Bus licence categories and requirements

As a bus driver you are responsible for the safety of many people at the same time. That is why the requirements for a bus licence are higher than for most other categories, both in terms of age and health. In this chapter we go through the four bus categories (behörigheter) and what you need to get them.

What is a bus?

A bus (buss) is a motor vehicle designed mainly for carrying people and has more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat (Road Traffic Definitions Act (lag om vägtrafikdefinitioner) 2 §). Buses are divided into light buses (lätta bussar), with a gross vehicle weight (totalvikt) of no more than 3.5 tonnes, and heavy buses (tunga bussar), with a gross vehicle weight of more than 3.5 tonnes.

The four bus categories

The categories are set out in the Driving Licence Act (körkortslagen) 2 kap. 5 §:

• D1 – medium-sized bus. A bus designed for no more than 16 passengers in addition to the driver and no more than 8 metres long. Both conditions must be met.
• D1E. A bus covered by D1, with one or more trailers regardless of weight.
• D – bus. All buses, regardless of the number of passengers.
• DE. A bus covered by D, with one or more trailers regardless of weight.

With D1 or D you may tow a light trailer of no more than 750 kg gross weight. A heavier trailer, for example a 1,500 kg luggage trailer, requires D1E or DE.

An example: a bus with 14 passenger seats that is 9 metres long requires D, because it is longer than 8 metres.

You must hold B first

A licence with D1 or D may only be issued to someone who already holds category B (körkortslagen 3 kap. 6 §). For D1E and DE you must hold the category for the towing vehicle, that is D1 or D respectively (3 kap. 7 §).

Age limits

The basic rules in körkortslagen 3 kap. 1 § are:

• D1 and D1E: 21 years.
• D and DE: 24 years.

With initial driver qualification (grundläggande yrkesförarkompetens) from initial training under the Professional Driver Competence Act (lagen om yrkesförarkompetens), you can get the licence earlier (3 kap. 1 a §). D1 and D1E can then be issued from the age of 18. For D and DE the following apply:

Training	D/DE
Upper secondary school (gymnasieskola) programme for passenger transport	20 years (18 years with conditions)
Full initial training (280 hours)	21 years
Accelerated initial training (140 hours)	23 years (21 years with conditions)

The conditions mean that the licence is restricted:

• from 18 years with upper secondary training: to driving without passengers or on regular services (linjetrafik) where the route is no more than 50 km,
• from 21 years with the 140-hour training: to regular services where the route is no more than 50 km.

Practice driving

To practise driving (övningsköra) a bus you need a learner's permit for group 3 (körkortstillstånd för grupp 3). A learner's permit is valid for five years and cannot be extended. If you send in a medical certificate (läkarintyg) with your application, it may not be more than two months old.

Private practice driving for D and DE may take place from the age of 23 (körkortslagen 4 kap. 2 §). The supervisor (handledare) must be approved and carry the supervisor's certificate (handledarbevis), and the ÖVNINGSKÖR (learner driver) sign must be visible from behind. If you are under 23 and on a professional driver training course, you may practise within the training.

Medical requirements

The same stricter requirements apply to buses as to lorries:

• Eyesight: a visual acuity of at least 0.8 in the better eye and 0.1 in the worse eye. Glasses and contact lenses are allowed.
• Epilepsy: normally ten years free of seizures, and during that time as a rule without medication.
• Diabetes treated with medication requires a medical certificate.
• Sleep and wakefulness disorders can be an obstacle if they are a road safety risk.

Transportstyrelsen (the Swedish Transport Agency) assesses in each individual case whether a medical certificate is needed.

Theory test and driving test

The theory test (kunskapsprovet) for buses has 60 questions and the time allowed is 40 minutes. Five questions are trial questions that do not count, so you can score a maximum of 55 points. You need 44 points to pass. A passed theory test is valid for one year.

The driving test (körprovet) consists of three parts:

1. Safety check (säkerhetskontroll) – you check, among other things, lights, brakes, tyres, steering, mirrors, automatic doors, emergency exits, safety equipment and the tachograph (färdskrivare). You must be able to describe risks and suggest what to do about them.
2. Special manoeuvring (särskild manövrering).
3. Driving in traffic – at least 45 minutes in built-up areas and on rural roads.

For D1E and DE the safety check can also include the coupling device, the brake and electrical connections to the trailer and the breakaway cable (katastrofbromsvajer). The test bus must be able to reach at least 90 km/h, and a test bus for D must be at least 10 metres long.

Renew every five years

The bus categories must be renewed every five years (körkortslagen 3 kap. 14 §). If you are under 45 when the category expires, you send in a health declaration (hälsodeklaration) and a basic eyesight certificate (synintyg). If you are 45 or older, you send in a medical certificate. The application may be submitted no earlier than one year before the expiry date.

YKB for passenger transport

To drive a bus in professional passenger transport you also need a Certificate of Professional Competence (yrkeskompetensbevis, YKB) (lag om yrkesförarkompetens 3 kap. 1 §). It is valid for five years from issue and is renewed through periodic training (fortbildning).

Remember

• A bus has more than eight seats in addition to the driver's. A heavy bus weighs more than 3.5 tonnes.
• D1: no more than 16 passengers and no more than 8 metres. D: all buses.
• Trailers over 750 kg require D1E or DE.
• Basic age: 21 for D1 and 24 for D. With professional driver training, lower ages apply.
• The eyesight requirement is 0.8 in the better eye and 0.1 in the worse eye.
• Theory test: 60 questions, 40 minutes, 44 out of 55 points, valid for one year.
• Renew every five years. From the age of 45 a medical certificate is required.
• Professional passenger transport requires YKB.