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Sweden lifts travel warning for 14 countries

The Local Sweden
The Local Sweden - [email protected]
Sweden lifts travel warning for 14 countries
Sweden has lifted recommendations against non-essential travel to 14 countries. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

From Tuesday, Swedish tourists will be able to travel freely to 14 countries in Europe.

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Sweden's foreign ministry on Tuesday lifted its recommendation against non-essential travel to:

  • Belgium
  • Croatia
  • France
  • Greece (the rules for Greece are still unclear – read more below)
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Italy
  • Luxembourg
  • Monaco
  • Portugal
  • San Marino
  • Switzerland
  • Spain
  • The Vatican

That means that tourism trips to these places have the go-ahead from today.

The guidance had been in place since an early stage in the pandemic, due to global uncertainty and travel bans, and was set to apply until at least July 15th. The advice against travel is not a legally binding ban, but has other implications, for example that your travel insurance may not be valid if you disregard the advice.

The foreign ministry's recommendation is linked to travel restrictions and the fast-changing global situation, which could leave travellers stranded, rather than infection risks posed directly by the coronavirus itself.

For that reason, the countries included on the list above are generally countries that do not currently have restrictions, including quarantines, for Swedes who travel there. You will notice that its Nordic neighbours, who all have some form of restrictions in place for Swedish or other foreign tourists, are not included.

If you travel to one of the countries above, you still need to make sure that you are aware of any coronavirus-related regulations still in place, for example local travel restrictions or rules such as the use of a face mask.

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It was still unclear around noon on Tuesday what the situation is for Swedish tourists wishing to travel to Greece, after media reports that direct flights from Sweden to Greece remain grounded, according to the TT newswire.

It is also important to note that even if you are travelling to one of the countries above, it is worth looking into the terms and conditions of your travel insurance. According to Gabriella Hallberg, legal advisor at the Swedish Consumers' Insurance Bureau, the travel protection included in most home insurances generally requires someone with an infection such as the coronavirus to have been symptom-free for three months.

"You may not travel with an ongoing infection or need for care," she told TT.

Sweden's advice against non-essential travel continues to apply to at least July 15th for countries within the EU/EEA other than the 14 countries above. For non-EU/EEA countries, the advice applies until August 31st.

Swedish vocabulary

non-essential travel – icke nödvändiga resor

travel insurance – (en) reseförsäkring

to travel – att resa

country – (ett) land

home insurance – (en) hemförsäkring

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Anonymous 2020/06/30 11:50
@Vishnu Ramesh Maroli, thank you for the feedback! I have updated the article.
Anonymous 2020/06/30 10:57
It would be nice if the list of countries was an actual bullet/numbered list in the article. Improves readability.

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