Swedish law states that all cars must be equipped with winter tyres between December 1st and March 31st if the weather conditions require it. If your car doesn't have them or if they are not up to scratch (a tread depth of at least three millimetres), you risk a fine of 1,200 kronor.
This includes both cars with Swedish licence plates and foreign plates.
So when do the weather conditions require it? When there's snow, ice, slush or frost on the road, but it's up to police to make that call.
In any case, don't leave it too late, as temperatures plummet before December 1st in many parts of Sweden. Winter tyres radically decrease the risk of skidding and improve a vehicle's overall braking capacity on slippery surfaces, reducing the risk of accidents.
Remember also that even when the law doesn't state you need winter tyres, you are still responsible for making sure your car is safe.
There are two types of winter tyres to choose from: stud-free friction tyres and studded tyres.
In general, studded winter tyres are better suited for icy roads or on surfaces with hard-packed snow, while stud-free tyres work better on roads with soft snow. In northern Sweden, cars nearly always have studded tyres, while friction tyres are a common option further south.
Studded tyres are allowed between October 1st and April 15th, or in wintery driving conditions.
Pay attention though: studded tyres are illegal on some inner-city streets in major Swedish cities for air pollution reasons. In Stockholm, that includes Hornsgatan, Fleminggatan and parts of Kungsgatan, and in Gothenburg studded tyres are banned on Friggagatan and Odinsgatan.
Studded tyres are allowed on all streets in Malmö in southern Sweden, where studded tyres are relatively rare so a ban would have little effect. And in northern Sweden, studded tyres are essential to stay safe on the road, so it would be impractical to ban them in cities.
Stud-free friction tyres are allowed all year round, but are not as safe as summer tyres when temperatures go above 5C.
Be aware that from 2024, tyres need to be marked with the “three peak mountain snow flake” or 3PMSF symbol to qualify as winter tyres. This is due to a rule which was brought into force in 2019 with a five year transition period, which ends this year.
If you bought your tyres within the last five years, it’s likely they already have this symbol, but make sure to check just in case.
Here are more tips about driving in Sweden in winter.
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