Can I drive into Stockholm without paying the congestion tax?
Most cars pay congestion tax automatically per passage on weekdays. The charge is 11–45 kr per passage depending on time and season, with a daily cap of 135 kr in high season and 105 kr in low season, such as July. The tax is levied on weekdays, roughly 06:00–18:29, while weekends and days before a public holiday are free. There are no barriers — payment is invoiced monthly on the basis of camera readings, so you cannot opt out. Buses over 14 tonnes, motorcycles, emergency vehicles and diplomatic cars are exempt, and holders of a disabled parking permit can apply to the Tax Agency for an exemption. The misconception: foreign-registered vehicles are liable to pay too.
📋 The rules
- 11–45 kr per passage depending on time and season
- Daily cap: 135 kr high season, 105 kr low season
- Charged weekdays ~06:00–18:29; weekends free
- Invoiced monthly from camera reading
- Buses, motorcycles and emergency vehicles are exempt
🔓 Exceptions
- Emergency vehicles, buses over 14 tonnes, motorcycles and diplomatic cars are exempt
- People with a disabled parking permit can apply for exemption at the Tax Agency
- In July and low season a lower daily cap applies
⚠️ Penalties & fines
If the tax is not paid on time, an additional charge of 500 kr is added — it is applied per unpaid invoice, not per passage. If nothing is done about the debt it goes on to the Enforcement Authority, which adds a basic fee of 600 kr, and then a few forgotten passages cost more in fees than in tax. What surprises people is that there are no barriers to miss: the invoice arrives on the basis of camera readings whether you noticed the passage or not. Foreign-registered vehicles are also liable to pay and are invoiced.
📎 Official sources
- Transport Agency · Congestion tax Stockholm →
- Transport Agency · Exemptions →
- Tax Agency · Congestion tax →
❓ Frequently asked
How much is the congestion tax in Stockholm?
11–45 kr per passage depending on time and season, with a daily cap of 135 kr in high season. In low season, such as July, the daily cap is 105 kr instead.
When is congestion tax charged?
On weekdays, roughly between 06:00 and 18:29. Weekends and days before a public holiday are free, so it is the weekday rush hours that cost the most per passage.
Do motorcycles have to pay?
No. Motorcycles are exempt, as are buses over 14 tonnes, emergency vehicles and diplomatic cars. Holders of a disabled parking permit can also apply for an exemption.
Do foreign-registered cars have to pay?
Yes, they are liable to pay and are invoiced just like Swedish vehicles, even if not every country is reached in practice. Foreign plates are therefore no exemption.
What happens if I do not pay?
An additional charge of 500 kr is added, and an unpaid debt goes on to the Enforcement Authority, which adds 600 kr as a basic fee. The fees can quickly exceed the tax itself.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “must I pay congestion tax stockholm”
- “congestion tax amount 11 45”
- “daily cap congestion tax 135”
- “congestion tax exemption motorcycle”
- “congestion tax foreign car”
- “supplementary charge congestion 500”