Diplomatic Guide

• This Diplomatic Guide is primarily addressed to Diplomatic Missions and Career Consular Posts and their staff. It deals with the diplomatic and consular privileges and immunities that follows from the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular relations and other rules related to the foreign missions. In addition to the rights provided in the above conventions, certain rights are granted exclusively according to Swedish law or multilateral and bilateral agreements. The guide also contains more general information and guidelines for diplomats and other embassy staff that are working and living in Sweden.

• For guidance intended for staff at Offices of International Organisations, please click the link to International Organisations' Guide to the left.

• Arrival and Departure

  (Chapters 1-2, 9, 33, 35-37)
  Notification of arrival and departure, visas and residence permits, ID cards, personal identity numbers, co-ordination numbers and organisation registration numbers, banking and insurance services, memoranda for heads of mission, newly arrived staff of diplomatic missions and career consular posts and staff whose stationing in Sweden are to expire.
  

• Communications

  (Chapters 21-24)
  Courier mail, airport procedures, radio communication, public transport in Sweden, etc.
  

• Driving and parking

  (Chapters 5, 12-13, 27-29)
  Driving licences, acquisition, import and use of motor vehicles in Sweden, motor vehicle tests, registration for use and temporary deregistration of motor vehicles, drink-driving, parking, export or sale of diplomatic motor vehicles.
  

• Education

  (Chapter 7)
  Access to schools, Swedish language courses, university education.
  

• Employment

  (Chapters 3-4)
  Employment of resident members of staff - including social security matters etc., service staff and private servants, work permits for family members.
  

• Health and medical care

  (Chapters 10 and 17)
  Access to health and medical care in Sweden, medical products.

• News about Sweden

  (Chapter 8)
  News about Sweden in English and other languages.

• Security

  (Chapters 25-26, 30)
  Embassy security, firearms, demonstrations.
  

• Taxes, duties and import/export licences etc.

  (Chapters 11, 14-20)
  VAT refund and exemption, customs privileges, licences for import and export of certain goods, bringing pets into Sweden, serving of duty-free alcoholic beverages.
  

• Miscellanea

  (Chapters 6, 31, 32, 34, 38)
  Acquisition or rental of real estate, building permits etc., flags, honorary consuls, various licences required in Sweden, elections, gifts.