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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.

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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TRAVEL NEWS

What are the cheapest holiday destinations from Austria this summer?

If you are planning on a summer vacation, certain countries are cheaper than others, especially compared to Austria.

What are the cheapest holiday destinations from Austria this summer?

Travellers from Austria will enjoy the most affordable holidays in Eastern Europe and classic Mediterranean holiday destinations, according to calculations by Statistik Austria on the price levels of tourism products and services.

The calculations considered the purchasing power of people in Austria abroad for May 2024. 

“Inflation has reduced the holiday budgets of many people, but the most popular foreign destinations in summer, Italy and Croatia, still have a slightly lower price level than Austria”, Statistik Austria director Tobias Thomas said in a press release.

READ ALSO: Will my Austrian health insurance pay for medical expenses abroad?

He added: “The cheapest holiday destinations are Turkey and Bulgaria, where holidaymakers from Austria get almost twice as much for their money as in their own country.

“In Iceland, on the other hand, they have to dig deepest into their pockets: Tourist products and services, including overnight stays and restaurant visits, cost on average 51 percent more there than in Austria”.

Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean are the cheapest destinations

According to Statistik Austria, the purchasing power of €100 earned in Austria is significantly higher in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. In Bulgaria, it’s €187, in Romania, it’s €161, and in Hungary, it’s €149. For Mediterranean destinations, Turkey offers the best value at €198, followed by Portugal (€132), Greece (€126), Croatia (€124), Spain (€124), Cyprus (€115), and Italy (€109). 

Switzerland (€68) and countries in the north of Europe, such as Iceland (€66), Denmark (€76), and Norway (€76), continue to be the most expensive destinations by far. 

Most of the changes compared to the previous year were very small, except for Turkey and Poland. The recent strength of the zloty against the euro led to a 5 percent decline in purchasing power to €130 euros in Poland. 

In Turkey, a significant devaluation of the Turkish lira contrasts with even higher inflation, resulting in a 4 percent decline in the purchasing power of tourists, although it remains at a high level. 

READ ALSO: What are your rights if your trip is delayed or cancelled in Austria?

Overseas destinations

Differing developments in the euro exchange rates are causing changes in both directions for overseas destinations. 

For travellers to the United States, the equivalent value of €96 (May 2023: €95) in goods and services remains constant. Holidaymakers in Mexico are experiencing a loss of purchasing power (−7  percent; euro equivalent now €120 compared to €129 in the previous year) due to a stronger Mexican peso.

In Japan, on the other hand, low inflation coupled with a weak Japanese yen resulted in an increase of 14 percent to €129 (May 2023: €113). 

Holidays in Australia are still expensive, with €100 in Austria buying goods and services worth €82 (previous year: €83). In the UK, prices are close to Austrian ones, with €100 in Austria buying goods and services worth €102 there.

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