You can know every rule in the book and still be unable to take your test at Trafikverket because of an expired ID card, an unregistered risk course or arriving too late for the photo. This guide covers the practical side of test day for a category B licence, based on Trafikverket's and Transportstyrelsen's own information.

Before you can book

Three things need to be in place before test day:

  • A learner's permit (körkortstillstånd). You need it to book any test. It is valid for five years and cannot be extended (Transportstyrelsen). When you apply, you also submit a health declaration and a basic eye certificate (synintyg) that is no older than two months.
  • Both parts of the risk education (riskutbildning). Trafikverket requires that you have completed both parts and that the course is still valid when you arrive for the test.
  • Payment in time. If you are under 18, Trafikverket requires payment at least 25 hours before the test starts.

Check in Trafikverket's booking service that your risk education is registered before the day. Problems are much easier to fix a week before than at the reception desk.

Which ID documents are accepted

You must show a valid ID document at every test. Trafikverket accepts:

  • a Swedish national ID card
  • ID cards issued by Skatteverket
  • SIS-marked ID, service or company cards
  • national ID cards from other EU countries issued on or after 2 August 2021
  • a Swedish driving licence
  • Swedish passports and passports from other EU countries
  • passports from the Faroe Islands, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland

The document must be physical, undamaged and not expired. Freja eID and the digital BankID card are not accepted.

If your document is not on the list, for example a passport from a country outside the EU, check Trafikverket's current list well in advance. If you have no accepted ID, you can apply for an exception. Another person who can vouch for your identity then comes with you and shows their own valid ID. The signed application must reach Trafikverket at least two weeks before your test, and an approved exception for tests is valid for six months and only at Trafikverket.

The licence photo

You are photographed on arrival, before the theory test, and that photo is used on your driving licence. Trafikverket therefore asks you to arrive at least 30 minutes before the test starts.

If you take a licence for several categories, you need a new photo for each one. A new photo is also taken in some other cases, for example for a B96 licence.

Theory test day

The category B theory test (kunskapsprov) works like this:

  • 70 multiple-choice questions, each with one correct answer. Five are trial questions that do not count, so the maximum is 65 points.
  • 52 points or more is a pass.
  • 50 minutes. The clock starts only when you start the test yourself, after an introduction film.
  • Your phone must be completely switched off.
  • A touch screen, a touch pen and a calculator are provided.
  • You can raise your hand to ask about a word or a synonym.
  • The questions can be heard in Swedish through headphones. The test is also offered in 15 other languages, chosen when you book, and you can switch to Swedish during the test.
  • You can apply to take the test with an interpreter. For category B, the interpreted test is 100 minutes.

You see the result on screen straight away. If you fail, you only see the areas where you need to improve, not which questions you got wrong. You can take only one test per day for the same category.

A theory pass for category B is valid for one year if you passed on or after 19 August 2026. Passes before that date are valid for four months. You must pass the driving test within that period.

Driving test day

  • Trafikverket sets aside 45 minutes for the category B driving test.
  • The test starts with a safety check of the car. The examiner tells you what to check, for example lights, indicators, wipers, washer fluid, tyres, brakes or warning systems.
  • Then come special manoeuvres and driving in town and on rural roads.
  • You cannot use your own private car. Only a car from Trafikverket or from a driving school may be used.
  • If you take the test in an automatic car, your licence gets code 78, which means automatic cars only.

Bring the same valid ID as for the theory test.

A simple test-day checklist

  • Valid, physical ID from the accepted list
  • Risk education registered and still valid
  • Learner's permit valid
  • Payment completed (25 hours before if you are under 18)
  • Glasses or lenses if your eye certificate requires them
  • Arrive at least 30 minutes early
  • Phone switched off before the test

Typical traps on test day

  • Digital ID. Freja eID and the digital BankID card are not accepted.
  • Expired card. An ID that expired yesterday is not valid.
  • Arriving "on time". The photo comes first, so on time means 30 minutes early.
  • Booking theory and driving on the same day. Trafikverket recommends booking them a few weeks apart so you can retake the theory test if needed.
  • Old validity rule. Passes from 19 August 2026 are valid for one year, not four months.

FAQ

Can I use my residence permit card as ID at Trafikverket?

It is not on the list of accepted ID documents that Trafikverket publishes. Check the current list on trafikverket.se and, if you have no accepted ID, apply for an exception at least two weeks before the test.

How long does a passed theory test last in Sweden?

For category B, one year if you passed on or after 19 August 2026. Earlier passes are valid for four months.

Can I take the theory test in English?

Yes. The category B test is available in British English and 14 other languages besides Swedish, and you can switch to Swedish during the test.

Körkort Hero lets you prepare in your own language first and then check the Swedish terms, with 16 languages available, so test day is about the rules and not about the wording.

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