Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Answers to your questions

If it’s your first time coming to Colmis you will understandably have many questions. How to register online? How to book the Mandatory Driver Training? How to get permission for a photo shoot?

Here we list many of the most frequently asked questions and the answers to them. 

But if you still are unsure, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us anytime!

Registration
Driver training
Filming & Photography
Finance & Taxes
SHIPMENTS TO/FROM COLMIS

VISITOR ONLINE REGISTRATION

Everyone that wants to enter Colmis Proving Ground for work and testing purposes, regardless of what kind of professional activity you are carrying out.

*The only exception is for special guests that are invited to the PG to take part in events (customer product demos, journalist tours, etc.) for a short stay of 1-2 days. Only for these cases, please contact reception to arrange and collect paper version copies of the confidentiality agreement.

Please note that every registration is individual, and that this registration is not connected to the Driver Training online booking system.

  1. If it’s the first time you are registering online, you start by creating an account here: www.colmis.com/register If you already have an account from previous seasons, you can go directly to www.colmis.com/login.

  2. Once you have created an account, you will be taken to a login page. Please type in the username (e-mail address) and password you selected when creating an account.

  3. You will then start the registration process, which consists of 2 steps:

    1. Reading the “Confidentiality Agreement”

    2. Watching our “Safety Introduction video” (mandatory) and the “Rajd PGM video (optional)

*Important: please note you can only select the checkbox confirming you have read the texts if you have scrolled down through each document

4) In the next page you will get a message confirming your successful registration. You will be given a registration ID number: this will serve as proof of your registration and can be useful to find you in the system if there is a spelling mistake in your name or if there is a name duplicity, etc. You will also get a confirmation by e-mail (check your junk email folder if you don’t receive it in a couple of minutes).

The registration is very simple and straightforward, but as you will have to read through two short documents and watch a video, please keep in mind the whole process will take between 10-15 minutes.

At least 48 hours before arriving at Colmis, but we advise that you do it “the earlier the better”, if possible, at least one week prior to your arrival.

The registration is valid for a whole season. You only have to repeat the process when you come back for another season.

No, we have fully migrated our process from a physical registration to an online one.

Yes, before entering the proving ground, you have to pick up your visitor card. Please remember that we kindly ask to send only one person per team/group to pick up the cards at reception.

Your own company/customer might have additional requirements. Therefore, it is important that you always follow the guidelines you were given by your own company/customer, e.g. you might have to notify a specific reference person in advance or contact someone from your company/customer on arrival.

MANDATORY DRIVER TRAINING

The purpose is to offer a compact yet comprehensive overviewto give participants the basic knowledge to understand, assess and ultimately increase their driving skills in winter conditions and hereby harmonize the safety standards across the proving ground.

Anyone that wants to drive within the Colmis facilities is required to take part in the Mandatory Driver Training. Those that don’t drive (e.g. mechanics) are excluded from this requirement.

The training takes about 4 hours and includes a short theory part (approx. 30/45 minutes long) but focuses on actual driving and vehicle control in different scenarios.

Apart from an introduction to the exercises that will be performed later on (e.g. discussing topics such as under-/oversteer behaviour), it includes a number of insights on safety regulations and driving recommendations (concerning wildlife on the road, snow smoke, friction levels, etc.).

The goal is to gain an overall insight on cold climate driving techniques and coordination, with the purpose of improving vehicle control in several type of scenarios (typical exercises are braking on different surfaces at variable speeds, obstacle avoidance, slalom and circle sections, etc.).

Yes, you obtain a Colmis Cold Climate Driving Licence that is valid for 3 seasons. So, for example, if you take the training during season 2023/2024, your licence will be valid for seasons 2023/2024, 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. You would later have to repeat the training in season 2026/2027.

Simply check the validity on the licence that was handed out to you. If you have lost it, you can ask us to check for you by writing to drivingacademy@colmis.com.

It is mainly addressed at Colmis customers and the accreditation/licence you receive is required at our proving ground, but it is open to anyone, also external companies.

Trainings this winter season will be held between January 9th and March 20th, from Mondays to Thursdays, with morning sessions (08:20 to 12:00) and afternoon sessions (13:30 to 17:00) available.

The price is 2,400 SEK per person (+VAT) for Colmis customers (those renting a workshop/access to tracks) and 4,000 SEK per person (+VAT) for external participants. Payment is made directly after the training at reception via credit card, unless there is a previous agreement with your company to include it in the extra costs invoice.

The training can be easily booked directly through our online booking system. Each company has its own joint account for this, with a shared username and password. Ask your coordinator for the login details if you don’t have them. Important: this login is independent and not the same as the one you use for the visitor online registration at Colmis!

You can access it directly through this link https://bit.ly/colmis_training. Alternatively, you can also get to the same page by simply clicking on the “Driver Training” icon on the top right corner of www.colmis.com website’s homepage. 

Sure, you can view/download it from this link https://www.colmis.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Colmis-Driver-Training-Booking-Instructions.pdf.

During season 2023/2024 we will be using XC60s (Volvo), a versatile vehicle that functions well to complete the training’s content. ESC system will be switched off for some exercises.

For different reasons (insurance, training consistency, etc.), we ask you to use the vehicle fleet we provide specifically for the Driver Training.

Our policy is that everyone should take the Driver Training using the earliest available spot, but of course we understand that it cannot always be done directly upon arrival when the bookings are full, so we allow a certain “transitional period” for you to start working even without the licence. This should be minimized as much as possible, but during this period you can perform all necessary activities you require.

Despite our clear commitment at Colmis to always facilitate and look for solutions to satisfy our customers at all levels, we have to stick to our principle of offering the same rights/obligations to all of our customers/visitors every season. In this sense this inevitably means following a “no exceptions” regulation andtherefore we would kindly ask for you/your team to take part in the training. Please understand this is not because we in any way doubt your skills or experience (for some of the participants of the training it is indeed the first time at Colmis whilst many others are long-time customers), but because of the training being mandatory is a policy that applies to everyone in the same way in order to harmonize the safety standards across the proving ground.

We have a cooperation agreement with Bosch and also Continental, so that people that have done the training either at their winter proving ground in Vaitoudden / Arvdisjaur, respectively, or at ours in Colmis are exempt of doing it when visiting/working at each other’s PG. Although we are working towards extending this cooperation to other proving grounds, at the moment we only recognize the Bosch and Continental winter trainings as the equivalent to having completed the Colmis one. *This agreement only entitles people that have completed the training either at their winter proving ground in Vaitoudden, Arvidsjaur or at ours in Colmis and have a valid licence to be exempt of doing it when visiting/working at each other’s PG (no “special exemptions/authorizations” are permitted).

We introduced the Mandatory Driver Training during season 2016/2017 following, amongst others, the following 3 key reasons: 1) In alignment with the Colmis “safety- first” vision, which has always been a priority for us. 2) A trend in the whole industry amongst leading proving grounds worldwide to require taking part in a safety training to improve and maximize safety standards. 3) The growing requests from some of our customers to set a minimum requirement in order to secure the safety of everyone involved in testing activities within our proving ground. The training is not legislated/regulated by Swedish law as such, but it isa policy implemented by Colmis (similarly to other private proving grounds across Europe/worldwide).

Customers of Colmis who have their own customers visiting the proving ground in order to perform presentations/”demos” are authorised by Colmis to allow these customers to drive within the proving ground – even if they do not hold a valid Colmis Cold Climate Licence – as long as they meet the following requirements:

  • The duration of the presentations/demos must range between a few hours up to a maximum of 2 days.

  • The purpose of the visit must be presenting a new technology / product / component, etc. and should not be part of regular vehicle development/testing activities.
    Of course, we still always encourage everyone to take part in the training, so despite the special regulation they are also definitely welcome to take part in the training if they choose to do so!

The Driver Training team at Colmis will be delighted to answer any doubts you may have about the training / licence. Please send an e-mail with your questions to drivingacademy@colmis.com.

FILMING & PHOTOGRAPHY

  • Send a written communication (to info@colmis.com) with the dates, times and locations/facilities/tracks you will be filming at. Please do this at least 48 hours in advance of filming, as we need to let other customers know in case it can interfere with any of their activities. Please also detail what kind of equipment you will be using (cameras, drones, etc.).

  • The photographer/videographer will have to pick up a yellow reflective “press” vest at reception and wear it at all times when taking pictures/filming. At reception he/she/they will have to sign a confidentiality agreement stating that they will follow all the Colmis regulations.

  • When filming on shared tracks (meaning also used by other customers), please try doing your best to avoid interfering with their work.

  • You are not allowed to include footage that captures other vehicles testing within the proving ground (unless you get an authorization from them). If your filming/photo angles do include other vehicles, please delete the parts where other vehicles are visible or blur them out so that they are not recognizable in any way.

Yes, the use of drones is allowed following the general terms described above.

Yes, everyone that wants to enter Colmis Proving Ground for work and testing purposes, regardless of what kind of professional activity they are carrying out, needs to complete the visitor online registration (www.colmis.com/register).

It takes about 10/15 minutes to complete and includes information and videos that will be helpful for you to get a better understanding of the proving ground. You also need to send an arrival list with the full names, the company and arrival date(s) at Colmis to info@colmis.com.

Yes, this is a step of the online registration process.

Even though it is not required if you are only coming to shoot for up to 1-2 days, we still actively encourage you to take part in our Mandatory Driver Training, which will provide your team with a good foundation of basic knowledge to drive safely within Colmis and in winter conditions altogether. It takes roughly between 3.5 to 4 hours (short theory and longer practical part) and we have both morning (08:20 to 12:00) and afternoon (13:30 to 17:00) sessions. The cost is 2,300 SEK + VAT per person. The training is open to all driving levels (no specific previous skills are required). Please get in touch with drivingacademy@colmis.com to book your training. 

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Simply to have a valid driving licence in their country of residence.

Yes, our sister company, Simloc, which operates hotels, aparthotels and private house rentals in Arjeplog (just minutes away from the proving ground), is your best accommodation choice. Please write to info@simloc.com.

The test tracks are prepared to be ready to be used by our customers every day at 8AM, from Monday to Saturday. Depending on weather conditions and usage, some additional maintenance is carried out throughout the day. Our office hours are 7AM to 6PM Monday to Friday and 8AM to 1PM on Saturdays. However, the tracks and the whole proving ground is accessible to our customers 24/7 (unless closed for specific reasons: maintenance, private events, bad weather conditions, etc.).

Yes, it is possible to follow vehicles during their testing with your own camera vehicle. The same driving regulations apply as for anyone else using the proving ground.

There are no particular health and safety protocols for filming activities. Just the same ones as for everybody else that comes to the proving ground apply (apart from wearing the yellow vest, as mentioned above).

This really depends on the kind of filming you are doing, but just common sense and trying to keep out of the way of interfering with other customers.

No, generally speaking we don’t have safety barriers on the tracks (most of our tracks are “open areas”, where the snowbanks act as “natural barriers”).

This is only permitted when one rents tracks in exclusivity, as on the shared tracks it can interfere with other customers. Having said that, for a short period of time and if there are not many other cars around, you can politely ask the other customers (if any) on the same track whether it is OK for them, and in this case it is also OK for Colmis.

Yes. You are not allowed to include footage that captures other vehicles testing within the proving ground (unless you get an authorization from them). If your filming/photo angles do include other vehicles, please delete the parts where other vehicles are visible or blur them out so that they are not recognizable in any way.

Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem to arrange, we will be happy to give you a short 15 min introductory tour of the proving ground. Simply let us know in advance (a couple of days will suffice) to arrange having a person available for this.

We don’t have a vehicle fleet for this kind of purpose, so yes, rental cars would be needed.

We rarely use snow chains in this area, as all cars – also rental cars – are always equipped with Nordic if not studded tyres and the public roads are well looked after. On the proving ground they are never needed (unless on a specific testing track destined to that purpose).

We don’t require a special insurance ourselves, as any activity you carry out within the proving ground is your responsibility and you work at your own risk.

You can get a good idea of what Colmis looks like by checking out the videos on our social media accounts. 

It’s a very long drive from Stockholm to Arjeplog. Note that most of the roads are country roads and not motorways, so the journey can take well over 12 hours (and that in good weather/traffic conditions). So flying to Arivdsjaur is highly recommended. Another option is flying to Luleå, on the east coast (about a 3-hour drive), which has more flight connections and also more car rental options.

This is not among our range of services. A comfy and stylish Swedish brand with good quality at very decent pricing is Stellar Equipment (https://www.stellarequipment.com/) but there are many choices out there. Make sure to stay warm!

Finance & taxes

We have a standard payment period of 30 days net, unless stated otherwise in the contract/offer with your company. Please make sure the invoice is paid in a timely manner to avoid incurring in administration, interest and penalty fees. 

Colmis applies the statutory Swedish interest rate, which is the reference rate + 8%, unless otherwise stated in the contract/offer with your company. The reference rate is set by the Riksbank once every six months. Here you can read more about interest and compensation for late payments for commercial transactions in Sweden: https://verksamt.se/en/agreement-invoicing/payment-reminder

Also, if you fail to pay a claim for a product or service on time, we will charge a one-time late payment penalty of SEK 450 in addition to penalty interest, which covers administration and other related costs.   

You can find all details needed below:

 In short, the general rule is that goods and rental services are taxed in Sweden if they are considered to have been supplied in Sweden, so therefore we add VAT to the invoice.

For example, when you rent facilities and tracks at our proving ground, you shall be liable to pay tax in Sweden. This also applies to renting conference rooms. The place of supply of services relating to a property is in the country where the property is located. You can read further about this by accessing an explanatory document from the Swedish Tax Agency through this link: VAT on foreign trade (SKV 560B) | Skatteverket

Yes, for EU based companies you should reclaim it in the country where your company is registered. For companies based outside of the EU, you can apply to get the VAT back from the Swedish Tax Agency. More information below:

 – For business in other EU countries Refund of VAT to foreign businesses established in the EU | Skatteverket

– For businesses outside the EU Refund of VAT to foreign businesses established outside the EU | Skatteverket

If you are based in a different EU country and are only paying for services (e.g. a driver or engineer) and no rental agreement is in place, then you are exempt of paying tax in Sweden and you should pay it in your own country under the “Intra-Community VAT reverse charge” principle.

The 25% VAT rate applies to most of the goods and services. On hotel rooms, restaurant, food and catering services there is a lowered rate of 12%.

We send all our invoices electronically, either uploading them to your company’s e-portal or via e-mail. When sending via e-mail the sender’s address will be faktura-no-reply@fortnox.se for invoices and paminnelse-no-reply@fortnox.se for reminders. Kindly save these as “safe senders” in your e-mail system so that they are not rejected by your spam filter.

Please send all invoices to faktura@colmis.com. Colmis no longer accepts invoices via postal mail. If, however, your company’s policy is to send both an electronic format invoice as well as a printed version by post, you can send it here: Box 22, 938 21 Arjeplog, Sweden.

If you need further clarification, please send an e-mail to info@colmis.com and write “ATT Finance” in the subject.

SHIPMENTS TO/FROM COLMIS

For letters and documents, you can use our postal address: Colmis AB, Box 22, 938 21 Arjeplog, Sweden.

For shipments of vehicles, spare parts and all other items that are intended to be received by you or us at the proving ground, please use our shipping address: Colmis Proving Ground, Storkålmis 938 96, Arjeplog, Sweden.

If you are required to detail a Colmis contact person, you can write the name of whoever you have been in touch with the most at Colmis.

But it is extremely important that you also add your company as well as the name and telephone number of the person of your company in charge of receiving the shipment at Colmis (this can either be yourself, a team member, or maybe your company onsite coordinator).

Please take into account that we receive hundreds of shipments (vehicles, boxes, spare parts, etc.) from many companies during the testing season, so if you don’t include these details, it can take a very long time to find your shipment.  

The more useful information, the better. This can include a detailed description of the shipment content (such as VIN number of vehicles, model, color, etc.) and also instructions for the transportation driver and/or recipients on what should be done with the items upon arrival (e.g. can the vehicle be lifted by a forklift, can a jumpstart be used on it, etc.).  

Small parcels will be left at our reception; larger items (such as a pallet of spare parts in a box) will be left in the “red tent” (an outdoor yet covered storage area); vehicles will be parked at the loading area and the vehicle keys will be kept inside the cars or at our reception. Please note that it is important to pick up your item(s) as soon as you can.

Yes. Please simply make sure you have made the necessary arrangements / provided information and instructions as detailed in some of the other questions below.

Yes, but due to safety, responsibility and insurance reasons, we will only do it when we have been specifically asked to do so by the customer in writing. You can contact our reception for this (info@colmis.com). 

Please fill out the following form https://colmis.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/VEHICLE-PICK-UP-FORM-2024-2025-1.docx and make sure to drop it off in person together with the vehicle keys at the Colmis reception before you leave.

At any time during our office opening hours. From January to March: Mondays to Fridays 7am to 6pm. Saturdays 8am to 1pm. Sundays closed. From April to December: Mondays to Fridays 7am to 4pm. Weekends closed. Outside of these hours, if you want a transportation company to deliver a shipment to Colmis, you will have to be onsite to let the driver in, unload the shipment, and also make sure the driver leaves the proving ground.

No, this is strictly prohibited following safety, confidentiality and insurance reasons. No exceptions can be made. Not far from the proving ground the drivers can find designated rest areas where they can spend the night if needed. 

All charges associated to shipments, including import duty and import tax, should be paid by the shipping side (either you directly, your supplier or whoever you have assigned the shipment to). As a rule, Colmis does not pay the duty costs for its customers.

Colmis has a limited capacity and cannot deal with handling temporary imports of goods to our proving ground for all our customers. Even though Colmis makes its best efforts to support its customers in all areas, this is out of our range of services. Imports are always handled directly by our customers, who either process it themselves or via a third party. If, however, you encounter difficulties in doing so, feel free to reach out to us. We can’t guarantee we can solve your issue, but we are always here to help.

You shouldn’t need our EORI number as this is only required when Colmis is importing goods. When you arrange shipments as a Colmis customer to our proving ground, you – the sender – will act as the importer at customs in the destination country, in this case Sweden, so therefore you should use your own EORI number.

When Colmis, as a company, purchases and imports goods, then we do adhere to DDP Incoterms®. But when you are sending items to Colmis that you will use yourself, you will be the sole responsible for the items at all times as well as for making sure they are insured for all the intended purposes of use.  

Companies with local distribution in the area include PostNord, DB Schenker, DHL and UPS.

No, currently Arjeplog is not within the area of service of DHL Express. If you do arrange a shipment through DHL Express, it will most likely be forwarded to DHL Freight.

We don’t have any restriction as to what transportation company can enter the proving ground.

For general requests, we can support you through our partnership with the local branch of Hertz. For very specific requirements you can use the services of companies such as http://www.jbcarconcept.de.

If you need further clarification, please send an e-mail to info@colmis.com and write “SHIPPING QUESTION” in the subject.

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