Exemptions

Green cars - new rules (1 January 2009)

On 26 November, the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) made a decision to amend the rules regarding congestion tax for green cars. This decision means that the exemption for green cars included in the Congestion Tax Act (2004:629) shall cease to apply on an earlier date: on 1 January 2009 instead of 1 August 2012.

This exemption will continue to apply up until 1 August 2012 for vehicles that were exempt from tax obligations prior to 1 January 2009 and that prior to this were also entered in the Swedish Road Traffic Registry. For this reason, existing green cars are not affected by this amendment.

The following vehicles are automatically exempt from congestion tax:

  • emergency vehicles
  • buses having a total weight of at least 14 tonnes
  • diplomat-registered vehicles
  • motorbikes
  • foreign-registered vehicles
  • military vehicles
  • vehicles that according to details contained in the Swedish Road Traffic Registry of the Swedish Transport Agency are equipped with technology for being run:*
    a) completely or partly on electricity or a gas other than liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or
    b) on a fuel blend that predominantly comprises alcohol.
    *This exemption applies up to and including July 2012 for vehicles that were entered in the Swedish Road Traffic Registry prior to 1 January 2009. Vehicles entered after this date are not exempt from congestion tax.

Information in the Swedish Road Traffic Registry about fuels

A release from congestion tax applies in relation to the following fuels currently entered in the Swedish Road Traffic Registry (the exemption applies up to and including July 2012 for vehicles registered prior to 1 January 2009):

  • bio gas
  • E85
  • ethanol
  • electricity
  • producer gas
  • methane
  • methanol
  • natural gas
  • hydrogen

If any of the above-mentioned fuels are recorded on the vehicle's registration certificate prior to 1 January 2009 (under the headings 'Fuels' or 'Alternative Fuels'), the vehicle is automatically exempt from congestion tax and the owner of the vehicle does not have to do anything. Use our service Search for information about vehicles (in Swedish only) to see which fuel(s) are registered for a particular vehicle.

Application for release for those who have a Disability Parking Permit

If you have a Disability Parking Permit, you may apply to the Swedish Tax Agency to exempt a vehicle from the tax obligation. (The Swedish Tax Agency may exempt two vehicles from the tax obligation if there are exceptional grounds.) The application form is available from the link below:
Application for release from congestion tax (in Swedish only) 

Please note that exemptions from tax obligations apply for as long as the parking permit is valid. This exemption may still apply if your vehicle was exempt from tax obligations during the congestion tax trial. For this reason, check the period during which your decision from the Swedish Tax Agency is valid (Congestion tax - release from tax obligations) before submitting a new application. You will probably have to reapply if you have replaced your vehicle since the end of the congestion tax trial.

The 'Lidingö rule'

No congestion tax is charged for vehicles that pass two different control points within 30 minutes, one of which must be a control point at Gasverksvägen, Lidingövägen or Norra Hamnvägen.

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