According to a government press release, the new regulation will take effect on 1 November 2025. The change applies nationwide and covers all heavy vehicles, including foreign-registered lorries and buses entering Sweden.
Unlike the previous system, where winter tyres were only required during winter conditions between 1 December and 31 March, the new rules introduce a longer fixed period from 10 November to 10 April during which compliance will be mandatory in all circumstances.
The government’s proposals also extend the period during which existing axle load distribution rules apply to heavy vehicles, aligning it to the new winter tyre period. In practice, heavy vehicles must ensure that the drive axles carry sufficient load during the 10 November – 10 April winter window (i.e. maintaining required weight distribution across axles).
Andreas Carlson, Sweden’s Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, said the aim is to ensure that heavy vehicles are better prepared for harsh winter conditions:
“It is important that everyone who travels on our roads has tyres that are adapted to the road conditions. After considering the responses from the consultation bodies, we have assessed that this is not the time to adjust the winter tyre regulations for passenger cars ahead of this winter season. In order to make heavy traffic better equipped for winter road conditions, the government has decided on a change for heavy vehicles. However, it is equally important that passenger cars have tyres that are adapted to the road conditions.”
For hauliers, the change means vehicles must be equipped with winter tyres over a longer fixed season than before, and workshop schedules for tyre changes will need to be brought forward to meet the earlier November start date. The adjustment also allows operators to plan without the uncertainty of condition-based requirements, while the removal of a snow chain obligation avoids additional costs and driver training burdens.
