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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

How will the new app for Europe’s EES border system work?

With Europe set to introduce its new Entry/Exit biometric border system (EES) in the autumn there has been much talk about the importance of a new app designed to help avoid delays. But how will it work and when will it be ready?

Published: 7 May 2024 10:29 CEST
How will the new app for Europe's EES border system work?

When it comes into force the EU’s new digital border system known as EES will register the millions of annual entries and exits of non-EU citizens travelling to the EU/Schengen area, which will cover 29 European countries.

Under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), non-EU residents who do not require a visa will have to register their biometric data in a database that will also capture each time they cross an external Schengen border.

Passports will no longer be manually stamped, but will be scanned. However, biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard when the non-EU traveller first crosses in to the EU/Schengen area.

Naturally there are concerns the extra time needed for this initial registration will cause long queues and tailbacks at the border.

To help alleviate those likely queues and prevent the subsequent frustration felt by travellers the EU is developing a new smartphone app.

READ ALSO: What will the EES passport system mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The importance of having a working app was summed up by Uku Särekanno, Deputy Executive Director of the EU border agency Frontex in a recent interview.

“Initially, the challenge with the EES will come down to the fact that travellers arriving in Europe will have to have their biographic and biometric data registered in the system – border guards will have to register four of their fingerprints and their facial image. This process will take time, and every second really matters at border crossing points – nobody wants to be stuck in a lengthy queue after a long trip.”

But there is confusion around what the app will actually be able to do, if it will help avoid delays and importantly when will it be available?

So here’s what we know so far.

Who is developing the app?

The EU border agency Frontex is currently developing the app. More precisely, Frontex is developing the back-end part of the app, which will be made available to Schengen countries.

“Frontex is currently developing a prototype of an app that will help speed up this process and allow travellers to share some of the information in advance. This is something we are working on to support the member states, although there is no legal requirement for us to do so,” Uku Särekanno said in the interview.

Will the 29 EES countries be forced to use the app?

No, it is understood that Frontex will make the app available on a voluntary basis. Each government will then decide if, when and where to use it, and develop the front-end part based on its own needs.

This point emerged at a meeting of the House of Commons European scrutiny committee, which is carrying out an inquiry on how EES will impact the UK.

What data will be registered via the app?

The Local asked the European Commission about this. A spokesperson however, said the Commission was not “in a position to disclose further information at this stage” but that travellers’ personal data “will be processed in compliance with the high data security and data protection standards set by EU legislation.”

According to the blog by Matthias Monroy, editor of the German civil rights journal Bürgerrechte & Polizei/CILIP the Frontex app will collect passengers’ name, date of birth, passport number, planned destination and length of stay, reason for travelling, the amount of cash they carry, the availability of a credit card and of a travel health insurance. The app could also allow to take facial images. It will then generate a QR code that travellers can present at border control.

This, however, does not change the fact that fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing into the Schengen area.

So given the need to register finger prints and facial images with a border guard, the question is how and if the app will help avoid those border queues?

When is the app going to be available?

The answer to perhaps the most important question is still unclear.

The Commissions spokesperson told The Local that the app “will be made available for Schengen countries as from the Entry/Exit System start of operations.” The planned launch date is currently October 6th, but there have been several delays in the past and may be another one.

The UK parliamentary committee heard that the prototype of the app should have been ready for EU member states in spring. Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the UK Department for Transport, said the app will not be available for testing until August “at best” and that the app will not be ready in time for October. The committee previously stated that the app might even be delayed until summer 2025.

Frontex’s Särekanno said in his interview: “Our aim is to have it ready by the end of the summer, so it can then be gradually integrated into national systems starting from early autumn”.

READ ALSO: How do the EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Can the system be launched if the app is not ready?

Yes. The European Commission told The Local that “the availability of the mobile application is not a condition for the Entry/Exit System entry into operation or functioning of the system. The app is only a tool for pre-registration of certain types of data and the system can operate without this pre-registration.”

In addition, “the integration of this app at national level is to be decided by each Schengen country on a voluntary basis – as there is no legal obligation to make use of the app.”

And the UK’s transport under secretary Guy Opperman sounded a note of caution saying the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

When the app will be in use, will it be mandatory for travellers?

There is no indication that the app will become mandatory for those non-EU travellers who need to register for EES. But there will probably be advantages in using it, such as getting access to faster lanes.

As a reminder, non-EU citizens who are resident in the EU are excluded from the EES, as are those with dual nationality for a country using EES. Irish nationals are also exempt even though Ireland will not be using EES because it is not in the Schengen area.

Has the app been tested anywhere yet?

Frontex says the prototype of the app will be tested at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, in Sweden. Matthias Monroy’s website said it was tested last year at Munich Airport in Germany, as well as in Bulgaria and Gibraltar.

According to the German Federal Police, the blog reports, passengers were satisfied and felt “prepared for border control”.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

 
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