licence trouble

I've been trying to get a Swedish driver's licence in exchange for my UK one for years now. It's proving to be more or less impossible: up until this year one had to apply at the Police office (who did the exchanges). They said no, due to "Jersey not being in their register". I explained several times it was part of the UK. They said it wasn't. I gave up.

But from this year the Traffic Department is in charge of foreign driver's licences. They said they would perhaps be able to exchange mine to a Swedish one. First I had to pay them £60, fill in a couple of forms and send them proof of me living in Sweden for the last year.

I asked them what kind of proof - would an employment attest be ok? They said no, they needed a certificate from the states telling them I have been living on a Swedish address and paid taxes for the last year or so.

I phoned the tax office. Asked them if they could help me with these certificates? A lovely woman said she could print out a letter stating where I've been living for the last year. I thanked her and sat quiet on the phone whilst she typed something on her computer.

The woman on the other end of the phone suddenly sounded a bit confused: "... but", she said "according to our files you've always lived in Sweden? How come you've got a foreign driver's licence?" I explained that I lived in the UK for nine years and in Australia for one year before returning to Sweden. "What?!" the woman cried out, "are you telling me you've been abroad for 10 years without telling us?!"

Judging from her voice this was not a good thing, and I asked her if I was in trouble for mentioning this to her. She huffed and puffed for a bit, then said "well, yes, but how long have you been back for?" I answered that it's been a few years now. "Ok," she said with a sigh of relief "then I'll pretend I didn't hear that". Bless.

Now I'm just waiting for all my papers to turn up in the post, then I will - once again - try and get that damn Swedish licence. My guess is, however, that I will lose £60 and still be declined the exchange. But I reckon it's worth one last go. At least it's cheaper than taking a new driver's test.