THE SHORT ANSWER
If you buy a car that is registered for use, motor third-party insurance must apply from the day you become the owner. This is the case whether you buy from a dealer or a private seller, and whether the car is new or used. Swedish Motor Insurers (TFF) says you can take out the policy straight away and do not need to wait for the registration certificate.
Third-party insurance is only the legal requirement. Partial and comprehensive cover apply to more events, and a newer car may have an own-damage guarantee, called vagnskadegaranti, that affects what is already in place. This guide explains what happens at the change of owner and where to read which level you have. [1][2]
Keep these points in mind
- Third-party insurance must apply from the change-of-owner date.
- The seller's policy ends when the change of owner is registered.
- Third-party, partial and comprehensive are levels; your policy document shows yours.
STEP BY STEP
How to check your cover
Insure the car from the change-of-owner date
The Swedish Transport Agency says the new owner must take out motor third-party insurance if the car is registered for use, or is to be put on the road at the change of owner. The policy must apply from the change-of-owner date that is reported. TFF says the Traffic Damage Act requires third-party insurance for most vehicles, and that the policy must apply from the day you are registered as the owner.
If the change of owner is reported through the agency's e-service, it is registered the same day and no other date can be chosen. A paper notification must reach the agency within 10 days of the transfer; otherwise the day it arrives is registered as the change-of-owner date. If you buy from a dealer, the dealer can often handle the change of owner for you.
[1][2]Do not rely on the seller's policy
The seller's policy is cancelled automatically once the change of owner is registered in the vehicle register, according to the Swedish Transport Agency. TFF says the previous owner's policy stops applying as soon as the vehicle changes owner. From the change of owner, your own policy is the one that applies to the car.
According to TFF, the seller is responsible for the car being insured until they are no longer registered as the owner. Konsumenternas says you always have the right to cancel car insurance when the need for it ends, for example when the car is sold. If you have sold your old car, check that the change of owner is registered before cancelling its policy.
[1][2][6]Know the charge for an uninsured car
If you as the buyer have not taken out third-party insurance, you are automatically reported to TFF, the Swedish Transport Agency says. TFF then charges a motor insurance fee for each day the car is uninsured. The agency describes the fee as considerably higher than the premium for ordinary third-party insurance.
According to TFF, the fee may not be more than 10 percent above the highest third-party premium, and it does not take make, model year or place of residence into account. In TFF's table, last updated in October 2026, the fee for a private car is 202 kr per day. The least you can owe is 200 kr.
[1][3]Read the guarantee and the terms of a loan or lease
According to Konsumenternas, an own-damage guarantee almost always comes with a brand new car. It applies for three years from the car's first registration date and stays with the car if it changes owner during that period. If you buy a used car, the first registration date therefore shows whether the guarantee may still apply. The guarantee does not exist for cars bought abroad and imported.
A loan or lease can set requirements for the insurance. In one finance company's car loan terms from June 2025, the buyer must keep the car comprehensively insured and name the finance company as beneficiary. With a private lease, Konsumenternas says car insurance is sometimes included in the lease; otherwise you are responsible for choosing and taking out the policy yourself. Read which level your agreement requires.
[5][8][6]
Third-party, partial and comprehensive: what the levels mean
Third-party insurance is the legal requirement. According to Konsumenternas, it pays for personal injury and some property damage, including injuries to people outside the car, but no damage to your own car. The excess is often 1 000 kr.
Partial cover usually includes third-party, theft, fire, glass, all-risk, mechanical breakdown, rescue and legal expenses insurance. Comprehensive cover consists of partial cover plus own-damage insurance. Own-damage insurance pays for damage to your own car, for example in a traffic accident or from vandalism.
The own-damage guarantee affects how the levels fit together. According to Konsumenternas, the guarantee corresponds to own-damage insurance. Konsumenternas also says most new cars have a three-year own-damage guarantee. The guarantee's excess is higher than for ordinary own-damage insurance, and VAT is added to the excess. The time to report damage under the guarantee can sometimes be as short as 30 days.
[4][5]Buying from a dealer or a private seller
Konsumenternas says car insurance taken out at a car dealer does not count as a distance contract under the law, so there is no general right of withdrawal. You are bound by the agreement. If you take out insurance at a distance, for example by phone or online, the withdrawal period is 14 days.
If you buy a used car, the Swedish Transport Agency says you always have a responsibility to check the vehicle's background. Check whether there are debts on the car, since some debts follow the vehicle to the buyer. Also check whether the car has been inspected and whether it is registered for use or off the road. To put a car on the road, you need third-party insurance for it.
[6][1]See the level in your own policy document
Bring the car's policy document and your other policies together in My Forsio. Each detail is shown with the passage it came from, so you can read the level, excess and start date yourself. If a document is missing, such as the terms of an own-damage guarantee, the detail is shown as Unverified, not as confirmed absent.
Forsio does not check the car's ownership or insurance status with the Swedish Transport Agency, and does not decide which level you need or whether a loan condition is met. Forsio is not an insurance intermediary and does not provide insurance advice.
Fictional example
Insured from day one, one question left.
Ali buys a two-year-old car from a private seller with a car loan and reads the documents after the change of owner.
- Third-party insurance
- Applies from the change-of-owner date
- Own-damage guarantee
- UnverifiedThe guarantee terms are not in the documents.
- Loan terms requirement
- Comprehensive; the policy shows partial coverPotential gapAsk the lender whether the guarantee counts.
The legal requirement is met from day one. Whether the level matches the loan terms depends on the guarantee and on the lender's answer.
Common questions
Which car insurance do I have?
Your policy document says so: third-party, partial or comprehensive cover, and which parts are included. According to Konsumenternas, comprehensive cover consists of partial cover plus own-damage insurance, so look for own damage in the list. An own-damage guarantee is given by the car brand's Swedish general agent and administered by an insurer, so it may be described in a different document from your policy. [4][5]
What is the difference between third-party and comprehensive cover?
Third-party insurance pays for personal injury and some property damage, but no damage to your own car. According to Konsumenternas, comprehensive cover also includes the parts of partial cover, such as theft, fire and glass, and own-damage insurance for damage to your own car, for example in a traffic accident or from vandalism. [4]
Can I convert third-party insurance to partial or comprehensive cover?
The scope is set in your agreement with the insurer, so ask the insurer from which day a changed level applies and what it costs. Then check that the new policy document shows the level and start date. If the change is for a car you have just bought, third-party insurance must still apply from the change-of-owner date. [1]
What happens if I do not insure the car right after buying it?
According to the Swedish Transport Agency, you are then automatically reported to TFF. TFF charges a motor insurance fee for each day the car is uninsured. In TFF's table from October 2026, the fee for a private car is 202 kr per day, and the least you can owe is 200 kr. [1][3]
Does the own-damage guarantee apply if I buy the car used?
It may. According to Konsumenternas, the guarantee applies for three years from the car's first registration date and stays with the car if it changes owner during that time. It does not exist for cars bought abroad and imported. The excess is higher than for ordinary own-damage insurance, and the time to report damage can be short. [5]
What does partial cover for a motorcycle include?
According to Konsumenternas, partial cover for a motorcycle includes third-party, theft, fire, glass, rescue and legal expenses insurance. Comprehensive cover consists of partial cover plus own-damage insurance. A description of car insurance levels is not the policy wording for your motorcycle; what applies is in your own policy document. [7]
MY FORSIO
See which level the car actually has.
Bring the car's policy document and your other policies together in My Forsio. Read the level, excess and start date with the passage they came from. Free for individuals.
Sources and references
Sources checked
This guide explains general principles of Swedish insurance. Your policy schedule and terms set out what applies to you.
- Swedish Transport Agency: buying a vehicle, change of owner and third-party insurance
- Swedish Motor Insurers: compulsory insurance and change of owner
- Swedish Motor Insurers: charge for uninsured vehicles
- Konsumenternas: third-party, partial and comprehensive car insurance
- Konsumenternas: additions and guarantees, the own-damage guarantee
- Konsumenternas: car insurance rules and facts
- Konsumenternas: motorcycle insurance, what it includes
- Example of a finance company's car loan terms, June 2025