Swedish taxi driver licence 2026: every requirement step by step

The six basic requirements

Swedish taxi traffic legislation sets out six basic requirements for a taxiförarlegitimation. You must be at least 20 years old – the age limit was lowered from 21 to 20 on 1 January 2025. You must hold a category B driving licence that you have held for at least two years without interruption, or a category D licence. You must meet the medical requirements, pass the professional competence test (the knowledge test), pass the taxi driving test, and be judged suitable with respect to law-abidance by Transportstyrelsen.

The law-abidance assessment means Transportstyrelsen checks whether you have been convicted of offences that make you unsuitable as a taxi driver – violent and sexual offences or repeated criminality, for example. The assessment is made both when you apply and continuously while you hold the licence: Transportstyrelsen can revoke it if you are later convicted of serious crime.

The knowledge test at Trafikverket

The knowledge test (the professional competence test) is taken at Trafikverket and consists of two parts: Part 1, Safety and behaviour (65 questions, at least 48 correct), and Part 2, Legislation (46 questions, at least 34 correct). You get 50 minutes per part and may take the parts in any order – on the same day or on separate occasions. Both parts must be passed within six months of the first pass, otherwise you have to retake whichever part has expired.

The test is always administered in Swedish (chapter 2, section 1 of TSFS 2021:119). You may not bring your own aids – paper, pen and any permitted tools are handed out in the test room. Before each part you sign a declaration on your honour that you will not cheat or mislead during the test.

The driving test

The driving test shows that you can drive in a way that is safe, secure and comfortable for passengers. The drive must last at least 35 minutes and include driving towards a stated destination, at least two destinations in total, and a spoken route description from the examiner to one of them. The assessment covers vehicle control, passenger safety, driving in both rural and urban traffic, and your presence of mind and judgement – for instance in complicated traffic situations and when turning the car on a road.

The car you take the test in must be a passenger car registered in Sweden, with a kerb weight of at least 1,200 kg and a gross weight of no more than 3,500 kg, fitted with airbags on both front seats, an extra interior rear-view mirror for the front passenger, and dual controls for the service brake. A passed driving test may be no more than twelve months old when your licence application reaches Transportstyrelsen.

Medical certificate and application

Your application must include a medical certificate (form TS8071) that is no older than two months when the application reaches Transportstyrelsen. The medical requirements for taxi drivers are stricter than for an ordinary category B licence, among other things regarding visual acuity, cardiovascular disease and certain neurological conditions.

The application must be submitted no later than three years after your last passed test part, and no later than one year after a passed driving test – otherwise the results lapse and the tests must be retaken. Applications are made electronically at Transportstyrelsen, and the licence itself is yellow, with your photograph, its expiry date and your personal driver code on the front.

What it costs and how long it takes

Total cost and total time depend mostly on how many times you have to retake a test – the fees themselves are low compared with what a retake costs in time and money. We break down the full cost picture in 'What does it cost to become a taxi driver in 2026?' and give a realistic schedule in 'How long does it take to become a taxi driver?'.