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COVID-19

Explained: Sweden’s new rules for travel from overseas

Sweden's government on Thursday made some clarifications to the entry ban currently in place due to the coronavirus.

Published: 4 June 2020 16:16 CEST
Explained: Sweden's new rules for travel from overseas
The terminal at Stockholm's Arlanda airport is unusually empty due to worldwide travel restrictions. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

Since mid-March, Sweden has had a ban on arrivals to the country from outside the EU/EEA.

That remains in place, but there are some exceptions, and some of these were made clearer today.

One of the main changes related to people with family links to Sweden, which the government said was done “to reduce the risk of splitting families and facilitate reunions among families”.

“The exemption for family members of Swedish citizens has been made clearer and this means that, among other things, it's easier for families who live overseas to travel home to Sweden. Clarifications have also been made to make it easier for people with a residence permit in Sweden to join family in Sweden. This could mean for example if you are a husband, partner or child of someone who lives in Sweden,” the government said in a statement. 

“In such cases, there is no requirement that the person entering Sweden has their home in Sweden at the time of entry,” the government said. Previously, people needed to provide proof that they had an “established home” in Sweden.

But if you are planning to simply visit family in Sweden, this is still not possible if you come from a country outside the EU/EEA and do not hold citizenship of Sweden or an EU/EEA country. Exemptions can be made by border police in individual cases, for example if there are urgent family reasons.

 

There is also a further exemption for some types of seasonal workers.

“Today's government decision means that seasonal workers in the agricultural, forestry, and horticultural industries are added to the list of examples of people who can be exempted from the entry ban, with respect to the fact they carry out necessary functions in Sweden,” the government said, referring to guidance from the EU Commission. These job categories were earlier explicitly excluded from the exemption according to Swedish border police.

The changes come into force from June 8th. The ban itself currently applies up until June 15th, but may be extended further.

Further exemptions from the entry ban, which have been clear from the start, apply to citizens of the EU or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the UK. Swedish citizens are still able to enter the country, as are people with a residence permit who normally live in Sweden.

And the exemption for key workers applies not only to the industries referred to in Thursday's statement, but also to healthcare workers, diplomats, people working in food production, and people working with the transportation of goods such as food and medicines.

People with essential family reasons for travel or who needed to travel for humanitarian reasons were excluded from the entry ban too. It is up to the border police to make assessments of each individual case.

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VISAS

Cost for getting a short-stay Schengen visa to rise on June 11th

The fee for getting a Schengen visa will rise by 12 percent in June, the European Commission has confirmed.

Published: 4 June 2024 14:52 CEST
Cost for getting a short-stay Schengen visa to rise on June 11th

The hike means the basic fee for a Schengen visa will rise from €80 to €90 for adults and from €40 to €45 for children. The reason for the price hike has been blamed on inflation in member states.

Schengen visas can be obtained by non-EU citizens from countries that do not benefit from the EU / Schengen area’s 90-day rule such as such as nationals of South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and China.

Schengen visas are not required for citizens of countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia who are paying short visits to the EU, since they are entitled to 90 days of visa-free travel in every 180.

Anyone who wants to spend longer in an EU country will need to apply for a long-stay visa – but these are issued by individual countries, not the EU. The cost of these visas vary depending on the country and the type of visa (eg study visa, work visa).

In addition to raising the basic fee to €90, the EU has also proposed hiking the fee even higher for those countries who are deemed not be cooperative with receiving expelled citizens back from member states.

In this case the Schengen visa fee for citizens from that country will rise from €120/€160 to €135 /€180.

In addition, the revision of visa fees impacts the maximum amount that external service providers collecting visa applications on behalf of member states can charge, which is usually set at up to half the standard fee.

This charge would increase from €40 to €45.

The fee for a Schengen visa extension will remain at €30.

Revised every three years

Every three years the EU Commission is tasked to assess whether new fees are needed, considering “objective criteria”, such as the EU inflation rate and the average of civil servants’ salaries in EU member states.

The Commission published its proposal on February 2nd, following a meeting with experts from EU member states in December, when an “overwhelming majority” supported the revision.

The Commission says that even with the increase, the visa fees for the Schengen area are “still relatively low” compared to other countries. For instance, a visa for the USA costs €185, or €172; for the UK it starts from £115 (€134); for Canada it is $100 plus $85 for biometrics, or €130; for Australia $190, the equivalent of €117.

Digital-only visa

The EU is also planning to introduce a digital-only Schengen visa. This will allow to apply online, regardless of the Schengen country applicants intend to visit, and will replace the current sticker in passports with a digital visa.

According to the European Commission website, the digital platform will start operating in 2028.

Who needs a Schengen visa

The Schengen visa allows a stay for tourism or family visits (but not for work) in 28 European countries for up to 90 days in any 6-month period. People travelling for business trips, conferences or meetings apply for a Schengen business visa.

Anyone who wants to stay longer, or to work, needs a visa from the country they intend to visit.

The Schengen visa is required for citizens of countries who do not benefit from the ‘90-day rule’, such as nationals of South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and China.

It is not needed for other non-EU nationals such as Brits, Americans, Canadians or Australians who can spend up to 90 days in every 180 in the Schengen area without needing a visa. You can see the full list of countries who need a visa here.

Schengen countries include EU member states, excluding Ireland (which opted out), Cyprus, and Bulgaria and Romania for land borders. Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein and Switzerland are not EU members but have also joined the Schengen Convention.

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