Clarification on foreign driving licenses in Svalbard
The main rule is that people with a foreign driver's license that is valid in their home country can use such a driver's license for the relevant motor vehicle group during their entire stay on Svalbard. However, the driver's license must be of the model required by the Vienna Convention of 1968 on road traffic.
This content is more than one year old. The information may therefore be out of date.
Foreign driving licenses that do not follow the model may, however, be valid in Svalbard for a limited period if the following conditions are met:
- The driver's license must have been issued in a country that has joined the Vienna Convention of 1968 on road traffic.
- It must be stated on the driver's license that this gives the right to drive a passenger car.
- The driver's license must be valid in the home country.
Driving licenses that fall under this exception are recognized for driving class B passenger cars in Svalbard until 31 December 2023.
If the driver's license does not fall under the main rule or the temporary exception, one does not have a valid driving license in Svalbard.
An overview of countries that have signed the Vienna Convention can be found here.