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COVID-19

EXPLAINED: What are the rules on travelling to Sweden right now?

Travellers from some countries are exempt from all restrictions, some are not, and some have to follow additional guidelines after arriving in Sweden. Here are the main rules you need to be aware of.

Published: 28 June 2021 16:22 CEST
Updated: 22 July 2021 15:19 CEST
Travellers at Arlanda airport in Stockholm. Photo: Stina Stjernkvist/TT
The rules that apply to people travelling to Sweden depend on both where you're travelling from and your reason for travel.. Photo: Stina Stjernkvist/TT

If you’re travelling from another Nordic country:

If you are travelling to Sweden from Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway, there are no entry restrictions in place. 

That means you can travel for any reason, without needing to show a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination, regardless of your country of nationality or citizenship. Of course, there are other reasons to limit travel during the pandemic, so it is still a good idea to choose modes of transport that limit the number of new contacts you make, and to take other measures to reduce your risk of catching and exposing others to Covid-19. You should avoid travelling anywhere if you have symptoms. 

If you’re travelling from another EU/EEA country:

If you are travelling to Sweden from another country in the EU or EEA, then you can travel to Sweden for any purpose (including tourism or visiting family or friends) regardless of your citizenship. You’ll need to show one of the following: an EU Covid certificate or equivalent document that shows proof of vaccination against Covid-19 (a vaccine certificate), a negative test result taken within 72 hours from the time of border crossing, or proof of recovery from Covid-19 (a recovery certificate).

This requirement is in place until at least August 31st. You can find out more about the EU Digital Covid Certificate here. 

Some people are exempted from the test requirement, including Swedish citizens and residents, or those travelling for urgent family reasons, like a funeral, or vital work. 

The certificate should be in the official language of the issuing country and English and should be issued in an EU country or one of the exempted countries. The vaccine needs to be one of those approved by the EU Medicines Agency (EMA) and two weeks need to have passed since your first dose before you can use a vaccine certificate rather than a negative Covid-19 test to enter Sweden, according to the Swedish police. 

If you’re travelling from outside the EU/EEA:

There is currently a ban in place on travel to Sweden from most non-EU countries (this includes the UK). People travelling from certain countries, decided at the EU level, are exempt. As of July 26th, these include Albania, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Macao, Montenegro, North Macedonia, New Zealand, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine or the US.

There are several other exceptions to the rule, so you may travel to Sweden from non-EU/EEA countries not on the exempt list if you are a Swedish or EU/EEA citizen, if you live in Sweden, or if you are travelling for certain purposes including urgent family reasons and vital work. The exemptions are listed on the Swedish Police website. 

In addition to belonging to one of the exempted categories, you also need to show a negative Covid-19 test no older than 48 hours (measured from the time you cross the border). The Justice Ministry confirmed to The Local that people travelling from outside the EU/EEA will not be able to show proof of vaccination as an alternative to a negative Covid-19 test.

Some people are exempted from the test requirement, including Swedish citizens and people who live in Sweden, but further recommendations about testing and isolating on arrival may apply to you regardless of your citizenship and residence status (see below).

Who should test and isolate?

The regulations above are legally binding rules that control who is allowed to enter Sweden. The Public Health Agency has in addition released a set of guidelines about whether or not you are advised to get tested and self-isolate after you arrive in the country.

If you arrive in Sweden from a country that is not exempt (i.e. a country outside the EU/EEA which is not on the EU’s exempt list of third countries), the Public Health Agency urges you to get a Covid-19 test as soon as possible after arriving, preferably on the day of your arrival, if you did not get a test before departure, which is often a requirement for entry. Tests are available on arrival at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport, and you can also call the 1177 healthcare helpline to find out more information about booking a test (they are free for returning travellers)

You should also take a second test five days after arrival, and self-isolate and avoid contact with other people for seven days after arriving. That means not going to shops, work or using public transport, and not meeting friends or having people visit you at home.

People who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, using a vaccine that has been approved for use in the EU (AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer) and having received the second dose at least two weeks before arrival in Sweden, still need to provide a negative Covid-19 test result on entry but are exempt from the recommendation to get tested and self-isolate even if they travel to Sweden from a non-exempt country (although they also need to be covered by an exemption to the travel ban in order to enter Sweden).

If you arrive in Sweden from a country that is not in the Nordics but in the EU/EEA, or a country that is on the EU’s exempt list of third countries, the Public Health Agency urges you to get a Covid-19 test as soon as possible after arriving. You don’t have to take the second test on the fifth day, and you don’t have to self-isolate completely, although you should be “careful” about who you meet, avoid meeting risk groups, keep a physical distance to other people and pay special attention to possible symptoms.

If you have been travelling within the EU and received your first dose at least three weeks before arriving in Sweden or had Covid-19 in the past six months, you are exempt from the recommendation. You should however get a coronavirus PCR test if you develop symptoms.

If you arrive in Sweden from a Nordic country (Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland), you don’t have to get a test or self-isolate.

However, it is important to note that even if you are exempt from the requirements to get tested and isolate, you must still follow the recommendations that apply in Sweden to curb the spread of Covid-19, whether you live here or are visiting and whether you are vaccinated or not. Those include for example limiting contact only to your closest circle, working from home if you can, avoiding use of public transport as much as possible, and staying at home if you experience symptoms consistent with Covid-19.

There are Covid-19 testing stations at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport. Photo: Claudio Bresciani / TT

Where can I find out more?

All information was correct at the time of publication, but the situation can change at short notice. You can check the “Updated” time in the top left corner of the article to see when we updated this webpage. The Local recommends that before any travel, you check Sweden’s national authorities for information on the latest restrictions and exemptions:

Be aware that information provided elsewhere, for example on the ReOpen EU website, or by non-official sources, may not be up to date.

Member comments

  1. Hej

    Where are you getting this updated information? Government.se and polisen.se have not been updated since June.

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EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

Published: 4 May 2024 09:30 CEST
EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a soft launch of the new EU border system – the entry/exit (EES) system – on the assumption that it will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

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