition in. ... (hide full quote)

I'm sure it won't be a problem to pass the driving test at all. It is just very expensive and time consuming to do. Depending when you sat your test it might be a different system because of the theory, hazard perception I & II and practical test. I think vehicle maintenance is part of it now as well such as winter tyres regulations and so on.

Of course you will only get winter driving experience if you are lucky to have lessons in winter. A lot of places south of Stockholm have not had a winter for 2 years.*

*Official winter in Sweden is classed as 5 days or more of minus temperatures in a calendar month. In the past (almost) 24 months it has just been cloudy, windy and raining in the winter months. The weather is getting more like the south of England each year! This past Christmas it was 8 degrees and raining! :-/

[Gimp]

The British Embassy has published updated guidelines this evening. In them was the following:Can I keep my UK driving licence?If you are resident in Sweden, you will need to e ... (show full quote)

The British Embassy has published updated guidelines this evening. In them was the following:

Can I keep my UK driving licence?
If you are resident in Sweden, you will need to exchange you UK licence to a Swedish licence. After 31 December 2020 your UK licence will not be valid in Sweden, and you will not be able to exchange it for a Swedish licence. ... (hide full quote)

Also good for op to know is that you will have to know Swedish for the driving test with the instructor... unless that has changed but I doubt it. I guess it could depend on the instructor as well. Theory test will be in English but obviously some Swedish will be necessary.

For whatever form of driving equipment you operate, you will obviously need a separate license for that... maybe that is easier to transfer from your UK licensing though?

[Gimp]

[Grommet]

[bonviveur]

Well, that's a ballache. Thanks for that Brexit!I'm not bothered though, in all honesty. I've sat plenty of driving tests and machine assessments over the year ... (show full quote)

Well, that's a ballache.

Thanks for that Brexit!

I'm not bothered though, in all honesty. I've sat plenty of driving tests and machine assessments over the years and they don't stress me. It'll be interesting to see where what is taught differs in each country. Also, whilst I've done a bit of proper winter driving in Highland Scotland, it's something I'd benefit from tuition in. ... (hide full quote)

it is expensive to exange your licence other than A,B categories, I will keep mine B,C,E from other EU country as long as I can. cost comes from medical checks which need to be done every year at a cost 1500-2000 vs in my home country once in a 5 years.

[TheExpatEagle]

it is expensive to exange your licence other than A,B categories, I will keep mine B,C,E from other EU country as long as I can. cost comes from medical checks which need to b ... (show full quote)

it is expensive to exange your licence other than A,B categories, I will keep mine B,C,E from other EU country as long as I can. cost comes from medical checks which need to be done every year at a cost 1500-2000 vs in my home country once in a 5 years. ... (hide full quote)

Under EU law you have to exchange it after 24 months at the latest. All categories are on one licence so you can't move A and B but leave the rest on a different licence.

I can't speak for your home country but in the UK you are supposed to surrender your licence if you do not have a UK address so that might be something to consider.

If your permanent residence is in Sweden then the licence should be exchanged.

I'm only stating the law.

[bonviveur]

...

[bonviveur]

Under EU law you have to exchange it after 24 months at the latest. All categories are on one licence so you can't move A and B but leave the rest on a different licence.I ... (show full quote)

Under EU law you have to exchange it after 24 months at the latest. All categories are on one licence so you can't move A and B but leave the rest on a different licence.

I can't speak for your home country but in the UK you are supposed to surrender your licence if you do not have a UK address so that might be something to consider.

If your permanent residence is in Sweden then the licence should be exchanged.

I'm only stating the law. ... (hide full quote)

I have different answer from transportstyrelsen, licence from other EU country is valid until end of valid date on that licence but can be exhanged voluntarily sooner

[skogsbo]

I have different answer from transportstyrelsen, licence from other EU country is valid until end of valid date on that licence but can be exhanged voluntarily sooner

That's what I was told and only changed mine sooner because of Brexit. Prior to that even on the police's random roadside winter tyres and alcohol tests I would just produce my UK licence and ID card, never a problem.

[Grommet]

And I could add I tried to change my EU DL and when I went in to TS they told I didn't need to, so I didn't bother.

That also seemed to suit the police, who pulled my wife over (car was in my name), thinking it was me, at one point. The reason they pulled the car over was because they knew I did not have a Swedish DL. She simply told them I have an EU one, and that was the end of it.

That was around 2014, so I suppose something could have changed by now.

[TheExpatEagle]

I have different answer from transportstyrelsen, licence from other EU country is valid until end of valid date on that licence but can be exhanged voluntarily sooner

Personally I don't care what people do but EU law trumps Swedish law and ignorance is no defence.

This is from the EU's website:

Obligatory exchange of your driving licence in another EU country

You have to exchange your driving licence if:

• Your licence is lost, stolen or damaged.
• After 2 years of usual residence.
• You commit a traffic offence in the country where you live.

[at_the_gates]

I moved to Sweden a year ago from the UK with my family, however i relocated with my existing employer. We haven't decided if we will stay for good or not yet. I think it will come down to economics. For all the positives, now we like being outside a massive city i could stay here, or i could move to the country in the UK and have 30% more money. We'll see.

You just have to be realistic. We like living here but like all countries it has issues. There is crime (i have had my bike stolen or vandalised here more times in 12 months than the previous 12 years in Hackney), some serious and there are areas here which even i think are complete shtholes to be avoided and that's from someone who grew up in East London in the 80s. There is more of a populist right wing on the rise just as there was in the UK (again like the UK based on immigration as the main topic), it may be that the next government is propped up by the Sweden Democrats who are basically the equivalent of the UKIP/BNP.

However, I would say if you like outdoors life it's great here, one of the stereotypes i do agree with is it is a more active culture. The best thing for us moving from London is the air, the forests lakes and sea. It's a great environment and the kids love it. Being able to pick them up from school and walk to the sea rather than walking over the A306 and 50 flytipped mattresses is a much nicer experience. Generally speaking i think the environment is better for us at the moment than London. Less people, less traffic, easier to cycle. I used to spend an hour on the central line, now i can ride 10km to work and be on proper cycle paths the whole way. It's just more pleasant generally.

I can't really comment on getting a job as i moved with one, most Swedes i work with are hard working though, and they are all protective of their family time which is fine by me. However I can rely on them to pitch in after hours if we need to.