The Swedish government at an extraordinary meeting on Monday decided to remove all entry restrictions from the Nordic countries and other EU/EEA countries on February 9th, the same day it also scrapped nearly all of its domestic Covid rules and recommendations.

“The decision follows an assessment by the Public Health Agency of Sweden that the entry restrictions are no longer a proportionate infection control measure,” read a government statement.

“The lifting of the entry restrictions is a great relief for many travellers, not least for those living and working in the Nordic border regions. Today’s decision also reduces the burden on the Swedish Police Authority, which no longer needs to set aside staff to check Covid-19 certificates at the border,” it added.

It said the current entry restrictions for non-EU/EEA countries would however remain in place for now, “in accordance with EU recommendations regarding entry from third countries”.

This means that people travelling to Sweden from these countries will still not be able enter the country directly unless they are covered by one of a series of exemptions from the entry ban.

Such an exemption could be for example living in a so-called “exempt country”, having a valid vaccine pass issued by an “approved country”, or being a resident of Sweden.

The entry ban on non-EU/EEA arrivals is currently in force until March 31st.

A Health Ministry spokesperson told The Local last week that the entry restrictions would first be removed for the Nordic countries (although as of Monday’s decision it has been extended to the rest of the EU and EEA) as a “first step” and that more information would come.

“The government is continuously reviewing the entry restrictions introduced due to the pandemic. It is important that the restrictions do not go beyond what is justified,” the spokesperson said at the time.